New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1874-05-21

wy 'Sn%o anu privileges, anu tncl
incorporation into an actual system of gov
crnment for living men, which aroused Tho
sceptical curiosity, and awakened the in
credulous but Jealous attention of the no
litical world.
mus proclaiming nothing actually new tC
philosophers and theorists, the announced de.
termination to base upon the truths of the
Declaration an actual government of living
men, and to place it in competition with exist.
ing governments Of variously but totally
diicrent character, startled and at first
alarmed the nations.
Organically strange, and, in its application
OF necessity essentially aggressive and prac-
tically threatening, the newly organized gov
ernment met with but chary courtesy from
other nations, and early excited an alarm and
proclivity to opposition, which to this day
has not entirely disappeared.
| While other nations thus so gladly well
come and celebrate those memorial DAYS
which remind them of the glorious deeds OF
their own noble and beloved ancestry. and
delight to sound their praise, shall we, a hap
by and prosperous nation of forty millions,
exulting in the possession of a government
by the people, entirely adequate to all our
wants, and however otherwise differing,
united in common satisfaction without politi-
| cal heritage, decline on an appropriate
occasion to manifest our gratitude to our
fathers and our pride in the perfcctncss of
| their work?
Wlat measure OF success may be expected
to attend all enterprise begun in the spirit
and with the purpose alluded to, is ques-
ton with which in fact we have little to do,
Tor the purpose of this discussion, as to the
propriety of lending our aid; and yet it is
a question, the discussion of which will be
to help to influence the action of many in
reference to it.
| No little weight, however, should attach to
the evident truth, that our action upon the
matter, whether favorable or the reverse, will
be apt to exert very strong, if not a con-
elusive influence upon the success or failure
of the proposed undertaking..
| The Commission, as an organized body,
owes its existence as such to the action of
Congress which gave the first effective
impetus to its life, and in its every stage, so
far, has been led on and encouraged by Gov
ernmental. corporation and Congressional
legislation.
The entire nationality of its character as
Indispensable to its probable success, even as
a merely national exposition, was fully recog-
nized by the Commission at their first cOnvcn-
ton, while they were soon convinced that to
attempt an international exhibition without
the open and emphatic cOuntenance and
assistance of the National Government
was, from the impOssibility otherwise OF
any formal communication with foreign gov
ernmcnts, wholly absurd.
| Such cOun tcnance, which indeed was FORE
Swallowed in the direction of the organic law
that the Exposition should be held "undcr
the auspices" of the U. S. Government, was
sought in the petition for the incorporation
of" The Centennial Board of Finance" and
was granted in the enactment of its charter.
Thus led on, step by step in its gradual
progress, and encouraged by the successive
acts of participation by different branches of
the National Government, it is scarcely too
much to say that the ultimate success of the
Exposition, as a full and complete national
character, depends upon the determination
which we shall reach as to the extension of
further national aid.
And, as It seems to me, that consideration
alone, that the success of an enterprise
| which originated as an organized undertake
| ing in Congressional action, and has been
in the same manner steadily encouraged
hitherto, will depend very largely upon our
future action, and will be married by our
refusal Of any further aid, should carry with
us great weight.
| With such aid as we are now solicited to
grant, and which, in view of the many bcnc-
fetal effects that may reasonably be expected
to result from successful Exposition, is
really of little account and nearly insignfi-
cant the favorable progress and successful
| termination Of the Exposition may safely be
predicted.
The general interests Of the nation as n
whole, rs well as the particular interests OF
each State and section, will be surely and so
largely promoted by the intimate informing
ling of citizens from every corner and sec
ton of the vast extent of our own country,
with an opportunity for prolonged associa-
ton with the citizens of far away regions
whose very existence has with thousands of
our own people secured, from remotencss
alone almost mythical, will create an eXcit-
ing interest in the Exposition which from the
l time of general assurance Of its vigorous
prosecution will increase day by day up to
the close of the Exposition.
Located, as il is, in the midst of one Of the
most prosperous and densely populated
regions of our country; in a city itself con-
tanning nearly one million Of people, and in
the near vicinity of half dozen others with
an aggregate population of two millions
more, the probable attendance upon the Ex-
position from a circle about its location OF a
radius of $50 miles, or within single days
travel by rail, may safely be estimated al
from two to three millions of our own
people.
The immensely Of the mineral resources o.
this favored country, of which the simple
and truthful report has amazed the world >
our incalculable wealth of coal, iron, copper
silver and gold, of which thorough and ex
haustivc exposition will be given, will alone
attract the attendance of many thousands
from abroad.
The admitted perfection in the cultivation
of various of the mechanic arts, the demon
stratcd excellence of mechanical skill
attained by our American workmen, as eX
hbited in the European EXpositiOns will
the immense extent and wide distribution O
our manufacturing establishments, will be O
special interest to many other thousands.
The widespread and familiar use OF steam
and other machinery in the prosecution of al
varieties of agricultural as we'll as merely
mechanical work will constitute feature O
the Exposition that will add largely to it:
attractivcness in the eyes of thoughtful men
from all sections.
A full exhibition of the immense variety
of the natural productions of the Unitet
States, stretching as it does from the tepi'
waters of the Gulf to the Northern home o
the glaciers, and reaching from the orang'
and grape of California, the banana, TIT
cocoa nut, and the pineapple OF Florida, u
the dwarfed and stuntcd vegetation OF thu
striking and palpablc view Of the Immense
vegetable production, stretching not in dis
cally, and at no distant period, form SOLE
continuation of cO-temlnOus States, as 10 sus
tain universal and irresistible attention.
Indeed, viewed in any probable light,
large attendance and participation iron
/ Il. 4 10 oil