New-York tribune., 1873-06-26
THE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..
OPENING OF THE AMERICAN DEPARTMENT.

TO Inc n EHtfOT OF IAe
SIR: The American Department of the Ex-
hibiuon was opened yesterday. not because 70 was
completely ready or because It was frl. hrt because
an end must be put 10 all provisional condition. 80
day was fixed and tho articles on hand
placed into az good order possible. and yesterday
about noon Mr Schultz and his Assistant Commission
ers with Mr. Jay walked through the trnnsepr court,
avenues and the public was allowed 70 circulate IN
those long barricaded quarters Somebody cannot
discovered who had posted notice on the outside OF
the Rural American schoolhouse" calling meeting
az that mi5named edice, as II a public meeting
IN Austria was a thing which n man irnight call
with perfect freedom and so though | coulo
find no information as 20 who had Issued the call or on
what permission authority was based and no one
40 far az could hear favored any buncOmhe display
under tho circumstances the majority OF the Americans
here each. perhaps, unwilling TO appear less patriotic
than hs neghDor assembled in the school-house
with number OF curious outsiders and "had
meeting" Mr.. Jay and the Commissioners
were there n seemed 20 me, rather 20 pre-
vent she OrignatOrs OF tho motion from turning It
INTO something like the early meetings OF exhibitors
The company sang meeting tnat absurd parody
on God Save the Queen" which We call America
and then Mr. jay introduced Mr. Hoyt the school
expertp who in very sensible speech, which did not
at all compliment the operators OF the schoo-honse
scheme or their success discharged the obligation or
the occasion After a few humorous words from
Mr Schultz the company dispersed except few OF the
muscaly disposed who renamed singing America"
heard Yankee girl remark as she passed out Ihere
A lot OF young deacons there and they'll sing all day"
so left them singing, the policemen at the door
wondering and all the passers by stopping for an IN
slant what exhibition OF the oddities OF the
" "Amercanisher fOlk' it might be-
The exhibition perhaps would not have been complete
without this trait OF our "fokp We have always sup
ply of buncombe on hand and after the disgrace
OF such an officer this Exhibition has brought 70 light
we can hud sefconceit enough % bring together and
congratulate ourselves that not as these wretched
monarchical sinners are. After making ourselves
we can find assurance to come together
and sing praise that we are what we
are perhaps who participated felt cause OF re-
ocng IN the that the exhibition was not "a dsas
trous as u might have been and Of thanktulness that the
dshonor was mitigated If the disgrace not avoided
That the exhibition Is failure, or IN any degree rep
resentatOn OF American industry, dlsgraceful failure
when compared with the pretensOns put forward and
the demonstrations made s subject Of doubt
though some OF the apologiss OF the old Commission,
whose powers Of comparison small still maintain that
IL is a success aud some, from patriotic motive
not wishing 20 discourage the American people" take
genial view OF H. and think II IL on the whole not so
bad. In comparison with what we should have done II
we did anything It IL beyond any eontestng bad fail
ure and made TO appear worse even than IL by the
exaggerated preensious made IN our claims for more
space AL have would have been put into the por-
ton Of the main building assigned and have
actually entirely abandoned OF the avenues built by
u.s. aud III the other the vacant spaces and bare walls
are more than all the space occupied even on the most
liberal allowance. We have thrown away nearly $4,000
in building what would now be glad to be rid o.
The causes OF this failure lis far back and deserve
noung They cannot be pushed OF on Gen. Van Buren,
hrlf fruVuFa FHwaFs ant Ia lot
even to be put tardy appropriation by Congress.
but lies in the appointment Of as chief OF the Com
mission ia whom whatever may be his position IN refer
ence 20 the corruption OF the Commission the business
men OF the community had no confidence. lie was not
known as itJcd the position IN way, and have
the evidence Of several eminent Americans now here
largely Interested in the Industrial resources OF the
country that the nomination OF Gen. Van Buren,
gared az positive bar the success Of our exhibition,
and dampened at once every disposition which might
have existed to take part in IT, The subsequent appoint
ment OF assistants was continuance OF bad omen and
Gen. Van Burens subsequently, proved Incompetence
yas sufficiently indicated in advance by MS
frst action in Preference 70 the affairs Of the Exhi
bluon. IL "a whispered that Gov Fish wished 20
be nd OF Mr. Van Bursns claims 20 some other foreign
appointment By thrustng him the Vienna Exhibition.
Does any one believe that II Gen. Grant had appointed
Mr. Beckwith or Gen. sherman, even Gen. Mcclellan
TO the place Of Chef Commissioner that there would
have been any such dstrust Of the fate OF the American
Department. II the most fit man afOr the position had
been selected would not only the Congressional appro
priatlon have been matter OF comparative facility but
would not the whole industrial interest OF the country
AT once have been enlisted in behalf OF an undertaking
in which the Governments had shown tho highest and
most patriotic INTEREST," think that cannot be mis-
taken in the concurrence OF opinion these points eK
pressed By Americans IN Vienna.
But stiu failure was not disgrace, and az we have
alyavs failed comparatively we might be content 90
accent the rule and 20 falling The testimony Of the
iuves cation VIII show whom the immediate resp0ns
bty OF the corruption must lie, but one thing Is clear,
that the moment Gen. Van Buren appointed his STAFF
the intrgues began. There were naneuyers FOR the
positlous. others for medals and there ara many
neope who, last Autumn even, predicted
a lob in the management OF the whole affair. Under the
circumstances were the chances OF the exhibition In
creased by the unlimited liberty given by Government
To GEN Van Buren 20 manage the matter as he liked
and appoint what agents he hkedi Had the Govern
meut no policy in the matter no views on the repute Of
its representatives here personally no TREND OF
Mr. Law and no indorser OF his views respecabity,
mr. mia standard OF dignity and may have harsher
comments 10 make on his course II they seem
chilled for but I must say that he was from
tho beginning alive 20 the possible results OF such ap
pointments and that he made proper and timely re-
marks on the same the proper quarters, and that the
scandal would have been averted II his warnings had
been attended to- 10 was impossible that A. Ameri
can he should not feel the than absurdty % ap
poipting a commission Of which the chief executive
agents should be VeRnese Tsraees Mr. Jay knew too,
the personal standing OF the late Yennese citizens and
that II was not such would rebound TO the honor OF
the United States which selected them 1t Is certainly
not subject Of accusation that he made all the efforts
in his power 10 avert what he Justly conceived 10 be
dscredt to his country. II in his efforts TO exclude
tbese men he precpitated the scandal which ID matter
of history the fault is his but that OF the Govern
ment which would pay attention TO his warnings,
and persisted in sending Mr. Meyer after the charges
against him we're known in Washington.