Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1873-04-16
The One Hundredth Birth.Year or the
Nation.

Three years must elapse before the
opening day of the Centennial Exposi-
ton arrives. yet at this early day people
of the nations across the sea have com
menced to talk and write in great earnest
about the celebration of the one hun
dredth birth year of this Republic. They
expect it to be as marvellous in its way
as has been the growth of this Nation in
everything that relates TO the advance
ment of the comfort and wellbcing Of the
whole people.
The following article relative to our
Centennial birth year and the exposition
to te held in honor of that year appeared
in the London Telegraph of March 2Sth 4:
The United States of America have
invited all the world and his wife to visit
in 1876, the grand, 'unrivalled, and orig
inal show to be held at Philadelphia, in
the State of Pennsylvania. We are
afraid that the majority of English read
ers will hardly appreciate the significance
of the date assigned for this American
exhibition, nor will they understand why
the Quaker capital should be selected
from all the cities of the Union as the
fitting site for the New World Art Palace.
Incredible as the statement may appear
to our transatlantic kinsfolk, We suspect
a large number of well educated English
men are not aware that l776 was the
date of the Declaration of independence :
and that therefore, three years from the
coming month of April. the United
States will be able to celebrate the CEN
tenary of their freedom. We should be
sorry 70 affirm that even persons not un
with the story of the revol.
OF our American colonies were aware that
Philadelphia was for long period the
headquarters of the rising against British
rule-the cradle, to use favorite trans
atlantic metaphor, Of American indepen
dence. There is, however, certain his
toric appropriateness in the fact that, in
the year when the Union completes its
first century. Europe should be invited to
witness at Philadelphia the advance that
art, science, and industry have made I'M
der the rule of the great Western Repub-
lie. BY position, character, and tradi
ton, the City of Brotherly Love may
fairly be regarded as
The FlrTEST REPRESENTATIVE
IF American republicanism. If not so
as New York. so Oli-World
ike as Boston, so go ahead as Chicago.
20 Western as ST. Louis, it unites more
of the leading characteristics of Ameri-
IAN civilization than any other city in the
Union Each State naturally gives the
pre- eminence to its own chief town
But if any American were called upon
% put his own State out of the question,
and to say what single city of the Re
'ub!ic represented most fully the past,
present, and future of the Union. he
would award the prize to Philadelphia
without shadow of doubt.
So, az we have said, the traders of the
globe are to have their try sting place for
1876 fixed at Philadelphia. Experience
las taught the Americans that exception
al inducements are required to persuade
European visitors to cross the Atlantic
IN large numbers. The New Yolk Ex-
some few years ago, was COM
parative failure. Nor was there any great
of strangers from "beyond the
sea-" TO the Boston Monster Musical Ju-
bilee last year. But the Philadelphia In
teruational Exhibition is, in Yankee
phrase, to be 1.-THE biggest thing OUT in
the way Of ant shows. The Congress of
has passed an act incorpor-
,ting company which. under the title
Of the Centennial Board of Finance, is
to have the management of the exhibit
bition. This company is empowered to
raise the large amount of some two mil
lions sterling for the purposes of the
show. AS we understand. the subscrip
ton is to have quasi-national character.
Each State and Tertiary of the Union
will be entitled to take up certain
amount of the stock in proportion to its
Thus, the almost unoccupi-
ed Territory of Wyoming. in the far
West, is assessed for some four hundred
and fifty pounds, while the Empire State
Of New York is put down for close upon
a quarter of a million. What the finan-
cial prospects or advantages of the
CENTENNIAL COMMISSION FUND
may be we do not pretend to say; but,
the passion of the Americans
for enterprises which combine profit and
patriotism we should be disposed to think
the fund would be forthcoming. The
Legislature of Pennsylvania has already
voted grant of million towards
the exhibition. The building for the
Worlds Fair is intended to be of per-
manent character, go as to constitute a
of the first centenary of Amer
lean independence and we shall be sur
priced if the display should not mark an