The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1878-06-22
Our Letter from Europe.
The Paris Exposition.

forth in this great Exposition as the
Imperial power of the earth. The
space occupied by England, ireland,
Scotland and the colonies, is greter
than that allotted to Austria, Hungary,
Spain, China, Japan, Sweden, Norway |
and the United States combined
while in the advantage of command
ing situation she exceeds them all,
not being surpassed in this particular
by France herself. When you con-
slider the various conflicting interests
to be reconciled and the stupendous
magnitude of the work, too much
praise cannot be awarded to His
Royal Highness the Prince of Wales
and the Hon. P. Cunliffe Owen and
his able corps of assistants for the
general harmony, order and classifica-
tion which have rendered the British
Department one of the most delight
| full and satisfactory to be found in the
Exposition.
To Americans who remember the
glory of their magnificent Centennial
celebration at Philadelphia, only two
short years ago, the present Exhlbi-
ton at Paris is source OF constant
and unqualified grief. Whatever
mortal man could do on meagre no.
tice, and with limited appropriation,
the present commissioner, Gov. Nc
| Cormick, has done and this, taken
with the fact that the Insignificant
space allotted to the United States
compelled him to turn thousands of
exhibitors away, renders this Exhibl-
ton anything but source OF pride
and satisfaction to the citizens OF the
United States. This does not arise
from the fact that there are not in
the American Department many
things that challenge comparison with
the product of any nation on the face
of the earth, bnt the space is so atten-
mated and small, that the Exhibition
CONVEYS to the mind of a foreigner no
adequate idea of the splendid manu-
factnres aud immense resources OF the
United States, which acknowledge no
rival on the globe save in England
: alone. The beautiful exhibitions OF
silverware, which were the wonder
and admiration of all the foreign
visitors in Philadelphia, have here q
single exponent in the house of Tiff
fany s. Co., of New York, and the
goods on exhibition, though excellent
Of their kind, might be dropped UNI
! der the counters of their great store
j on Fifteenth street and never
missed from their stock. You look in
. vain for anything approaching the
gigantic power of the great Corliss
engine. American locomotives are
conspicuous for their absence, while
American sewing machines, whose
fame has girdled the world, are sur
passed by exhibits from little country
towns 10 England and France, the
J very names of which are unknown
on the other side of the water. The
political mountebanks whose wretcbed
policy succeeded in defeating the or
riginal appropriation and who finally
delayed the paltry sum given, up to
the latest moment, may congratulate
themselves on having inflicted on
their native land humiliation which.
] while it may give unqualified salts
faction to her enemies, cannot but
:. bring grief and sorrow to those who
glory in her prosperity and success
{ As YOU pass along the noble avenues
of the British Department, you are
almost oppressed with an overpow.
ering sense of opulence and abun.
dance that greet you on every hand
Not only articles of every prime ne.
, cessity demanded by the wants oi
; man are here spread out before you
bnt every luxury witt, which oul
higher civilization pampers it's wilkins
and faneies seems to have been crea
!, ted and invented with a lavishnes!
, and profusion that excite oul
!, admiration and wonder. Esthet
, les are subordinated to every
thing the lovely linens of Paisley
land the carpets of Kidderminster art
|, not more beautiful, after their kind
! than the loom in which they are wo
!, ven or the splendid engine by which
the loom is run. The rude pottcriel
of Staffordshire, Lancashire, Shrop
shire and Stoke upon Trent, have
grown to things of beauty over which
the art student lovingly fingers, whilt
the exquisite creations of Wedgwoot
, are such revelation of genius as th'
. Almighty has seldom vouchsafed tt
any of the children of men.
In the Hungarian and Italian De
partmcnts arc magnificent exhibition
? Of glass-the glass of Bohemia being
| the standard by which all other glasses
are tried. Yet, in this British collec
ton, an exhibit is to be seen which ri
walls anything to be found in the entir'
Exposition. 1t is not only an exhi
{ bition of admirable utilities, but yot
: might almost imagine that Golcondi
had poured forth it's treasures an(
Khoinoors aud Mountains of Ligh
: we're as common as the paving stones