The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1873-02-08
THE CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION

! We like the idea which has been sug-
| gested, and in behalf of which there
has been some Congressional legislation!
of having grand National centennial
celebration of the anniversary OF Amer.
lean independence on the Fourth Oh
July, 1876. There is but one place
where it can with propriety be held,
and that is the city where it was origi-
nally declared and promulgated to the
world Just century before. 1t is de-
signed by those who favor this celebra-
ton that it shall be great historical
bazaar, and mark in every department
the progress of the country. 1t is to
show tho advance we havo made i'll tho
mechanic arts, in internal improve
ments, in science and literature, and in
general social development. In other
words, wo arc to have IL picture of
American life ls it was on the Fourth
of July, l77G, contrastcd with what is a
century afterWard. There i; no form
in which there can be better presented
to the senses, and through them to the
imagination, the extraordinary changes
of a hundred years. Reading and hear
ing is not like seeing with ones own
eyes. It leaves Il far less vivid impress
sion. We want to sec side by side the
modes of onveyance OF our ancestors,
and contrast them with our own. We
want IN exhibition OF tho agricultural
implements along with ours. We want
specimens of their houses in connection
with those of to-day. We want to see
the modes of living of the two historical
epochs. 1t is intended to have spcci-
! men copies of every thing which has
| made the century memorable in all
| conceivable respects. Now, such an
exhibition as this, carried out with
! minute detail, would be worth Witness
ing. 1t could be kept up for months, if
not for years. The international cNhi-
billions of London, Paris and Vienna
would be far inferior in this, that they
only represent the present without any
| contrast with the past. We should
have two pictures to their one. What
American is there who could fail to be
profoundly interested in this impress
sivc exhibition of his country's progress
in Il hundred years? 1t is but the life
time of an individual, and yet it covers
the whole period of the existence of the
most powerful nation ON the globe.
When one Wanders amid the crystal
palaces that should be built at Phila-
delphia to accommodate this rcmarlSa-
bic exhibition, his strongest emotion,
probably, would be that of ;stonish-
mcnt that such extreme revolutions in
the affairs of men could be wrought in
Il single century. But the last century
has been the most cvc.ltful, in many
respects, OF any that has preceded it, no
matter how far we may ascend into
antiquity. Especially is it true OF what
may be called National progress. Only
tho discovery of gunpOwtlcr and the
introduction OF the art OF printing have
| had rs great an effect upon the uestinics
Of mankind as the discovery and :,ppli-
cation Of the power of steam, and of the
electric telegraph as Il medium Of
thought between all parts Of the earth.
He whose good fortune it shall be to
witness such Il celebration as is design
cu at Philadelphia on the Fourth of
July, 1876, where he can sec ut one
glance the infant colonies and tho
mighty nation that has sprung out Of
them, would have sensations akin to
him who at the same moment could
soc the small head waters Of the Missis-
Sippi, which Il herd of buffalo could
apparently lick dry, and the immense
torrent and volume into which it has
grown before it enters the Gulf Of Mex
leo. We shall DO doing injustice to
history if we neglect to avail ourselves
OF the fine conception which has been
made OF this rapidly approaching Gen.
! tcnnial anniversary. OF course it can't
DO carried out without money, and
without II good deal of it, but all that
this people cam richly afford, even if
they never get n cent of ii back. Cen
turtles don't roll round very often, cs-
pccially one that marks the completion
OF snch Il century as began with the
tollin. OF the bell mt Independence
Hall on the Fourth of July, l77G.
There is one thing, however, where
we should appear alta sad disadvantage
with the century that has gone by. 1t
is as marked and easily seen by our
extraordinary superiority in the dcvcl-
opncnt of art and science. We allutlc
to the dcgcncracy Of our public mon,
both intellectually and morally. The
talent of II hundred years ago was en-
ployca in government and political
affairs. Now it is soon in the walks Of
industry and social development and
progress. Tho Congress, presided over
by Speaker Blaine, would mako a very
sad appearance in contrast with that
over which tho glorious and majestic
John Hancock presided whom Indcpen-
dcncc was declared. Who, that h,s
seen u pirtrlrr t,f tho Ii,rnrr; ,,F fbc Dr,c-