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The Century Celebration

The Century Celebration image
Parent Issue
Day
17
Month
February
Year
1871
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

The. subject of the proposed celebration of tho one huudredth anniveraary of National Independenoe is being disoussbcJ and the proper celebration of au j eveut of sueh magnitude rehuiros tiniely aotion that tho preparaliou may be i upon a reala corresponding to the im! portaoce of th occasion. Hod. John Bigelow has addregsad a leúer to Senator Conkliag on thi.s subject, making soiae suggeslions as to what would bó proper lo bo done, and whilo we cannot j find pace for tho cutiré letter, the maio pointí aro given. He say : Io determining how the auniversary should be notieed, sevtral 'itiegtious pregont theni9elves for prelimitjary cousid! cration. First, Sliould wliatovor is done he oonduoted under tho anspiees and direction of the Federa] GuvL-rnrcent or by the peoplo acting tiuough a uational orgaoization speoiully pioviied for the puiposo?. Hecund, What precautiens are neoeasary at li.c outet to prevent the suocess njf eueh a cumniu )iicationbu'wg i:uparted by peliticai (iitlereucus and party discussions ? ' Ihird, Ia what way and to what ttiSnt bhould the co-oiieratioa of foretgo iüitiuüa bo invitad '.' JÜOrth, How cmild the oelebration bo most universal with the least displuoenient of the popolstioa ? Thero are bou-.c important thiogs to bo doue in conteuiplutiou of suc!i an mvorsnty wliicii muy or muy uot bo usaociuted witb its oelebration. Oí thc-u tbo niost obviousarc : First, The couplction of tlie Washington Monument, of the Capítol buildings, aud as far as pogsible of all tlie p-ojoctud ruilway, lelegrapbiu aud oihcr public vvorks througliout tho eou'nírv. Second, The r'estoration oí' iho go!d siundard i( values. Third, Tho reduotiou of kh i ational indebtedness to a point whicb suaíl inuure to our Federal securities a valué in all tho muikots of tl:j ,u,:; eqoal at Itjast to ti.u .-ecurities of any otlii-r GoyciumiíQt. Itiwill bo saurcciv croditable to lbo form uí govei'BBJOut uuder which we live, and of wliicb we leul o (.roud, if teu yoiirs d'ter our civil war aud with uuiftteri-upted pVáce, we cou'tiúui; to p u y our debts iu a depraaiitol ouriui.i:y ai: 1 i. ou republicin securities Bell úí lower ratoa tban ibuse oí' tbe renounccd mounrcliies of ibo ()!d W.orld. Wo iriáy not pro'end that tho War.of tbe Kebellion is over a:d thd supreui:.oy C)l iho (Joiistitution of our Patbern fuily ro-oa'.üblibbed, till oar Federal bouds are wurth tl.oii' noiyiiiiil vaue iu gdKI. 'i.íí is no suterígn of a weat govcínniefit than a deroeuited.. ourreuoy. ilow is k poísibla to celébrale tbo lirst ocníoiiury of uuc polititíal institations as it tbould be c;:lobrated, witli líie knowlcdgo tliat tbe fiuaccial prumisos of our Goverumeut ar worth less tbuu i tbose of England or Germauy, or any otbür Goverumeat that is uonstitutioually diütrus'.ful oi Le popular torergalourlh, If po.-sibiu the geológica), mineralógica!, uud bjiauical surveys of those States wbiob jet uck tbom shou!d bo tuado. ï'tfth, A'n extra Federal ooüushou!d be takt i ip une, 187o, lat i.s resulta muy be a.scutaiued aud publtihed in timo fer ihe aDoiv.orMtiy of LüíOj uuIl-eb the sanie end wdjí'.J bo t : td by thu oeusus tukou that yesr by Le $cverul ■ States. Tho íaliers oí l.ie cuí.-íus ühoald be instructed sp'ocially to procure the ñames aud addresses oí uü ci izous lhc;i liviDg who wure bora on or büí'oru July ■i, 1776. 7'hor.h 7 CED poi pi-esume to Lave thought oí' all or even of the most appropiiute ways üf coniiiieniorating the approachiutí oeutoauial of 1876, yet I will name a few Ihat havo occurred to me tü show the general obaractor wiih wbiob I tnitik the raeuioriV.I ciercises oí that oceusioo sbould bo impiossed ; First, At least ouo completo set of gold or ailver curreut coins, witb new derices uotnmciuorative of tiie dy, sbould be struck uff at tho Mint for évery citizon of the United otates able aiii valling to pay for it. Seiond, One oi." tiiu eniioent poets of laúd, or all, uhou'.d be iuvited to sing iu ednuriug verso our natiooal farewell to tho departing century. Tlurd, Every art should be iaid under' ooutribution for aomo appropriate memorial of tbe degree of excejleDoe to which Buch art shall have re tai o ed, and ïfith which it wíll híBgia ihe BÚece'ediug oeüturyl Fourlh, Foreign natioas might be nvited to partioipate ia tho eelebration in suoh way as should sen most titting. At loast the opportiinity coukl be afforded them of studing or witohoiding their congratuliition.s upou the occasion, and showing in ivlmt ustiuiation wc-, as a uation, will be held abroari, and tha nature of our relatious witb the raat of the world at that period. Fij'ih, It is to be hoped and preumed that by 187G no portion of tho coDtinut of America will bo in colonia! dcpendence upoo aoy foroigo Power, bul that we bhall ounstitutu oue oompaot family of iudepeadeot States uadcr Biicii form of góvernment as shall. best tuit the peopla living underthfin, auJ all in fricndly lliance with the United States, iter opportunity parbafn thau that omilil bo se'ected for holding an American Cougress for settliug many gr'aat ternational questious whinh liurope sceiiis too distracted by cöofllcting ]utci'c.-t aud jenlousias ever to decide. Sixth, Cüinjjutout portons sbould be invitcd tu pjepare a series g( Jjistories by whioh to meásure tlio progresa and prodiict of civiü.atiou Jn t!ia U. títjtcs for the cspiring. century. 1. Prumiüeut in this qategory, if cxeouted iü eeasoD, would rank a book tbat Mr. Soward to!d me sumo two years ago ho was meditating, and wbiuh be desoribed as a "!iiitory of tho übligations qí tbc World to Auierica," aud for which, in part, bis recont travels In Mexino and ou tbo l'aciijo eoast wera uadertakon. 2. A Etatislical bistory of our postal service, from tüo days of Postuiaater Frankliu. 3. A like bistory of telecrapby in all its varifties in the CJnltèd feïate. 4. A like Listory of tbe proprit- oi ntt, industry mul oveuliou, includin" tbe disclosutca ol 5. A likü bistory oí emigración to tha United States, aud its distribution. (i. A like bistory of agrioulturo, anl inoidentally of tho rute of increass of land under culture, and of tho disapp jaraneo of growing timbar. 7. A like history of miniag, and of the progress tnado in tho devolopment of miueral weslth. 8. A statistical history of military aíid naval inventions, discovones and achiovraents. 9. A ftatistical history of manufactures of all kimta, 10. A statistical history of üduoatirm and educatiooal itistitulious, aud inoidentally of tlie honorary and finanoial remuncration of instructora. 11. Á likro history of reügious and ecolosiastical iostitutioas and tho oompensation of the clergy. 12. A liko history of tbe natural sciences, their progress and the progresaive nieans provided for their oulture. 13. A liko history of the proress of w-.!t;!th and the finaacial viciasitudes of the couuttv. 14. A liko history of the fine arta. 15. A liko history of literuturo and typography. , 16. A liko history of tho Prosg. 17. A like history of tlia publio cbaritiosj and inoiduatally a elassification of tbe poor uud iutirui who depend upoa thein. 18. A l.ke history oftho organization and growth of the different States, ia so far us tbey are not treated of under uny of tha prccedin; oategories. 19. Of tho municipal, State and Federal eyeteuis of pjliticul representation, and tbo chanfjes which they may have respectively undergone. 120. An account of what s memorable io the celebration3 of the various anniversaries of Ameticau ludepoudüuca n'o'ii tlie comaieucement. 21. Of politicsl economy, nnd incide::'.a!ly of labor, free aud eervile, and wages. The Hcience of poliíicsi eoonomy may be siid to have beon boru with our ludopencieiice, for Adatu Smith's WealtU i( Ñutióos was not a year oíd. _ Lili Of law as a profession, aud of our svstcüis of judicial prooedure a a 8 of security for tifo and property. . UI mediciue, as a prolession, and itd effoctfl upoó [tfngéyity, Th is will furnish an exeellent oouusion for sumuiiug up the advamages ur disadvautiigcs wbich tlie uorld has expcrienoed trom Jonner'? famous discovery of thu propriy'latic eflSoiey of vaocination, whioh was made the samo year that wú prociakned ourselves as a pe )plu, (roe acd independent, and which, tliorefore, t 1876, will have been oa trial jast a ooutury. Of cjiiimeroo and nivigitioh, d(jinestic and foreiu, ocoan and river, and iiicidentully of marioo and naval architecture -'). Of uliane? and aü:;!;or.tioD3 ÏB I sial condiiinn aad nouriohazont oí the peopie ri the Uulted Stateft. 26. üf the Aborigines an J the changos tlny havo uudergone27. Ot'tho climato and meteorologicul revolutions and cliaogus of tho ccutury on oor ContioeDt. Sever, ■! musèliin, tó bo peipetualiy associattd, both by narau a:ni pufp'rBe, ilh tliis ti;iivcr.-'ar-y. The edifica ïü'ght be dedicated or its coriNjrBtowe liid on that occaiou, and ivhen rcady, bo mado tfio repositoiy of such works of rt cüajiueuiorativa of the ovent au p' y of its hospitaiity, auJ Speoiaaens of evcrything prioted u the years 177G and 1876, aiid of all rnemorïals oí that day iu cach uf thü iuterveniugyears, that needcd cud deaorifed such u shelter. Th is should be the npcleus af a uatiouul rcposi.ory íq modest iíüitatiou of the Museums of the Vuiioan íuid te Louvro, and of tliu JJriiish Museum in Lyudja. . .

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus