New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-03-31
THE PARIS EXHIBITION.
,vrR1cAN DEPARTMENT ASSURED.

- REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF TIE rRIpuSEl
w,suISGroN March 29.-It is as far settled as
.,hi,g contingent upon the future action of Con-
- con be that there will be an American Depart
-. a, the Paris Exhibition of 1873, and manufac-
-. -, who desire to contribute to it may begin
~ preparations with reasonable assurance that
- labor will not be lost. What sort of depart
-, II will he will depend almost wholly upon the
- Of commission the Government appoints after
cu,rassiopal legislation shall have been obtained.
Thers Is every ground for expecting, however, that
che Administration will carefully avoid the risk of
,oretition of tine Vienna fasco, By the selection
81 the most competent men in the country who are
.r1l;no 70 undertake the task of organizing our
,,otionaF exhibit. Three qualifications will be
reouisjte IN the commissoners-a thorough knOwl-
.d,o Of the character and purposes of worlds fairs
and Of the way they are created, good degree Of
.vocutive ability and an enthusiasm for the work
.hb will lead them unselfshy to devote all their
.no,ies 20 IT, To these should be added, in some of
.ho commissioners at least, an acquaintance with
A. French language. The French do not learn
,Ler languages because all the world learns theirs.
Fvervwhere in Europe conversational knowledge
~ French is considered essential part of good
oa,carson. II we send commissioners to Paris who
osst only their mother tongue they will be no
hotter than deaf and dumb men, unless they have
an Interpreter always at their elbow, and they win
an all occasions be looked upon as persons of de-
fectve culture
With efficient commissioners who inspire conf
denee the American department will almost create
itself in all features which have commercial OBJ
ect for the manufacturers Of all articles which al
readv enjoy foreign market are eager to exhibit,
and many others viii press forward with the pur-
nose Of creating for their goods such market. The
e ipIu iS inst ruiy oil
spsucious for successful effort to increase the for
eigr demand for our manufactured products, and
greatly to enlarge the range of articles which leave
ou shores % seek the markets of the world The cost
of production has in many branches of manufac-
turing been so reduced that there are number of
articles which only few years ago required pro-
tectivc tariff to hold our own markets, but which
can now compete on equal terms with the products
of English Belgian, and French factories. We may
RELY on the eager spirit of trade TO find out what
goods can be exhibited for the chance OF profit, and
the commissioners duty in this respect will be
chiefly 70 see that establishment OF branch Of
trade monopolizes an undue amount of space. They
should not, for example, allow the sewing-nachne
men to fill half the American department they
did at Vienna, nor permit saltwater fountain TO
be the most prominent article displayed.
There are numerous articles, however, which viii
not be sent to Paris from business motives and
which. nevertheless, cannot be spared from cur
hbt If il is tObc in any representative Of our
manufacturing interests. The commission should
be able to influence the makers of such articles to
exhibit from feeling of patriotism pride, and in
some cases. if all such efforts fail. they might per
hans buy the articles and sell them after the close
Of the Exhibition. There are certain of our manu-
features so peculiarly American or SO especially
credit,ble both. that they ought to be included
in our national exhibit, even ut considerable cost.
One cause Of failure at Vienna was that no atten-
ton was paid TO the representative character which
should belong to every national exhibit as whole.
The commission gathered up such goods as were
sent them without seeming to care what they were,
aud spread them out thinly over large space with
NO intelligen system. 1t ought 10 be understood
by the commissioners to Paris that their duty - not
limited to assembling within the space assigned to
the United States the articles which may be voiuu-
tary assigned to them. Their function is to create
an American department that viii be credit 10 the
country and will increase the respect felt for in
Europe as an intelligent progressive, inventive and
industrious people. The plea that they did the best
with the material they had viii not be accepted as
an excuse for failure. They must choose their own
material
| hope there will be no attempt at rivaling the
principal European countries in mere extent Of DIS
play Exhibitions viii no longer be estimated by
their size The Philadelphia show carried that fea-
ture TO the furthest endurabe limit. We shall not
be- Judged at Paris by the number Of acres we cover
with our fabrics and machines but by the kind and
quality Of the articles we exhibit, and by the gen
eral impression made by our department. The con-
trolling idea with our commission should be to show
most prominently those things that we have most
reason to be proud Of, and so to fill moderate
amount Of space that it may seem to every visitor
the representation of a land Astounding in natural
wealth, and producing in great profusion and va
riety the fruits of the highest civilization. Els
peciay should those products involving the element
of taste, in which we have made remarkable
progress Of late years. have conspicuous place. We
need to educate Europe out of the idea that we are
q rude people, producing nothing worth send
ing across the Atlantic but petroleum,
pork. corn cotton, and labOT-saving ma
chimes We should send our unrivaled silver
ware, our iewelry of more elegant forms
than Regent-st. can show; our silks and velvets,
carpets glassware, and chandeliers; our furnl-
ture that begins TO equal that OF Paris our tine cut
lery, watches, mathematical instruments, orna-
mental hardware, and the great variety OF tasteful
work in metals that comes from New-England
shops the work too of our steel engravers, htho-
graphers, bOOkbinders, and chrome printers. And
above ali il is to be hoped that there will be an
effort 10 make for once, in the eyes OF the Cultured
world, a worthy display Of American art mat
there is such thing as 4 distinctive American art
cannot be doubted. Skepticism on this point only
argues ignorance or prejudice To make thor
Ougbly good presentation Of the best achievements
BY painters aud sculptors will be the most diff
cult part Of tie exhibition work. and can only be
accomplished by some one with peculiar fitness Tor
tic Undertaking. One of the commissioners should
be chosen account of his recognized capacity TO
organize this department. He should of course be