, 1873-07-15

1ub f1eI1Da correspondent OF tho NOW YOFH
Tribune sends that paper detailed account OF
tho American contributions to the Worlds Ex-
position. Tho catalogue is worth brief analy-
sis, not for tho purpose Of any national glorifl-
cation, hut to show to what straits the luck Of an
Intelligent appreciation of tho importance Of
this Exposition has brought tho representation,
OF American industry. Tho principal American
gallery is occupied by collection of photo
graphs, mostly from Que New York firm; largo
collection Of chromos, which Of necessity must
DO good, bad, and indifferent; and plaster cast
of Tonnyson's "sIeoping Beauty" which was
80 atrociouBiy bad that tho Commission
ors would not allow 1t in tho Art Gal
lery. In this gallory thero ia also
crcditnble display of firearms, mostly from tho
Ordnance Bureau OF tho War Department. In
tho group Of musical instruments, none Of the
loading plano-makorB of this country arc ropre-
sontoa. Tho entire stock compriaes five pianos,
two zithers, and n solitary Adalo Our groaA
cotton-weaying iudustry is represented by two
pieces Of shirtings and O pile Of prints; shoo
manufacturing, by ono caRo of shoes rubber
work, by twolve pairs Of rubber boots liquors,
by q fow casca Of Catnwba winos, q barrel Of
Kentucky whisky, and few bottles of gin,
There is also d large number Of soda-
fountains, which arc inactive, from tho
fact that Baron Schwartz granted tho con-
cossion Of drawing American soaa-water
to party Of English1non. 4 miscellaneous as-
sortment Of patent notions OF tho Connecticut
order, mixed up with dontists' materials, curtain
hxturoB, cod l}yor oil. oto., completes tho cata-
loguo for this gallory. In tile main court
there lis groat variety Of RoSing-machines, and
very little olse, except few cooking -Bsovos,
cart-whoela, jaok-planes, door-knobs aud hatcl,-
ets. In tho south gallery our national agricul-
tu1o ia represented by collection Of Southern
products alone Mining, quarrying, and motal-
1urgy arc only partially represented, and
the educational group Is by no means
what tho Educational Bureau promised
it should be. Tho roBt Of tho American
catalogue comprises q map Of Philadolplia, a
model Of tho Louisville Bridge, aono wood fro
InGiaua, BONO black walnut from New York, and
balo OF cotton from MomphiB What is not ox-
hibitod is much moro extensive than what is.
While tho galleriea OF other nations arc packed
to roplotion, the American galleries present
great blank spacoa, although an effort has been
made to eproad out aa mitch as possible. Thore
Ia scarcely an important branch OF Amori-
can industry represented. A fow balos
of cotton represent the great agricultural
RESOURCES Of this country. Tho Wost nud tho
Pacific States arc comparatively not represented
at all In any particular. What foreigner, wieh-
ing to got u comprehensive idea Of this country
aud Its rosources, would most naturally look
for, Is not there whit ho caros nothing about.
Is there in profusion. Tho result Of this mugt
inevitably bo tolower tha country in tho ostima-
tion OF Europeans. As G. people, wo l1ave mover
been very slow in proclaming tho superiority OF
tho uniycraal Yankee nation to tho rost of tho
world and now, when wo haye had our opnor.
tunity to mako good our boast, wo fall bolow all
other nations.
It ia not difficult to trace the causea of this fail
ure. Apart from the pack Of incompetent md
corrupt Commissioners who were appointed to
look after the interests Of American exhibitors.
and who 30 Hcriously and almost fatally botchoa
thoir business, the doyornmont itself never had
any realizing idea Of tho Importance OF
tho Exposition, and consequently tho
appropriation and all tho Official ac-
tton woro delayed 40 long that thore
was no timo to mako proper representation.
As tho American Department has resulted, Il ia
now clear enough that 1t would layo boon bottor
II America had not beon represented at oil. It
would have savod lib the national humiliation
consequent upon the corrupt and mo1ceuary con-
duct Of tho Commissioners, which moro tlan
onco provoked foreign robuke for Its
greed and insolence; and it would also
have spared us from making an In
adequate and almost contomptibla exlib,.