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CHAPTER XXX.

A CENTENNIAL EXHIBITION PROPOSED - FIRST PRACTICAL MEASURES ADOPTED-THE SUBJECT PRESENTED ΤΟ CONGRESS-ACTION OF CONGRESS-COMMISSIONERS

APPOINTED-ORGANIZA

TION OF THE CENTENNIAL COMMISSION-CENTENNIAL BOARD OF FINANCE-OFFICIAL SEALPREPARATIONS FOR BUILDINGS-GROUNDS DEVOTED TO THE EXHIBITION-ACTION OF THE GOVERNMENT-MEDALS AUTHORIZED-EXHIBITION BUILDINGS AND THEIR EXTENT-WOMEN'S WORK UNPATRIOTIC ACTION IN CONGRESS OPENING OF THE EXHIBITION — WHITTIER'S CENTENNIAL HYMN-THE RESULT OF THE EXHIBITION-ITS CLOSE.

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HE year 1876 was not only a "Presidential year," but a "Centennial year," in the life of the Republic. On the 4th of July was the anniversary of the great act which, supported by the people, secured to the thirteen English-American colonies their political independence of Great Britain.

When the Centennial year was approaching, the American people came to the conclusion that a celebration at that time would be appropriate. Taking a retrospective glance at the progress of the Republic during the century, they perceived that it was marvellous, in comparison with that of any nation on the globe. With pardonable egotism they resolved to display the result of that progress by an exhibition of the products of American industry, skill, science and invention, in a great fair to be held in 1876, and to invite the nations of the earth to bring their products to the same fair, in a spirit of generous rivalry in well-doing for the benefit of mankind.

Among those who first suggested a Centennial Exhibition, the names of John Bigelow, now (1877) Secretary of the State of New York; Charles B. Norton, United States Commissioner at the Paris exhibition in 1867; Professor John L. Campbell of Wabash College, Indiana, and M. Richards Muckle of Philadelphia. The last-named gentleman first suggested (in a letter writ ten to President Grant, on the 4th of July, 1869) Fairmount Park, in Philadelphia, as an appropriate place for holding a grand musical celebration of one week's duration, by twelve hundred performers, in a building to be erected in the Park that would accommodate one hundred thousand persons. The first recorded suggestion "that the Centennial celebration involve

an International Exhibition to be held in Philadelphia," was made in a letter, written in 1866, by Professor Campbell.

The idea of a Centennial celebration was nebulous, at first, in the public mind, but it soon assumed regular form and a luminous aspect. And when Philadelphia was first suggested as the most appropriate place for celebrating the one hundredth anniversary of American Independence, there was universal approval. In that city the resolution declaring the EnglishAmerican colonies to be "free and independent States," was drawn up, and adopted by the Continental Congress. In that city the great preamble to that Declaration was written, adopted by the Congress, and signed by a majority of the members of that body; and in that city, the hall was yet in existence in which the Congress was convened when the great act was performed. At what other place could that celebration be as appropriately held? None whatever.

The first practical step toward making Philadelphia the theatre of the proposed event, was taken by the Franklin Institute of that city, in an address to the municipal authorities thereof, in which the use of Fairmount Park for a Centennial celebration was asked for. When this address was presented, a resolution for the appointment of a committee of seven from each chamber of the city legislature was adopted, and the measure was carried into effect. John L. Shoemaker was appointed chairman of that Joint Committee, and steps were immediately taken to interest the State and National legislatures in the project.

The Legislature of the State of Pennsylvania, by resolution, asked the National Congress to take action in favor of a Centennial celebration to be held in the city of Philadelphia, and appointed a committee of ten to visit Washington and present a memorial to Congress on the subject. This committee was joined by that appointed by the Councils of Philadelphia, and they arranged a memorial which was laid before Congress by the Hon. William Kelley, a representative of Pennsylvania. He warmly urged the claims of Philadelphia to the privilege and honor of having such celebration within her borders. Early in March, 1870, Hon. Daniel J. Morrell (also a representative of Pennsylvania) offered a bill providing for a celebration in or near Philadelphia, in 1876. That bill was afterward modified somewhat, and, being adopted, became a law by receiving the willing signature of President Grant on the 3d of March, 1871. At that time the character of the celebration was clearly defined. It was determined to make it a purely national affair-the occasion of a display of the products of our own country. The object of the act was clearly set forth in the following preamble to the bill:

CHAP. XXX.

THE CENTENNIAL COMMISSION.

1751 "Whereas, The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America was prepared, signed and promulgated in 1776, in the city of Philadelphia; and

"Whereas, It behooves the people of the United States to celebrate, by appropriate ceremonies, the Centennial anniversary of this memorable and decisive event, which constituted the 4th day of July, A. D. 1776, the birthday of the nation; and

"Whereas, It is deemed fitting that the completion of the first century of our national existence shall be commemorated by an exhibition of the national resources of the country and their development, and of its progress in those arts which benefit mankind, in comparison with those of older nations; and

"Whereas, No place is so appropriate for such an exhibition as the city in which occurred the event it is designed to commemora.e; and

"Whereas, As the exhibition should be a national celebration in which the people of the whole country should participate, it should have the sanction of the Congress of the United States; therefore," etc.

The bill provided for a National Commission to be appointed by the President of the United States, and to be composed of one commissioner and one alternate commissioner for each State and Territory in the Union; these commissioners to be nominated by the governors of the respective States and Territories. The bill also provided for the celebration or exhibition to be held at Philadelphia, and secured the National Government against all liability for any expenses or losses incident to the conduct of the affair.

Under the provisions of this bill the President appointed commissioners and alternate commissioners, and these were named as corporators. They were invited to assemble at Philadelphia on the 4th of March, 1872, for the purpose of effecting an organization. On the appointed day, representa tives of twenty-four States, three Territories and the District of Columbia, were present. In a parlor of the Continental Hotel they were temporarily organized, when they proceeded in a body to Independence Hall, in the State-House, where they were received with an address of welcome by the mayor of the city (Mr. Stokeley), which was responded to by General Jos. R. Hawley of Connecticut. In another room, they made a permanent organization, by the appointment of General Hawley President of the Centennial Commission, and other officers. Some changes were afterward made; and at the opening of the Centennial year, the following persons composed the officers of the Commission: President, Joseph R. Hawley; Vice-Presidents,

Orestes Cleveland, John D. Creigh, Robert Lowry, Thomas H. Coldwell, John McNeil, and William Gurney; Director-General, Alfred T. Goshorn; Secretary, John L. Campbell; Counsellor and Solicitor, John L. Shoemaker.

On the first of June, 1872, Congress passed an act by which provision was made for a Centennial Board of Finance. The members of this board were authorized to secure subscriptions to a capital stock not exceeding

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$10,000,000, in shares of $10 each. Provision was also made for the opening of books of subscription to the stock on the 21st of November, 1872, to be kept open one hundred days, in order to give citizens in each State and Territory an opportunity to subscribe for the stock. Under this act, a meeting of the corporators and subscribers to the stock was held in Philadelphia after the expiration of the one hundred days, to choose the Centennial Board of Finance-another name for a board of directors. The meeting

CHAP. XXX.

GROUNDS FOR THE CENTENNIAL EXHIBITION.

1753 was held in the spring of 1873, when a board was chosen consisting of twenty-five stockholders. It was organized by the appointment of John Welsh of Philadelphia, President; William Sellers of Philadelphia and John S. Barbour of Virginia, Vice-Presidents, and Frederick Fraley of Philadelphia, Secretary and Treasurer. The remainder of the twenty-five were appointed Directors. William Bigler was chosen Financial Agent; Henry Pettit, Joseph M. Wilson and H. Swarzmann, Engineers and Architects; and an Executive Committee of thirteen, with Myers Asch, Secretary.

An official seal was adopted. It was quite simple in design and elegantly executed. The title of the organization-The United States Centennial Commission-was placed in concentric circles around the edge of the seal. In the centre was a view of the State-House as it appeared when the Declaration of Independence was signed in its principal room; and beneath the building were the words which were cast on the State-House bell, many years before the Revolution, and which, in the summer of 1776, had great significance: "PROCLAIM LIBERTY THROUGHOUT THE LAND, AND TO ALL THE INHABITANTS THEREOF."

Very soon after the organization of the Centennial Commission, it was determined to make the affair international instead of national-an exhibition of the products of the industry of all nations. Fairmount Park was engaged for the Exhibition. That Park consists of extensive public grounds belonging to the city of Philadelphia, through which the Schuylkill River flows in a sinuous course about seven miles. The work of preparing the grounds for the erection of buildings for the Exhibition was begun in the spring of 1873, and on the 4th of July that year, the Park Commissioners formally surrendered a portion of the grounds designated for the Exhibition into the custody of the Centennial Commission, with imposing ceremonies. The act took place in the presence of an immense multitude of citizens. Bishop Simpson, of the Methodist Episcopal Church, opened the proceedings by a prayer, when Hon. Morton McMichael, President of the Park Commission, made the surrender, with a brief address. General Hawley followed with a short discourse, formally accepting the grounds, and closed with the direction that the National flag should be unfurled and saluted. When it was spread to the gentle breeze, the trumpeter of the "City Troop" gave a signal blast. Then the "Keystone Battery," stationed near, fired thirteen guns in honor of the event. A military review, a banquet, and fireworks succeeded. The plat of ground assigned for the Exhibition contains four hundred and sixty-five acres, and occupies a plateau, on rising ground.

Before the transfer of the ground, the President of the United States

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