New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-04-28
TILE GREAT CELEBRAIION.

THE GREAT CELEBRA1ION.
After prolonged and extensive preparations
New-York is on the eve OF the most imposing
popular demonstration in the history Of the
country. The city never before sheltered 50
many strangers as have already gathered with
in her borders and tens Of thousands or visit
ors from a distarce are still on the way or
distributed in the immediate vicinity. 1t is not
unrca ,onable to suppose that u 10000 per
sons will witness some part OF this weeks as
nlav. There is no just comparison between
worlds fair and u three days celebration, but
those who were in Philadelphia on May o.
1876. and found themselves duly impressed
with what was rightly esteemed great ana
enthusiastic concOurse Of spectators, will be
able to form a clearer conception OF the human
tide which is about to flood the streets of TINS
city by remembering that il will number at
least ten times as many persons as attended the
opcning ceremonies Of the Centennial EXhlbl-
ton thirteen years ago.
There is every reason to believe that the
celebration will he worthy Of this colossal at
tendance. The riyalrcs Of individuals have
not retarded the work Of the committee. and an
incalculahlc amount Of Siilful. expeditions ana
devoted effort has brought the preparations to
their final stage upon a commanding and APP
urcDriate scale The great and h0Spitable city
# Ncw-Yor is in gaia dress to welcome her
quests Upon her citizens has chiefly rested
the burden Of labor and expense, but the people
If this and Of every state have contributed
tbcir enthusiasm while their representatives
have made the requisite provision for oiHciaI
participation in the pageant. There is no F'i'
of the land so remote from the narrow bOtu-
dalcS of a hundred years ago as not 10 claihi
and hold place in the festivities And no other
feature of the visible display will he so insplr-
ing and suggestive as this outpouring OF loyal
citizens from every quarter of united, free
and happy country.
But in the trucSt sense this stately ceremonial
will not fulfil its purpose if 1t fail to impress
those who bchod it with a kecner realization
than they have ever before possessed OF the
tranSccndant fat which it commentaries. II
Nr. GladstoncS verdict bc accepted rs the YER
DIET Of the world. and the Constitution Of the
United States is in reality. as every American
believes il to be. "the most wonderful
work ever struck off at n given
time by the brain and purpose Of
man" so extraordinary an achievement might
wen be CcItbfdltu IbI I'N'il "l'"'' NV" '''N
beginning Of constitutional government is vast
" mere than that to us. 1t was not merely the
transition from good or even n toleiablc SyS-
tenn 60 a better II was literally the salvation
Of free institutions on this continent. Tho
Confederation had proved u hopeless failure.
Its authority was disintegrating 50 fast and Ma
tional sentiment was becoming so essentially
dcmorali2ed that even the scmhlance Of or
canic union would soon have disappeared in
chaos if the great Convention had not come to
its rescue The adoption Of the Constitution
demonstrated the capacity Of the people to
maintain the Liberties that they had won, and
supplied far more authentic vindication Of
their claim 10 Il separate National existence
than the Declaration of independence. or even
the triumphant issue Of the Revolution.
From this point Of view no other event IN
our history is so fit to be commcmolatcd as
that on which the thoughts Of the country are
now centred. With that event the name Of
the first President would have been indl>-
solublv associated. whoever he mi ght have been.
But without Washington to guide our first
steps there is no means Of calculating whittier
the Constitution might have led us. The civil
task which he assumed century ago WAS more
arduous and more complicated than the mil
itary problem which he had already solved.
His share in the glory which has been trans
mtted from that day 70 Orlr own is unique and
imperiShablo.