New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-08-14

Die
inanSurate an epoch in history by which, let us
hono our progress as a people is destined to be
,reasprcd for many centuries to come; and like
,hsa Games this anniversary must possess to some
extant a religious as well as political significance,
with which it is important for own sakes, for
The sake of those who come after us, and, above ALL
for the sake of those who still need the torch we
carry that every American, in whatever quarter OF
this country or of the globe he resides should be
thoroughly penetrated.
To these conditions also the proposed exposition at
Philadelphia does not answer in any sense Whatever.
1t is essentially local and partial and In no sense OF
the word can it possibly be national. 1t is local. for
it contcmplates the transport of all who wish TO take
part in it from their homes, however distant 10
Philadelphia This is to exclude at least nne-tentns
may not say NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Tor the popua-
finn from any participatiOn in it. To displace for
a single night, even one-tenth of our population,
without any reference to the loss of labor and neglect
of duties involved ii, would alone cost the coun-
try over S1OOOOOOO; and if once concentrated, there
Is no city in the world though entirely vacated OF
its inhabitants that could lodge and feed them
Nor. If by some miraculous agency they could be
lodged and fed could one-twenteth part of them be
brought within the compass of any human voice.
When we further reflect that the fourth day OF
July has been, from time immemorial in the United
States one of the hottest days in the year that Phil
alephia is at that of the hottest places
on the continent and is almost entirely forsaken by
all who afford to leave it, is it not idle to talk
of holding large gathering, not to speak OF q
national gathering, in Philadelphia, or in any
other place, indeed, in our climate. on any day In
the months of July or August.
Not only must such mode of celebration be local
and sectional in it's character and operation, but 1t
must be partial and very imperfectiy represent the
growth and culture Of the nation.
1t may to some extent exhibit the products OF our
mines, our mills, our looms, our forests, and our
meadows though il will offer no standard by when
10 estimate the ratio of our progress in those indus
tries the chief not to say the only essential feature
10 be aimed at but where win be the evidences OF
our progress in the political and economical sciences,
i'm theology in jurisprudence, in the arts OF healing
i'm political and religious liberation, In education
How will the sacrifices we have made for the
African race, and to relieve labor from the social
degradation to which it has been condemned for
thousands of years, be put in evidenced These are
our most substantial titles to the prominent place
we have taken in the family of nations, and COM
memorative exposition without them would betray
barbaric ignorance and more than barbaric stupid
ity. 1t would be installing the body for the soul,
nursing sect without reference to its faith dwell
ing in the letter which killHth rather than in the
spirit which giveth life.
Nothing more painfully exposes the degeneracy Of
the Greeks than the fact that they no longer study
the masterpieces of their literature, nor cherish the
virtues of the race to which its authors belonged
When we shall come TO take more pride in our hay
cutters and sewing machines than in our contribu-
tons to social and political science in the receipt
for making Parmesan cheese than in the Ten
Commandments, in cheapening labor by ma
chinery than in giving it dignity and making 1T the
handmade of virtue and religion, then may we ex-
pcct to see foreign mOnarchs sending their younger
sons to rule over u.s. in Greece and their troops to
RESTRAIN us from self-destructiOn.
In the third place, to insure such commemora-
ton as shall be national and neither local nor sec
tonal nor partial in its character it must be mex
pensive and therefore, of course, must not involve
the displacement of large masses of people. 1t is
likely to be many years before shall have any
money to spend on public concerns that does not
look more or less directly to reduction rather than
an increase of our financial burdens 1t would be
impossible to secure that unanimity which is essen
tal TO national festival of any kind if it involved
any sensible increase of those burdens.
Nor if we were free from debt and far more pros
porous than we are, would it be desirable to adopt
any plan of commemoration which involved the
of any considerable of money, for this simple
reason not speak of many others that we, in our
corporate character have no faculty of spending
money becomingly upon popular entertainments or
festivities of any kind Our means of supervising
expenditures, outside of the usual official routine
especially, are very imperfect aud the greater the
sum which the patriotism of the country might con-
sccrate to the cOmmemOratiOn of this anniversary
the more surely would the privilege of spending 1t
gavitate sooner later into the hands OF rogues,
and the celebration degenerate into job with which
men who value their characters could not afford to
have any connection. Our government Is cOnstl-
tuted upon the theory that its functions are limited
substantially to the simple duty of keeping one
mans hand off of another and off of his property
Whether it accomplish this end perfectly OF imper-
fecty may be a matter not beyond dispute; but that
il capable of accomplishing much of anything be-
yond this well will hardly be pretended by any who
are familiar with its past history, or with the prin-
clples upon which it was founded If we wish
celebration that we will not be ashamed of, If we
wish celebration to which the wortbiest and most
competent men in the country will lend the indis-
pensabe support of their characters and talents we
must not expose them to be overrun and dehled by
the vermin which are sure to infest any public
demonstration (which has money in it,"
If the approaching anniversary shall recall to us
c-ything worth commemoratng, 1T can be COM
Inemorated at trifing expense and 1t must be 80
commemorated. if we do not wish the attempt to
end in foul job, and in making the Republic Of
Washington a warning rather than an example to
the rest of the world.
The proposed cost of the Philadelphia Exposition
NAV be no objection to it as business enterprise.
Should it not attract enough visitors to pay its
penses the new markets it would open, the new
models il would offer for inspection, and the new
ideas it would put into circulation might make it
indirectly remuneratve toits stockholders Besides,
4be pennsvyanians are lust starting a line of trans