New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-05-14
THE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

To see Il Worlds Fair through the eyes OF
trained observer, is next 10 seeing 1t with
ones own eyes. Our readers have this high
pIiyIlegc this morning. During the past fort
NIGHT the Paris Exhibition, with its splcndors
and its defects, has been brought before
them in the remarkable series of let
tiers from our accomplished staff core
spondcnt. Two years ago, when it was the
bIrthrisht and boundcn duty of every Ameri
can to 20 to Philadelphia, even ii he had to
mortgage his house or farm III order
10 do Il, our readers needed just
what we then gave them-a complete guide
to every department of the Exhibition. This
year. when only the luclicst Americans can go
to Paris to get a glimpse of the grand
spectacle, the thousands who remain at
home will be grateful to Mr.. Smalley
for skctchirg with a master hand the
Exhibition as he sees it. To-day he gives lis
his impressions of the ceremonies in the Tro-
caGtrO. In the Champ de Mars, rs in Fair
mount Park on the opening day, there was
soaking rain in the morning, followed by bril-
liant sunshine in the afternoon. But
mt Paris there was bad management
rs well as bad weather, and in many respects
the arrangements were ill-adiustcd. 1t is
pleasant to remember that our own Exhibition
was from first to Inst triumph of good man
agcmeut, and that at no time was the National
talent for organization more conspicuous than
on the opening day.
Our staff correspondent speaks for himself.
His letters require no commentary. While he
outlines the Champ de Mars so prominently
in the foreground, we content ourselves with
pointing out in the background certain con-
trasts which the opening of another lnterna-
tional Exhibition has brought into strong
light We referred recently to the trans
formation which the downfall of Imperi-
alism and the triumph Of RepublCanism had
wrought in France. But there arc European
rs well "a national contrasts. When the
International Exhibition was opened in 1855,
the name Of Il Russian engineer, who was max
ing a desperate stand at SebastOpOl, was on
every tongue. The same name is heard to-
day in the Partisan cafes, for Todlcben, after
winning new laurcls at Pleyna, is now the
commander of the Russian forces in front Of
the ancient walls of Consantin0ple. But
mark the contrast. France and England were
then marching and fighting shoulder to
shoulder in the CTimea. In every book
stall was displayed the popular cartoon
which represented the French zOuave and the
British infantryman drinking together l&o
good comrades. The alliance of the Western
Powers, which was then ccmented with blood,
is now held together only by the slender
threads of sympathy. France viii not again
fight for the Turks. She had nothing to gain
in the Crimea save prestige, and her Emperor
WAS more in need OF that than was France
herself There are no lynastic objects
to be gained by war i'll the East
Franco is now resigned specta-
tor Her ally in the Crimea will have her best
wishes, if hOstilitcs are resumed, but not her
active cooperation. England must fight her
own battle, if she fights at all. The Western
alliance to-day is a cOmradeship of the cafe
and the boulevard, but not of the camp and
the battlefield.
But If we look further we shall find a
stronger contrast. When the Exhibition in the
Champs ElysGes was opened, tho barriers of
treaty law which had been set up by
the Congress of Vienna had not been
trodden under foot. The supreme aim
of diplomacy was still the maintenance
of the balance of power. When the peace Of
the Continent was menaced by the Danish
complications. the EuioDean Powers sent rep