6

THE INDUSTRY OF ALL NATIONS.

INTRODUCTORY.

HISTORICAL.

BRIEF statement, of the originand progress of the Association forthe Exhibition of the Industry ofAll Nations, will be an appropriateintroduction to the first part ofthe Record. It is perhaps need-less to say that the triumphantI success of the London ExhibitionT)gave birth and force to the ideaof this. Simultaneously, almost,it was proposed to repeat thegrand experiment in Dublin, inFrance, and in the United States.Although America achieved some, of the most signal and perma-nently valuable results whichwere brought to the knowledgeof mankind by the Exhibition inHyde Park; still there was probably no American whosaw our contributions in London, and did not feel someregret that they were not a more just and equally sus-tained exponent of our resources, industry, and arts.

But stronger and more controlling than this senti-ment, was the desire excited to afford the masses inAmerica an opportunity to see the grand total of theworld’s industry, and the manifold productions and ap-plications of the arts of design brought in one com-parative view. It was seen that while no motive but aproper regard for our own position in the great familyof nations could have induced us, as a people, to sendour industrial products to Europe, where we find amarket only for our great staple raw materials, that• the fact of our becoming more and more every day thegreat purchasers of the products of European skill and labor, expended, perhaps,upon our own products, would induce all the manufacturing states of the old worldto embrace, eagerly, an opportunity to expose their products in the New-York

Crystal Palace.

This conviction, strengthened by the sentiments before alluded to, led a fewpublic-spirited citizens of the United States, early in 1852, to contemplate theorganization of the effort whose results we see. It was not designed ordesired to reproduce the London Exhibition, which, from the very nature of thecase, must ever remain unexampled; but to draw forth such a representation ofthe world’s industry and resources as would enable us to measure the strengthand value of our own, while it indicated new aims for our enterprise and skill.

There is no humiliation in the acknowledgment, that America has more togain from such a comparison than any other nation in Christendom—and webelieve she is also more willing to avail herself of the suggestions it offers.

It was obvious in the outset, that numerous difficulties would embarrass thesuccessful organization of an exhibition of industry in the United States, whichshould at once be universal in its scope, and devoid of the imputation of local orsectional influence. These difficulties were inherent in the nature of our politicalinstitutions.

In England, the suggestion of Prince Albert to the Society of Arts wasreceived with enthusiasm, and enlisted not only the cordial support of theQueen, but every member of a numerous and wealthy aristocracy joined his handin setting forward the royal project. The government, however backwardand lukewarm they might have been at first, could not resist an influence withwhich, as men, they were identified. Then the almost supreme power of theLondon journals came in to swell and direct the popular sentiment, and to makeevery Englishman feel that he had an immediate personal stake in the success—thetriumphant and overwhelming success—of an enterprise to which the honor of hissovereign, and of the nation, stood pledged before all mankind.

Under the stimulus of such powerful motives, the universal intellect of theUnited Kingdom organized itself in Councils, Committees, and Juries. Men whosenames are identified with the halls of science, of literature, and of art, left theirtripods, and were found heading the various corps of hard-working volunteers inconsidering or perfecting the several details of the colossal scheme. The rooms ofthe Royal, the Geological, the Geographical, the Ethnological, and the StatisticalSocieties, of the Institutions of Civil Engineers and Architects, of the Museum ofEconomic Geology—and even of the staid and conservative Universities, were for

a time deserted to furnish men and mind for the emergency. In looking over thelong catalogue of councilmen and chairmen, of commissioners, associates, and jury-men, whose names are connected with the administration of the London Exhibi-tion, it is astonishing to see what an array of talent and learning was gathered tosecure its success. Nor was this peculiar to Great Britain; but from all parts ofthe world, we find in its published lists men whose names are the guaranty ofeminent success, not only in their own departments, but in whatever they mayundertake. Such was the animus of the London Exhibition.

Compared with this royal espousal, and enormous personal influence broughtto sustain and carry forward the exhibition of 1851, the simple machinery andresources of an association of private gentlemen, however enterprising, might seemutterly inadequate. Let the results decide. Such an association was formed, andstands committed to the successful prosecution of the plan. All the worldhas been invited to co-operate in sustaining the effort, and the appeal has met a re-sponse as cordial, as the design is liberal and catholic.

New-York was selected as the locality of the Exhibition, because of its greatadvantages as a commercial centre, and as the chief entrepdt of European goods.Had it been proposed to limit the Exhibition to the products of American indus-try, some place more central, as Washington, Philadelphia, or Cincinnati, mighthave been justly preferred, but in view of the foreign department of the scheme,New-York seemed the only place at all suited for the purpose.

The municipal authorities of the city of New-York, on the 3d of January, 1852,moved by an enlightened regard for the prosperity of the city, and the interestsof its inhabitants, granted a lease for five years of Reservoir Square, for this pur-pose, upon two conditions: one, that the building should be constructed of glassand iron, and the other, that no single entrance fee should exceed fifty cents.

The Legislature of the State of New-York, upon application, granted, on the11th of March, 1852, the charter under which the Association for the Exhibitionof tiie Industry of all Nations has been organized and carried forward. TheAct clothed the Directors with all the powers needed to carry out its plans, andthe Legislature have since that time extended its privileges, so that it can issuestock to the amount of half a million dollars, in place of the original limitation tothree hundred thousand dollars. The Board of Directors first met on the 17tli ofMarch, 1852, and organized by the election of Theodore Sedgwick, Esq., President,and William Wiietten, Esq., as Secretary. No time was lost in publishing and cir-culating a general statement of the objects of the enterprise. A call for subscrip-tions to the stock was met in due time by about one hundred and fifty persons andfirms coming forward to take up the first two hundred thousand dollars. This widedistribution of the interest in a large number of hands completely avoided theobnoxious charge, that the undertaking was a speculation designed for the benefitof a few.

The countenance and co-operation of the general government was sought witha view to the introduction of foreign goods into the Exhibition duty free. Andofficial assurances were given by Mr. Maxwell, the Collector of the port of New-York, that the building of the Association would be made a bonded warehouse,thus entitling the Association to receive the goods free of duty, while on exhibi-tion.

The influence of the general government was also most cheerfully extended onbehalf of the Association through the kind offices of Mr. Webster, then Secre-tary of State, who wrote to the representatives of the United States at the princi-pal courts of Europe, stating to them his sense of the importance of the enterprise,and the numerous reasons why in his view they should give to the Association allthe aid and support in their power.

The Ministers of foreign powers, resident in the United States, had previouslyresponded, in terms of entire cordiality, to the general circular of the Association,which had been addressed to them, stating its plans, and soliciting the co-opera-tion of European nations. They all expressed their convictions that their re-spective governments would look with favor upon the proposed exposition, andunite in sending to New-York their most valued and characteristic objects ofindustry.

The leading foreign newspapers also manifested a most friendly desire to sustainthe success of the undertaking, and the records of the office contain the mostabundant evidence of their zealous support; while the daily journals in foreign lan-guages in the United States were prominent in lending their services to the cause.

The organization of the foreign relations of the Association was effected by theappointment of Mr. Charles BuscnEK, of London, as its general agent, throughwhom all details have been arranged. This delicate and important trust, involvingthe greatest responsibility, required talents, knowledge, and experience, both of acommercial and of a diplomatic character. The Association was truly fortunatein finding these qualities combined in one person. Mr. Buschek was the AustrianCommissioner at the London Exhibition of 1851, and through him the co-opera-tion of the European manufacturers has been secured to an unexpected extent.

At a later period in the history of the enterprise, it was thought to be ^ipedientto send out to Europe Col. G. W. Hughes, of Maryland, to co-operate with Mr.BuscnEK in carrying out the plans of the Association. This gentleman added tothe weight of his official commission the influence of personal qualities, fitting him,