Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-02-28
THE crSrrNNIAL IaR

commerce, which, like that of the mid
die ages before the discovery of the
magnetic needle, dared not venture be-
yond sight Of land. Somehow the
monstreus project, which was to cost a
hundred millions or SO, died a natural
death, to be replaced in his last annual
message by a grand scheme for irri-
eating the great American desert and
making it bloom as a rose at the cost
of toilng millions whose eyes could
never feast on its beauties. Now Simon
Cameron and the other centennial
ring-masters have induced him to
mount the Philadelphia Pegasus, and
a few days since he sent in a message
urging Congressional legislation.
Legislation" is mild word for an ap-
preparation OF six or eight million dol
lars, TO be supplemented with a de-
ficiency bill for a few additional nil
lions. The main argument is that we
should display to the world the growth
and progress of the nation. Under the
auspices of Cameron, Grant and Re
Publican Congress, there is fear that
this affair may only show our growth
and progress in Credit Mobilier con-
trivances. To tax forty millions of peo-
pie for a big show, which only one
million at the furthest are likely to
witness, IN hardly the bestway to illus
trate that great principle Of 1776-no
taxation without representation. Grant
thinks success can be attained by arous-
ing the people, but his only means to
arouse the people is for Congress to ap-
propriate their money. We hope the
people viii be aroused to this matter in
time. The message states that inter-
national exhibitions have been held al
ready by three of the great powers of
Europe. With us, that is an argument
against our following suit, if there be
any antagonism between the mon
archial form of government and the
democratic. These tremendous pa
geants got up at the peoples expense,
are a part of the machinery of mon
archy; sometimes a necessary part, to
make the toiling millions forget their
slavery. They do not in any sense rep
resent the people of Europe, but their
kingly masters. And such an affair
here can no more be made to represent
the people. Ten million dollars appro-
priated to this Centennial Commission
would be no more the act of the people
than the sixty millions given in their
name to Oakes Ames' Credit Mobilier.
The Presidents message concludes by
urging: "Let US make complete sue
cess of our Centennial Exposition, or
suppress it in its infancy" The latter
alternative savors of the law of Ly-
curgus which killed at birth every child
that did not give promise of being able
to fight the battles Of the State. With
Grant complete success means Vi
emma Vanity Fair. If this cannot be
had, he says, strangle the infant. But
why do either? Why not let the child
grow TO its natural stature? An i'm
mense hillaballoo at Philadelphia, got
ten up regardless of expense by the
Government, viii not represent or re-
fleet the spirit Of repubicanism whose
centenary is to be eommemOrated.
Such millionaire fetes do not accord
with republican simplicity. But there
does exist among the people genuine
feeling Of pride and thankfulness over
our hundredth birthday as a nation.
And it is very proper that the event
should be celebrated with a good deal
of pomp and display at Philadelphia,
where liberty was proclaimed amid
joyous demonstrations, but it should
be the effervescing Of patriotism, and
not a grand show-a Job to enable
certain enterprising parties to put
money in their purses. The healthiest
celebration of it viii be the
recognition of the great principle of
local self government, by local jubila-
tons all over the land. This is the
child whom centralizing Radicalism
would smother under the concentrated
pomp and glare borrowed of despotic
nations. Let the genuine sentiments
of the people express themselves in
their own natural republican way, and
we viii give the world a true exhibition
Of the institutions over whose estab-
lishment we rejoice. But Radicalism
cannot permit any thing to have a nat
ural growth. Every thing must be
forced, hot-house fashion. As all
gardeners know, such forced devel-
opment depends on decomposition,
and such progress on corruption.
Hence the rottenness of Radicalism.
They cannot wait for the two
races in the South to readiust their re-
lations naturally. No, the matter
must be forced, if it requires all the
capet-bag refuse of the North to hasten
heprocess. Sothey force manufactures
by sops to the Cerberus of capital. So
they force railroad extensions by mobl-
iercorruption. And so they wouldforce
the natural spirit of joy over our GEN.
tennary, by turning it into huge job,
to eliminate very likely in a national
disgrace infinitely worse than VanBu-
ren's escapade at the late Vienna Elk
position.
THE UNION AND AMERICAN is
much disgruntled at ''the dust raised"
by its more enterprising and outspoken
contemporaries, in approving the
Shelby County Peoples Convention.
Well, well In the race of politics, as