Year: 1872

To the People Of the United States:


The Congress of the United States
has enacted that the completion of the
One Hundredth Year of American In
dependence shall be celebrated by an
International Exhibition of the Arts,
Manufactures, and Products of the soil
and mine, to be held in Philadelphia, in
1876, and has appointed Commission,
consisting of representatives from each
State and Territory, to conduct the
celebration.


Originating under the auspices of
the National Legislature, controlled
by National Commission, and design
ed as it is to Commemorate the first
Century of our existence, by an Exhi-
bition of the National resources of the
Country and their development, and of
our progress in those Arts which ben
eft mankind, in comparison with those
of older Nations it is to the people at
large that the Commission look for the
aid which is necessary to make the
Centennial Celebration the grandest
anniversary the world has ever seen.


That the completion of the first CEN
tury of our existence should be mark
ed by some imposing demonstration is,
we believe, the patriotic wish of the
people of the whole country. The
Congress of the United States has wise
ly decided that the Birthday of the
Great Republic can be most fittingly
celebrated by the universal collection
and display of all the trophies of it's
progress. It is designed to bring to-
gether, within building covering ff-
ty acres, not only the varied produc-
tions of our mines and Of the soil, but
types of all the intellectual triumphs
ofour citizens, specimens of everything
that America can furnish, whether
from the brains or the hands of her
children, and thus make evident to the
world the advancement of which a self
governed people is capable.


In this "Celebration" all nations will
be invited to participate; it's character
being International. Europe will dis
play her arts and manufactures, India
her curious fabrics, while newly OPEN
ed China and Japan will lay bare the
treasures which for centuries their in.
genious people have been perfecting.
Each land will compete in generous RI
valry for the palm of superior excel
lence.


To this grand gathering every zone
will contribute it's fruits and cereals.
No mineral shall be wanting for what
the East lacks the West will supply.
Under one roof will the South display
in rich luxurianee her growing cotton,
and the North in miniature, the cease
less machinery of her mills converting
that cotton into cloth. Each section
of the globe will send it's best offerings
to this exhibition, and each State of
the Union, as member of one united
body polite, will show to her sister
States and to the world, how much she
can add to the greatness of the nation
of which she is a harmonious part.


To make the Centennial Celebration
such success as the patriotism and
the pride of every American demands
will require the cooperation of the
people of the whole country. The
United States Centennial Commission
has received no Government aid, such
as England extended to her Worlds
Fair, and France to her Universal Ex-
position, yet the labor and responsible
ity imposed upon the Commission is as
great as in either of those undertakings.
1t is estimated that ten millions of dol
lars will be required, and this sum
Congress has provided shall be raised
by stock subscription, and that the
people shall have the opportunity of
subscribing in proportion to the popu-
lation of their respective States and
Territories.


The Commission looks to the unfail-
ing patriotism Of the people of every
section, to see that each contributes its
share to the expenses, and receives it's
share of the benefits of an enterprise
In which all are SO deeply interested.
1t wound further earnestly urge the
formation in each State and Territory
OF centennial organization, which
shall in time see that county associa-