Special Message

To the Senate and House of Representatives:

I have the honor herewith to submit the report of the Centennial Commissioners, and to add a word in the way of recommendation.

There have now been international expositions held by three of the great powers of Europe. It seems fitting that the one hundredth anniversary of our independence should be marked by an event that will display to the world the growth and progress of a nation devoted to freedom and to the pursuit of fame, fortune, and honors by the lowest citizen as well as the highest. A failure in this enterprise would be deplorable. Success can be assured by arousing public opinion to the importance of the occasion.

To secure this end, in my judgment, Congressional legislation is necessary to make the exposition both national and international.

The benefits to be derived from a successful international exposition are manifold. It will necessarily be accompanied by expenses beyond the receipts from the exposition itself, but they will be compensated for many fold by the commingling of people from all sections of our own country; by bringing together the people of different nationalities; by bringing into juxtaposition, for ready examination, our own and foreign skill and progress in manufactures, agriculture, art, science, and civilization.

The selection of the site for the exposition seems to me appropriate, from the fact that one hundred years before the date fixed for the exposition the Declaration of Independence, which launched us into the galaxy of nations as an independent people, emanated from the same spot.

We have much in our varied climate, soil, mineral products, and skill of which advantage can be taken by other nationalities to their profit. In return they will bring to our shores works of their skill and familiarize our people with them, to the mutual advantage of all parties.

Let us have a complete success in our Centennial Exposition or suppress it in its infancy, acknowledging our inability to give it the international character to which our self-esteem aspires.

U. S. GRANT