Year: 1874

PROSPECTS OF THE CENTENNIAL. e
We have received the pamphlet issued by
the United States Centennial Commission, in
which are set forth the history, the condition,
and the needs of the scheme for an 1nterna-
tional Exhibition in 1875. We were not among
those who favored that particular form OF
celebration of the Centennial Anniversary OF
our Independence. When we published three
years ago the mastery and exhaustive propo-
sition of Mr.. Bigelow for National COM
memOratiOn, we gave our hearty concurrence
to his broad yet simple plan. The festival
should have been a domestic one, and if for
eign nations were admitted at all, it
should have been as friends OF the
family. They should have come as in
Inmates to a Christmas Tree, and not as
travellers to a hotel or traders to market.
But another plan was adopted by the citizens
of Philadelphia, and most people, recognizing
the propriety of allowing great prominence IN
the celebration to the city where our inde-
pendence was declared were inclined to look
favorably upon any scheme they might put
forth. There was for this reason little oppo-
sition and too little discussion excited by the
act creating the Centennial Commission which
was approved on the 81 of March, 1871. 1t
was, however, not especially Objectionable.
The international features of 1T were not ag-
gressively set forward, and there was q clause
in it which was effcctual in lull'ng to sleep
the jealousy of the most vigilant. III was
expressly provided that no compensation
should be paid out of the public treasury
to the Commissioners who were to serve under
the act, and that the United States should not
"be liable for any expenses attending such
"exhibtiOn or by reason OF the same Inc
result which might have been expected Is
now before us. The Commissioners state
that the enterprise has reached critical
point Unless distinctly assumed by the
nation it cannot be carried on. The moral
and financial support of the Government is
necessary,-Grst, to insure the cooperation OF
foreign powers, and second, to provide for
the enormous expenses of an International
Exhibition.


The sentiment of the country, so far as 1t
has been as yet expressed, Is that 1t Is
not advisable for the Government, at this
late day, to shoulder so burdensome an un-
dertaking. The fate of the Centennial Cele-
bratiOn, as a Worlds Fair, is already sealed.
1t is a failure. The cooperation OF the Cen
eral Government has already been secured lar
enough to embarrass us somewhat in relation
TO those Cabinets which have accepted our
hasty invitation, but not far enough to guar
antee an adequate and dignified control OF
the matter. 1t is open to reasonable doubt
whether the very nature of our political and
social structure is adapted to the exercise of
international hospitality on large SCALE 1t
turin
any European nation, and at the end it would
not be as well done. If we should now at
tempt, in scramblng upy, to make up for
the shOrtness of the time allowed by an extra
expenditure of labor and money, we would
probably only succeed in wasting both and
casting upon the whole affair taInt OF cor
ruptlou as well as ridcule.


If it be true, as stated by the Commission,
that without the direct interpositiOn of Con-
gress the International Exhibition cannot be
made ready, it would seem as good an Oppor-
tunity now as at any time to drop the imprac-
ticable scheme of Worlds Fair and revert
to that of national and popular celebration
of the Centennial The invitations to foreign
Powers need not be Cancelled. Let those which
choose TO send delegates and specimens of
their art and industry be made heartily well
come but let it be understood that the occa-
sion is primarily a domestic one, and
only in secondary sense international. In
the time which is still left we could prepare
statement and presentation Of the results of
a hundred years of democracy in America
which would be of interest to the whole world
and of advantage to all the students of the
present and the future. We need not reca-
pituate to-day the heads OF the plan we have
twice already presented III these columns. Ii
it were promptly adopted even now, it could
within a very few weeks enlist the enthusi-
astic cooperation of hundreds of the best
minds of the cOuntry-men who would not
require either money or position for their work.
The Philadelphia plan, now being weighed
and discussed at Washington, appeals for its
working force to two classes OF instruments
the men who like parade, and those who like
perousites: But the men who would organize
the true Centennial Celebration would he OF
very different kind. and do much better
work There is yet time to accomplish the
most important branches of this scheme-such
as the proposed series of sketches of the product
and the progress of civilization in the United
States for the century; the establishment of a
National Museum, erected by special contribu-
tions from every art and the extraordinary
census. This would involve very little ex-
pense. There would be = no necessity for aey
further appropriations than those already
made. At least there could be no ridiculous
eclat of failure, such as threatens the Intema-
tional plan if it be persisted in. The Vienna
Exhibition was little short of disastrous, with
oil IFS attractive features of DOmp and cir