Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1872-12-05
THE CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION.
An Address by the United States Centennial
Commission.

An Address by the United States Centennial
Commission.
To the People of the United States:
The Congress of the United States has en-
acted that the completion of the one hum
dredth year of American independence shall
be celebrated by an International Exhibition
soil and mine, to be held at Philadelphia. in
1876, and has appointed a Commission, con-
sisting of representatives from each State and
Territory, to conduct the celebration:
Originating under the auspices OF the Ma
tional Legislature, controlled by a National
Commission, and designed as it is to Com
memorate the first century of our existence,
by an exhibition of the natural resources of
the country and their development, and of our
progress in those arts which benefit mankind,
in comparison with those of older nations" it
is to the people at large that the Commission
looks for aid which is necessary to make the
Centennial Celebration the ~grandest a%nniver-
sary the world has ever seen.
That the completion of the first century CT
our existence should be marked by some i'm
posing demonstration is, we believe, the
patriotic wish of the people of the whole coun-
try. The Congress of the United States has
wisely decided that the birthday of the Great
Redublic can be most fttingly celebrated by
the universal collection and display of all the
trophies of Its progress. 1t is designed to
bring together, within a building covering fifty
acres, not only the varied productions of our
tellectual triumphs of our citizens, specimens
of everything that America can furnish,
whether from the brains or the hands of her
children, and thus make evident to the world
the Advancement of which a self-governed
people is capable.
In this celebration" all nations will be in
vited to participate Its character being inter
national. Europe will display her arts and
manufactures, India her curious fabrics, while
newly opened China and Japan will lay bare
the treasures which for centuries their in
genious people have been perfecting- Each
land will compete In generous rivalry for the
palm of superior excellence.
To this grand gathering every zone will con-
tribute its fruits and cereals. No mineral
shall be wanting for what the East lacks the
West will supply. Under one roof will the
South display in rich luxuriance her growing
cotton, and the North in miniature the cease
less machinery of her mills converting that
cotton into cloth. Each section of the globe
will send its best offerings to this exhibition,
aud each State of the Union, as a member OF
one united body polite, will show to her
sister States and to the world how much she can
add to the greatness of the nation of which
she IS q harmonious part.
To make the Centennial Celebration such a
success as the patriotism and the pride OF
every American demands will require the CO.
operation of the people of the whole country
The United States Centennial Commission has
received no Government aid, such as England
extended to her Worlds Fair, and France to
her Universal Exposition. yet the labor and
responsibility imposed upon the Commission
is as great as in either of those undertak-
ings. 1t is estimated that ten millions of dol
lars will be required, and this sum Congress
has provided shall be raised by stock subscrip-
ton, and that the people shall have the OPP
portunity of subscribing in proportion to the
population of their respective States and Ter
~ritories.
The Commission look to the unfailing pa
triotism of the people of every section, to see
that each contributes its share to the expenses,
and receives its share of the benefits of an en-
terprise in which all are 30 deeply Interested.
It would further earnestly urge the formation
in each State and Territory of a centennial
organization, which shall in time see that
county associations are formed, SO that when
the nations are gathered together in 1876 each
Commonwealth can view with pride the con-
tributions she has made to the national glory.
Confidently relying on the zeal and patriot
ism ever displayed by our people IN every ma
tIonal undertaking, We pledge and prophecy
that the Centennial Celebration will worthily
show how greatness, wealth and intelligence
can be f~ostered by such institutions as those
which have for one hundred years blessed the
people of the United States.
JOSEPH r. HAwLEY, President.