Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-07-05
WILMINGTON, DEL.
Saturday Afternoon, July b.
QUE CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY AND ITS
CELEBRATION - THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
COMING FORWARD IN THIS NOBLE MA
TIONAL ENrERPRIsE.

The proceedings in Philadelphia, yesterday,
upou the occasion of the formal transfer Of the
site Of the Centennial Exposition building, in
FAirmouut Park to the control Of the Exposition
Commissioners, recall the nation at large to a
sense of the nearness Of the great anniversary
Tlree years forward from yesterday viii put us
at tho close OF our first one hHndred years - a
century of national life more truly glorious than
a1y other that History records-and in less this n
Gee years. it is proposed and intended to erec
tls immense building required for the Exposi-
sition to organize all the necessary forces of
action. AID to conduct the patriotic energies of
the people to truly grand exhibition of Amer-
can Arts Manufactures, Products, and National
r siourcse.
At tlis point, it is time to impress upon the
who'e people the absolute necessity of a gener-
81, generous aud harmonious undertaking of
the great work before us. The argument for
thi, does not need to be re- stated-it is patent
No one deny the obvious fitness, On, indeed,
it is not religious duty of suitably celebrating
the close of our first century of national exist
encl in tie course of which we have been
blesse with Civil and Religious Freedom with
steady and rapid increase in the general Intelli-
gence and means Of happiness; and with prog
ress in the arts and sciences, in the in
ventOn and combination of mechanical power,
and in the control and utilization Of the forces
of Nature, to degree never before enjoyed by
any people on the face of this planet Not to
acknowledge and celebrate this would be NOR
al remssness which would be shocking to that
sense of obligation which, as people, we feel,
4
Which has so favored us. desire to acknowledge.
The propriety OF such Celebration being ad-
milted, the selection CT Philadelphia as the
place follows, with perfect certainty. The city
in which Independence was resolved upon, re-
corded, aud promulgated, is naturally the place
in which 10 commemorate the act, and when to
this consideration are added many others, the
case Lecomes overwhelmingly strong. In Phila-
delphia, as General Hawley recited, in his admi-
rable address, the Continental Congress first
SIT; there, George Washington took command
of the American Army there. the Convention
INST whose Constitution established the definite
and united Republic; and there was the first
official residence Of the President OF the United
States
As We lave already said, in substance TO cele-
braie the Centennial is natural, iit and not to
be, without shame omitted and this conclu-
ded upon, the appropriate place for the nation
to gather OH the occasion must be the city of
Philadelphia.
In the proceedings, yesterday, there was
the most gratifying evidence that the people
OF the whole country are gathering in to
take upon their own broad shoulders the duty
and the labor OF the Celebration The assur-
ances Of the President conveyed through Mr.
Robson, were conclusive as to the deep interest
which the Chief Magistrate feels and will mani
fest in the enterprise as a national undertaking.
and tn msny letters from Governors Of the sew
ecAl States all expressed the one conviction that
to employ the words OF Governor Woodson of
Missouri =" the national honor, the honor
" Of the States, nay, the honor of every citizen.
" is involved in the subject and should be con-
" sidered as pledged to make the Exposition the
g1andest event in our history"
BY the harmonious labors Of the whole peo-
pie, tie Celebration may be made such an event.