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CONGRESS, UNITED STATES. 



President to ' extend, in the name of the United 

 States, a respectful and cordial invitation to 

 the governments of other nations to be repre- 

 sented and take part in the international expo- 

 sition to be held at Philadelphia under the 

 auspices of the Government of the United 

 States.' 



"The international character of the exhi- 

 bition is again affirmed ; the jurisdiction of the 

 General Government over it is again distinctly 

 avowed ; provision is made for invitations to 

 foreign powers ' in the name of the United 

 States.' 



' Still further, Congress directed that an ap- 

 propriate medal should be struck at a Govern- 

 ment mint for the centennial board of finance. 

 It also provided for the free importation of 

 goods intended to be placed on exhibition. 



" Mr. Chairman, in view of all this legisla- 

 tion, can Congress escape from the responsi- 

 bility which it has again and again assumed in 

 regard to this international exhibition ? Will 

 the mere declaration of a purpose to withhold 

 pecuniary aid relieve it from the odium which 

 a failure would incur, especially in view of all 

 it has done to encourage and patronize the en- 

 terprise and give it a national character at home 

 and abroad ? 



" The success or failure of this exposition 

 would not be so grave a matter if its effects 

 could be confined to our own citizens and their 

 relations to our own Government. But the 

 dignity and honor of the United States among 

 other nations is involved. In July, 1873, the 

 President issued his proclamation that ' an 

 international exhibition' would be held, and 

 ' in behalf of this Government and people cor- 

 dially ' commended it to all nations. The Sec- 

 retary of State promptly communicated the 

 proclamation to foreign powers, and conveyed 

 to each one the President's hope that an active 

 interest would be aroused, and that the occa- 

 sion would be improved by ' the interchange 

 of national sentiment and friendly intercourse.' 



" This diplomatic circular and presidential 

 proclamation were construed by some into an 

 invitation, which a number of foreign govern- 

 ments accepted promptly, heartily, and, as one 

 of the greatest and most powerful of them said, 

 ' with sincerest thanks.' When the more cor- 

 dial invitation of 1874 went out by authority 

 of Congress it awakened an interest which 

 hitherto bad languished ; and now thirty-eight 

 foreign governments have declared their pur- 

 pose of participating in this our national anni- 

 versary. Commissioners have been appointed 

 from among their most distinguished men, and 

 several of these governments have made gen- 

 erous appropriations, that they may be credit- 

 ably represented. 



These are nations from all parts of the habi- 

 table globe ; some of them almost older than 

 history ; many of them venerable with the 

 gray of centuries; most of them habituated 

 1 to and believing in monarchical government; 

 but all coming to do honor to the young Re- 



public. From the Orient and the Occident, 

 from the Arctic and the Antarctic, they will 

 come. But of them all there will be no sub- 

 limer spectacle than the presence of Great 

 Britain, with the most amazing and most ad- 

 mirable magnanimity, joining in the celebra- 

 tion of an event which lost her these vast 

 possessions. The benignant mother comes to 

 honor the refractory child and to rejoice in 

 her growth and prosperity. Second only to 

 this will be the presence of the mighty mon- 

 archy of Russia, whose august and liberal- 

 minded emperor boldly declares to all the 

 world that he regards the event which we are 

 about to celebrate as ' one of the grandest facts 

 in the history of humanity.' 



" All of these thirty-eight nations will come 

 bearing in their hands the ' cordial invitation ' 

 of the United States. This being so, is not 

 this Government bound by every consideration 

 of hospitality, of honor, and of self-respect, to 

 make suitable provision for their entertain- 

 ment? 



" Mr. Chairman, the question has been asked, 

 Where do we derive the power to make this 

 appropriation? I answer by asking, Where 

 did Congress derive the power to embellish 

 and decorate the grounds and buildings of the 

 Government ? Where did it derive the power 

 to purchase the works of art which adorn 

 these Halls and add to their attractiveness? 

 Where did it derive the power to purchase 

 the magnificent library of which we boast ? 

 Where did it derive the power to fit out expe- 

 ditions to explore the polar seas and to travel 

 to foreign countries to observe the transit of 

 Venus? Where did it derive the power to 

 appropriate money on three different occasions 

 to promote international exhibitions held in 

 other countries ? Where did it derive the 

 power to encourage art, to promote science, to 

 advance practical and useful industry, to main- 

 tain an Agricultural Department or a horticul- 

 tural garden, a National Observatory, or a 

 Signal Corps? 



" I might further answer this question by ask- 

 ing one which was frequently suggested during 

 the recent eventful years of our country's his- 

 tory, and whose most satisfactory answer was 

 found in the patriotic impulses of the people. 

 Many things have been done perhaps not within 

 the strict letter of the Constitution ; but we 

 have high authority for saying, ' The letter 

 killeth, the spirit giveth life.' The power 

 which saved a nation's life can save a nation's 

 honor. 



" But, Mr. Chairman, I do not admit there 

 is the slightest doubt about the constitutional 

 power to make this appropriation. I do not 

 propose to go into any extended argument on 

 that point, but I hold in my hand a volume 

 containing the messages of the early Presi- 

 dents of this country, the fathers and founders 

 of the Republic, the men whose great brains 

 conceived and whose hands draughted this 

 Constitution and transmitted it to us as the 





