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Page 51
There is a great deal of freedom in the Exhibition. The servant who
walks behind his mistress through the Park feels that he can crowd
against her in the Exhibition. The Queen and the day labourer, the
Prince and the merchant, the peer and the pauper, the Celt and the
Saxon, the Greek and the Frank, the Hebrew and the Russ, all meet here
upon terms of perfect equality. This amalgamation of rank, this kindly
blending of interests, and forgetfulness of the cold formalities of
ranks and grades, cannot but be attended with the very best results. I
was pleased to see such a goodly sprinkling of my own countrymen in the
Exhibition--I mean coloured men and women--well-dressed, and moving
about with their fairer brethren. This, some of our pro-slavery
Americans did not seem to relish very well. There was no help for it. As
I walked through the American part of the Crystal Palace, some of our
Virginian neighbours eyed me closely and with jealous looks, especially
as an English lady was leaning on my arm. But their sneering looks did
not disturb me in the least. I remained the longer in their department,
and criticised the bad appearance of their goods the more. Indeed, the
Americans, as far as appearance goes, are behind every other country in
the Exhibition. The "Greek Slave" is the only production of Art which
the United States has sent. And it would have been more to their credit
had they kept that at home. In so vast a place as the Great Exhibition
one scarcely knows what to visit first, or what to look upon last. After
wandering about through the building for five hours, I sat down in one
of the galleries and looked at the fine marble statue of Virginius, with
the knife in his hand and about to take the life of his beloved and
beautiful daughter, to save her from the hands of Appius Claudius. The
admirer of genius will linger for hours among the great variety of
statues in the long avenue. Large statues of Lords Eldon and Stowell,
carved out of solid marble, each weighing above twenty tons, are among
the most gigantic in the building.
I was sitting with my 400 paged guide-book before me, and looking down
upon the moving mass, when my attention was called to a small group of
gentlemen standing near the statue of Shakspere, one of whom wore a
white coat and hat, and had flaxen hair, and trousers rather short in
the legs. The lady by my side, and who had called my attention to the
group, asked if I could tell what country this odd-looking gentleman was
from? Not wishing to run the risk of a mistake, I was about declining
to venture an opinion, when the reflection of the sun against a mirror,
on the opposite side, threw a brilliant light upon the group, and
especially on the face of the gentleman in the white coat, and I
immediately recognized under the brim of the white hat, the features of
Horace Greeley, Esq., of the New York "Tribune." His general appearance
was as much out of the English style as that of the Turk whom I had seen
but a moment before--in his bag-like trousers, shuffling along in his
slippers. But oddness in dress, is one of the characteristics of the
Great Exhibition.
Among the many things in the Crystal Palace, there are some which
receive greater attention than others, around which may always be seen
large groups of the visitors. The first of these is the Koh-i-noor, the
"Mountain of Light." This is the largest and most valuable diamond in
the world, said to be worth �2,000,000 sterling. It is indeed a great
source of attraction to those who go to the Exhibition for the first
time, but it is doubtful whether it obtains such admiration afterwards.
We saw more than one spectator turn away with the idea that after all
it was only a piece of glass. After some jamming, I got a look at the
precious jewel, and although in a brass-grated cage, strong enough to
hold a lion, I found it to be no larger than the third of a hen's egg.
Two policemen remain by its side day and night.
The finest thing in the Exhibition, is the "Veiled Vestal," a statue of
a woman carved in marble, with a veil over her face, and so neatly done,
that it looks as if it had been thrown over after it was finished. The
Exhibition presents many things which appeal to the eye and touch the
heart, and altogether, it is so decorated and furnished, as to excite
the dullest mind, and satisfy the most fastidious.
England has contributed the most useful and substantial articles;
France, the most beautiful; while Russia, Turkey, and the West Indies,
seem to vie with each other in richness. China and Persia are not
behind. Austria has also contributed a rich and beautiful stock. Sweden,
Norway, Denmark, and the smaller states of Europe, have all tried to
outdo themselves in sending goods to the World's Fair. In Machinery,
England has no competitor. In Art, France is almost alone in the
Exhibition, setting aside England.
In natural productions and provisions, America stands alone in her
glory. There lies her pile of canvassed hams; whether they were wood or
real, we could not tell. There are her barrels of salt, beef, and pork,
her beautiful white lard, her Indian-corn and corn-meal, her rice and
tobacco, her beef tongues, dried peas, and a few bags of cotton. The
contributors from the United States seemed to have forgotten that this
was an exhibition of Art, or they most certainly would not have sent
provisions. But the United States takes the lead in the contributions,
as no other country has sent in provisions. The finest thing contributed
by our countrymen, is a large piece of silk with an eagle painted upon
it, surrounded by stars and stripes.
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