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 AmeFi-
can Independence shall be celebrated by an lnterna-
rona Exhibition of the Arts, Manufactures, and Pro
duets of the soil and mine, TO be held at fhiadepha
in 1876, and has appointed Commission' consisting
of representatives from each State ana ieFrtofF 10
conduct the celebration.


ORIGINATING under the auspices OF the National Leg
islature, controlled by National Commission, and
designed as it is to " Commemorate the first century
of our existence by an Exhibition OF the Natural re-


sources Of the Country and their development, and OF
our progress in those Arts which beneht mankind IN
copnarSon with those of older Nations 1t Is to the
people at large that the Commission look for the AID
which is necessary 10 make the Centennlai Ceeettoh
the grandcst anniversary the world has ever seem


That the completion Of the first century of our ex-
istence should be marked by some imposing demon
straton is we believe the patriotic wish OF the people
of the whole country. The Congress of the United
States has wisely decided that the Birthday of the
Great Rcpubc can be most fttngly celebrated by the
universal collection and display of all the trophies OF
its progress 1t is designed to bring together, within
A building covering fifty acres not only the varied
productions of mines and Of the soil, bat types OF
all the intellectual triumphs OF our citizens, specimens
of everything that America furnish, whether from
the brains or the hands of her children and thus make
evident to the world the advancement OF which self
governed people is capable.


In this Celebration" all nations will be invited to
narticinatp. its character being International. Eu
rome will dsplav her arts and manufactures India her
curious fabrics. while newly opened China and Japan
will Law bare the treasures which for centuries their
ingenious people have been pertectlng. Each land
will compete in generous rivalry for the palm OF supe-
rior excellence.


To this grand gathering every zone will contribute
its 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 Insurance her
growing cotton and the North in miniature, the cease
less machinery Of her mills converting that cotton into
cIo oh Of tbp oil he vi
ferings this exhibition and each State Of the Union
as member of one united body polite will show 10
her sister States and to the world how mrch she can
add to the greatness of the nation Of which she is
harmonious part


To make the Centennial Celebration such success
as the patriotism and the pride of every American de-
mands win require the cooperation of the people OF
the whole country. The United States Centennial
Commission has received no Government aid such
England extended to her Worlds Fair, and France TO
her Universal Exposition yet the labor and response
bilitv imposed upon the Commission is great as in
either Of those undertakings 1t is estimated that ten
millions of dollars will be required, and this sum Con
gcess has provided shall be raised by stock subscrp-
tion aud that the people shall have the opportunity
of subscribing in proportion to the population of their
respective States and Territories.


The Commission looks to the untaliIng PATRIOTISM OF
the peonle Of every section to that each contrib


tes its share to the expenses and receives its share
of the benefits of enterprise in which all
deeply Interested 1t would further earnestly urge the
formation in each State and Territory OF centennial
organization which shall in time that county asso-
Citations are formed that when the nations are
gathered together in 1876 each Commonwealth can
view with pride the contributions she has made to the
national glory.


Confidently relying on the zeal and patriotism ever
displayed by people in every national undertaking,
we pledge and prophecy, that the Centennial Ceebra-
ton will worthily show how greatness, wealth and IN
tegence can be otered by such institutions as those
which have for one hundred years blessed the people
of the United States. JosEPH r. HAwLEY, Pros't.


LEWIS WALN SMITH, Temporary Secretary.