The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-05-09
The United states ut tho Vienna Ex
hibition-British Views.


hibition-British Views.
We have denounced the scheming and job
berry of the nonentities and shoddy people who
were appointed by our sagacious government
to represent the United States at the Vienna
Exhibition, and we have foreshadowed what
would be the result of the inadequate means
and want Of preparation and management to
make anything like fair representation Of
our products, skill, art and progress. Our
correspondents at Vienna, too, have described
the disgraceful incompleteness and mismanage-
ment Of the United States department. the
flag being down on the day Of the grand cere-
monial OF opening the Exhibition, signifying
not ready. Not being blind to the faults Of
our own people and country we have
censured unsparingly these evils and
shortcomings. At the same time we
saw that this country labored under pecu-
liar disadvantages, as the great distance of
Vienna from it. and consequent want of suff-
cient interest in an exhibition so far of, as
we'll as the cost and difficulty of removing
objects to the great show, would prevent much
being sent that might be exhibited at or nearer
home. European nations had an advantage
over us in this respect. They felt the impulse
of the movement more than Americans, and
had greater facilities for sending their objects
of industry and art to Vienna Then, there
are some things that cannot be represented at
the Exhibition. We could not well show the
freedom, equality and happiness Of forty mil
lions Of people any more than England could
show her three or four millions Of wretched
paupers and the millions of disfranchised peo-
pie, who, in a political and social point Of
view, are no better than serfs. A good
picture or q fine piece of sculpture
from q European artist could be
easily transported to Vienna and placed in
full view but it is not SO easy to present to
the eye in the Exhibition the wonderful
natural and developed wealth, the surprising
progress, the education of the masses or the
great and near future Of the United States.
We shall, doubtless, after all, show some good
machinery, excellent labor saving inventions
and fine productions that will compare favor
ably with any in the world. In all that per-
tains to the well being, happiness or general
progress of the people we shall not be behind
any nation and, we think, shall stand first.
But our British cousins, who are very affec-
tionate and not little patronizing in their
manner, when they want to settle Alabama
difficulties, are ever ready to exaggerate our
defects and to lampoon us. A full-blooded
Englishman, evidently, writing to the London
Daily Nesos from Vienna gives a correct
list of the articles to be seen in the section Of
the Exhibition assigned to the United
States These are:-"Two cases Of Colt 3
firearms, three binnacles, one stuffed eagle,
two salt cellars, q dentists chair and six bot
ties of water taken from the Mississippi
River" There, countrymen, is the figure we
cut at Vienna, according to this amiable and
friendly Briton. Let us hope the unpacking
of cases that we hear so much Of will show
something more. We confess to deserving
some of this satire, for almost everything our
government touches Of this character is badly
and meanly managed. And our shoddy Amer
leans are too much in the habit of grabbing,
and, when abroad, Of making fools of them
selves. The vanity over stuffed eagle is o
little pardonable in an American; but the Mis-
sissippi water we cannot excuse, because six
bottles hardly represent the Father of Waters.
Well, we must bear the Briton's satire and not
seek redress by going to war with England.
But how about our own Exhibition in 1876
the Centenary Exhibition? Will there be jobs
and schemes, and plundering insignificant
Commissioners? Will there be nothing but
stuffed eagles, salt cellars, binnacles, fire.
arms, dentists chairs and bottles Of the Mis-
sissippi or Susquehanna waterp Let us mend
our faults and do better, though the merit Of
doing SO may not make John Bull more anna
BILE or less patronizing.
THE CoLD AND GENERAL RAIN STORM
Rapidly succeeding each other. storm after
storm is deluging some portions of the
country. The northeasterly gale which has
prevailed along this coast since yesterday
seems to be but o small part of o cyclonic rain
storm which, beginning in the southwest, has
gradually spread itself northward to the