New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-05-01
DIR FIGURE At VIENNA.

OUR FIGURE At VIENNA.
If our sole pride of citizenship consists IN
our not resembling the people OF the ene'o
despotisms of Europe we can still have reason
to be proud. of the figure we shall present a'
the opening of the Vienna Exposition to-day
Our appearance there will be at least unique
No other nation will have anything like IL.
When the respondent Pip called hlnseil
common" Mr.. GargeTy tried to comfort
him by contradicting that objechonaDle
expression. "You are not at all common" he
said. ain the first place, you are uncommon
"small.n This fattering JUNCTION we may Lay
to our souls without fear in reference to our
participation in the great show at the Austrian
capital. We clamored for more space than we
wanted, succeeded in bullying the imperial
authorities out of an addition to our terri
tory, and then found ourselves unable to I'LL
if. After louder and more indiscreet talk and
wrangling in Congress over the petty sum
appropriated than occurred in any other
legislative assembly in the world, we shall
find our representation the scantiest among
all the first-class powers. But this we nave
grown sufficiently mature and philosophy
cal to overlook. The desire to astonlsh
Europe and extort the admission oil
our own superiority from its citizens
has become much less powerful in recent
years. Even those who go to Vienna Will
observe without any especial pang the desolate
aisles which ought TO be filled with the evil
dences of our progress in art and industry,
and those who remain at home will read about
it with very little feeling OF regret or wounded
pride.
But the other matter in which we stand
alone involves q distinction much more annoy
ing, and more difficult to bear with equan1m-
ity. We arc the only power in the world, 80
far as known, which has sent to the Kaiser
stadt Commission tainted with corruption in
its formation and shamelessly addicted to cor
ruption in its action. 1t is not pleasant but
it may be salutary for us to dwell little upon
this consideration to keep before us the fact that
in the great pageant of to-day our share is only
noticeable for disgraceful wrangle between
set of Commissioners condemned by the dis
honest greed of few of their number, and
a new set appointed by cable among the re-
putable citizens now in Vienna. The one side
still hold the books, and plans, and documents,
who have no further evidence of title than
their telegram from Washington and
the seal of the Legation. 1t is
bitter but perhaps wholesome dose
which we give to-day in our Vienna CORE
spondence. Our readers can there see just
what these precious representatives of our
honor and interests have been about in this
grand and imposing congress of industry, and
what material for thought and conversation
they have been furnishing to the people of the
best-natured, most polite, and amiable city in
the world. Exhibitors have paid money to
Commissioners for good places contracts have
been awarded for percentage of the profits
the higher bidder has in some cases been sue
cessful through discreet understanding with
certain Commissioners and altogether, some
of our friends have seemed to think that in
foreign country where English is not spoken
it was not worth while to be decently hypo-
critical. Our dispatches show that many of
the Commissioners are exonerated from all
blame. 1t is not necessary to state that
Thomas McEirath is one of these. Justice to
Gen. Van Buren, requires we should
mention that these outrageous proceedings
took place almost entirely before his arrival
in Vienna. But the fact that a majority of
the Commission are honest men is little palia-
ton of the disgrace. There should have
been no rOgues appointed. 1t should not have
been possible for any rogue to be ap-
pointed. If any man pressed or lobbied
for place, it was sufficient evidence that he
was not fit for it and would make dishon-
est use of it, Perhaps it needed some loud
and conspicuous scandal of this sort to make
people think more seriously of system which
gives such constant occasion for incidents
which make the world smile and all decent
citizens blush.