National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-12-09
LETTER F1doMIcol. F0RNEy.
our rsfHTEHHIlL EXHIBITION ABROAD
EtW We ARE PRESENT TO EUROPEANS.
An INQUIRY DIRECTED TO CONGRESS-
THE DUTY OF THE UNITED STATES
Honest and Voluntary Aid-Exhibf-
tfon an Attractive Eoyelty-Lessons
Our Country Is Teaching - who Are
Coming.
No. 10 DUCHESS STREET,
LONDON, November o, 1875.

TO the Editor or the National Republican:
SIR: have now been abroad nearly seventeen
months, and can look back at least with the
consciousness that If I have done no special
good for the Centennial i have certainly done
no harm. 1t took q good long time to make
the Exhibition known. We had no money to
advertise or to employ extra agents, and the
action Of Congress in refusing to contribute
had certainly not inspired our Ministers and
contuls to extraordinary exertions. International
exhibitions had fallen into discredit, especially
AFTER the discordant and Improbable example OF
Vienna. But soon discovered that
DOWN DEKP IN THE HEART
Of every European people was either hearty
kindness or q craving curiosity about the United
States. am sure offend nobody when 1 say
that there was good deal Of ignorance mingled
with this kindness and curiosity. People who
knews great deal about Europe knew very little
about us; and some Of these were learned and ex-
perienced men, and go you will perceive that even
plain American like myself, who came over here
with speciality Of his own, soon found himself
quite busy in answering questions.
You may be sure did not leave behind me my
old habit of writing for the newspapers, and as
these were always open to American items my
opportunities increased with my audience, and
soon from talking to multitudes through the
daily and weekly journals began to meet many
persons face to face.
came forth in good season, and the Philadelphia
Exhibition was accepted not as the simple sup
plement Of foreign originals, but as O highly at
tractiye novelty. Indeed, nothing is more inter-
esting to these Europeans than our country.
You are told that they abuse Us and laugh at US,
and SO they do Sometimes; but We are neverthe-
less always present to them, either In the bless
iDgs Of our free Institutions in the magical rapid
ity Of our progress in the excess Of blundors,
in the fmmergitV of reaOureea and n he sud.
denness and elasticity Of our recaperation. We
amaze them by the manner in which We pour our
millions Of armed men from an ocean Of war into
AN OCEAN OF PEACE;
at the reduction of colossal debt that, at first,
seemed to weigh down our continent; ct the soIu-
tion of the hard rock Of slavery under the warm
sunshine Of freedom; at the universally of
cheap and diversified education, and, finally, By
the great lesson forever taught In our happy
country that there can be such thing as SUBJ
stantal happiness without perfect religious toll
GRAFTON. Now, all these things, though always
familiar to NJ, forever fresh In Europe; and as
they
ARE EXACTLY THE THINGS
everywhere promised by rulers and prayed for by
subjects, so their reality is that which commands
the respect Of the one and reverence Of the Others
and Just with this one element OF novslty-or
curiosity II you please-the Centennial has won
its way in these Old Worlds until 1t is almost as
well known in England as the name Of Saaks-
peare, in France as tho name of Lafayette, In
Germany as the name of Luther, in Italy as the
name of Garionldl, in Russia as the name OF
Catharine, and, 1 had almost said, in Turkey as
the name Of Mahomet.
WHETHER CONGRESS INTENDS
to do anything for the Philadelphia Exhibition Is
for Congress to say. Every other nation has
given with beth hands full Even Italy, after long
wair, has poured Q golden stream into the Golfers
OF her commission, and the dullest nation year
ago IS now pushing to tho front with eager spirit
and paying its way with princely lIberality.
remember in the summer 1874 that two doubts
worried como Of our friends in Congress. First,
whether Philadelphia and Pennsylvania would
continue their lavish tributes, and the second,
If foreigners accepted the Presidents InyI.
tatiop, they would como to us In good clothes
and money enough to pay their hotel.bills and
railway fares. 1 need not tell you that both
these doubts have disappeared, that Philadelphia
and Pennsylvania have not only not stopped work
ing like beavers, but are giving their money as
freely as if We had not had panic in 1873, and
as confidently as II they knew that that panic
would pass away IN 1876 aE
AS FOR OTHER NATIONS,
they are timply surprising each other lnthe work
Of preparing for the Centennial. The British
commission has money enough and to spare. That
Of France is helped both from within and from
without. Little Belgium IS busy through all its
marvellous beehive Of labor and of ingenuity.
Germany, like others, has demanded twice It's
space. Austria, Spain, Sweden and Denmark,
Turkey and Egypt, TunIs, little Luxembourg,
great PTussia-in fact, every nation far and near
is coming over not only to see, but to spend, not
only TO exhibit ard to sell, but, have no doubt,
TO FAY AND TO BUY LITERALLY. 4H
have said that the whsle. of this Exhibition
question is a new thing and a combination OF new
things, curiosity and o combination OF curiosi.
ties, but the oldest figure Of our great festival
would be the unique feet that while every other
nation had raid royalty to see the great memorial,
the United States Government had resolved not
to subscribe single paper dollar.
Your old friend J. W ForSEY