New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-07-07
CENTENNIAL EXHIBITION.
LETTER FROM ExNlNIsTER JOHN JAY.

| SIR: ] am honoresl by your courteous request to
submit through your columns such thoughts on our
Centennial Celebration at Philadelphia may have
been suggested by the Exhibition at Vienna, and by
| the views expressed in Europe the probable
character and results of Onr own.
After the proclamation Of the President Of the 9TH
of July, 1873 with the assurance required by
Congress that provision had been made for the
ton of suitable buildings and its communication by
the State Department TO foreign Governments 1t
was natural that our diplomatic and consular agents
| in Europe should bc impressed with the extent 10
which our Datonh pride and prestige were involved
in the complete SUCCESS of an international exhibit
ton established by a reunited people to celebrate
the centennial Of the Republic, and challenging
| comparison with the similar exhibitions at London
! Paris, and Vienna. AS the latter was then in
progress, communicated from time to time to the
Government for lis information and that of the Cen
| tennial Commission such suggestions as seemed
worthy of consideration. The correspondence of our
| Government with its agents and with foreign
powers the subject of the Centennial has, be-
! lieve not yet been printed nor submitted to Con-
grcss, and as Congress will not meet until December
there would seem to be improperly in abiding to
some of the points suggested, the time for their
accomplishment, should the suggestions be adopted,
| is becoming short.
may first, however, frankly confess my surprise
at tho moderate interest which many of our most in
tegcnt and patriotic citizens, and some of our most
spirited journals, appear to take in the approaching
Exhibition. The idea is sometimes expressed that 1t
will be rather local than a national affair, and
| that while its success failure may interest the
| City of Philadelphia and the State Of Pennsylvania,
| it will concern but little the other States. or the
! American people, and in no manner the National
| Government. AS reason for this view, 1t Is SAID
that Congress- by declining to be liable for the ex-
| lvbi had tsatf of a
responsibility for its possible mismanagement and
had provided that its failure, from whatever cause.
| should in no manner reflect upon Congress or the
| Executive and should not touch in the slightest
degree the honor prestige of the American Gov
eminent or the pride and selfrespect Of the AmeIi-
| can people.
UNDER GOVERNMENT AUSPICES.
glance at the acts of Congress- the proclamation
of the President, and the language addressed by him
through the Department of State TO the foreign Gov
ernments, would seem to exclude this idea, and to
show that rarely, if ever during the century that is
about to close have the legislative and executive
branches of the Government assumed duties and
sponsibties in regard to the conscientious perform
ance of which the pride of our people would be more
exacting. Tolerant as we are as nation IN regard
TO blunders and offenses committed at home and af
fectng only ourselves, our amabihty does not lead
us to forgive too readily derelctons which conpro-
mise our character abroad, or which justly expose
the Republic to the ridicule of other nations
1t is, therefore, matter of importance both for the
Government and the people that national attitude
toward foreign Governments in reference to the Cen
tennal should be precisely understood. Those who
now assume that the Exhibition is merely local
affair and who in predicting its failure may con-
sciously unconscousy be pursuing course caleu-
lated to verify their predictions, might be the most
earnest in demanding that it should be made an abb
solute success if they understood that nj IFS opening
the Governments Of the world would appear by their
representatives on less an invitation than one
given by the order of Congress- in the name OF tho
President and through the Secretary OF State, ana
with the assurance that the celebration to which
they invited was to be held Indcr the auspices
of the Government of the United States"
The first act of Congress declaring hat the Exit
biton should be an international one showed on tie
part of that body regard to the fact that such an
exhibition would render necessary the erection
of suitable buildings; and Congress authorized
its proclamation by the President only when
I" the President shall be informed by the Gov
ernOr of the State of Pennsylvania that pro-
vision has been made for the erection Of s'a-
bic buildings for the puIp)se, and for the oN'ln-
sve control by the Commissioners herein provided
for of the proposed Exhibition" The proclamation
authorized on this condition issued on the oh
! or JNlV, 1910, anu WIFI Juc reg tiitlpuS III Aho
Exhibition was then communicated by the STATE
! Department to the foreign Ministers at Washington.
The sixth regulation provided that " tic pryi' gcs
of exhibitors can be granted only 10 citizens al coun-
tries whose Governments have formally accepted tho
invitation to be represented" Should II b. suggested
that the invitation to foreign powers was gwen IN
words that showed it to be an invitation not from
| this Government, but only from Commission with
no governmental character, and for which this Coy.
eminent declined to be held responsible. II would
seem that such was not the reading OF .A' documents
in Germany for instance, where the Prince bismarck
said in reply: "1he German Empire accepts with
sincerest thanks the invitation Of the Government OF
the United States of America TO take pGt IN ihc
above mentioned Exhibition" There ere Limits
within which the traditions of Europe and the pride
of nations conine tie policy Of Governments. Had
the President said to tie Emperor, Here i m nvl-
tation from the Centennial CcmmI sion. constituted
by Congress and appointed by ard subject to mo
Executive, to manage our Centennial celebration;
we hope you will accept it, but please marx yen are
| not invited by our Government, and We protest IN
advance against our being held responsible for this
| Commission if you accept its invitation, you viii
do so at your own risk-Prnce Bismarck would
scarcely have fastened 10 announce his acceptance
and return his sICeres thanks. II there were any
thing expressed or omitted in the first act of Cong,s
to give color TO the idea at home or abroad that the
Exhibition was neither national nor governmental,
and that tho Presidential proclamation and invita-
ton to foreign nations, with regulation excluding
| all exhibitors whose Governments had not formally
accepted the invitation, was not an invitation from
Government, and imposed on il no responsibility
toward the Governments that might accept. for the
fitness Of the national celebration To winch they were
invited, the last act Of Congress, approved the oh OF
June, 1874, would seem to leave no room Tor doubt