THE PARIS UNIVERSAL EXHIBITION OF 1867. 
 
 REMARKS 
 
 MR. ELLIOT C. COWDIN, 
 
 CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 
 
 OF NEW YORK, 
 
 FRIDAY, JANUARY 12, 1866. 
 
 NEW YORK: 
 BAKER & GODWIN, PRINTERS, 
 
 SQUARE. 
 
 1866.
 
 UCSB LIBRARY 
 
 OF 1807. 
 
 A special meeting of the Chamber of Com- 
 merce of New York was held on Friday, January 
 12, 1866, to hear the Report of the Committee, con- 
 sisting of Mr. Samuel B. Ruggles, Mr. Denning 
 Duer, Mr. George Opdyke, Mr. J. S. T. Stanahan, 
 and Mr. Elliot C. Cowdin, in relation to the Uni- 
 versal Exhibition of Industry to be held in Paris in 
 1867; President A. A. Low in the chair. The Hon. 
 Samuel B. Ruggles, in behalf of the Committee, 
 reported the following Resolutions for adoption : 
 
 Resolved, That the Chamber of Commerce of New York 
 have learned, with profound satisfaction, that the Government of 
 the United States has accepted the invitation of the Government 
 of France, to unite with the other governments of the world in 
 the " Universal Exposition '' at Paris, in April, 18(>7, of the 
 products of each ; and will confidently rely on the intelligence 
 and liberality of Congress to make timely and adequate appro- 
 priations for exhibiting the products of the American Union on 
 the proposed occasion, in such a manner and on such a scale as 
 shall maintain its just rank among the civilized nations of the 
 earth.
 
 Resolved, That in view of the well-considered action of the 
 French Government calling upon all its departmental authorities, 
 including the Chamber of Commerce, Boards of Trade and 
 Academies of Art, to co-operate, within the proper limits of 
 their authority, in the enlightened design of fully displaying the 
 products of France, the Chamber of Commerce of this, the 
 principal national city of the United States, feel called upon to 
 exert whatever influence they may possess with their fellow-citi- 
 zens throughout the Union to induce them promptly to furnish 
 to the proposed " Exposition," in the most liberal manner, such 
 specimens of their products of industry or art as may elevate 
 our national character; and to secure more effectually this object, 
 they do now invite appropriate action on the part of the other 
 Chambers of Commerce and Boards of Trade of our country. 
 
 Resolved, That it be referred to a committee of five members 
 of this Chamber, to invite the attention of the Chambers of 
 Commerce and Boards of Trade in the different cities of the 
 United States, to the peculiar national importance, both political 
 and financial, of the proposed Exposition, in exhibiting to the 
 Governments and the peoples of Europe, the natural and indus- 
 trial resources of the American Union, now happily restored in 
 its full constitutional authority. 
 
 Mr. Ruggles supported the Resolutions with 
 eloquent and appropriate remarks, after which Mr. 
 Cowdin addressed the Chamber on the subject as 
 follows :
 
 REMARKS OF MR. ELLIOT C. COWDIN. 
 
 MR. PRESIDENT It is fitting, indeed, that this 
 Chamber, as a representative organization of the 
 commercial metropolis of our country, should lend 
 its aid to this great enterprise. 
 
 It has been my privilege to visit most of the 
 Exhibitions of Europe for the last fifteen years, and 
 to examine many of them with some care, especially 
 that of Paris in 1855, and of London in J862, and 
 candor compels me to say that the contributions 
 from the United States were altogether inadequate 
 to do justice to the skill and industry of our peo- 
 ple ; while a few articles won a world-wide reputa- 
 tion, the absence of others, well known to excel, 
 made our display far from satisfactory. 
 
 Now, sir, may we not profit by experience ? 
 Let us appear as we are, or not at all. Shall we 
 fail to appear to advantage ? 
 
 Tell me, if you can, what nation is able to com- 
 pete with the United States in the variety and 
 value of the Earth's products ; its corn, its cotton, 
 its wheat, its rice, its copper, its coal, its silver, its 
 gold, its oil, its iron ? 
 
 What nation can compete with us in implements 
 of war rifles, revolvers, and cannon ? In printing
 
 presses, stoves, and wagons? In labor-saving ma- 
 chines, and in startling inventions of every kind ? 
 
 The late war has made us known to the world, 
 and to each other ; it has vindicated the character 
 of our institutions and insured their permanency. 
 
 We are the larger branch of the great trading 
 and fiorhtiiijT race, and it now remains for us to show 
 
 O O / 
 
 that we are even greater in peace than in war. 
 
 A continent is ours midway between Europe 
 and Asia a position to serve and control both. 
 Crowned with the victories of war, and, holding 
 such a position, shall we fear any conflict ? 
 
 Imperial and war-like France, at last casting 
 down her armor, sends to the great Republic the chal- 
 lenge of peace. Fixed in our principles and ready 
 to defend them; loyal to our nationality, and men- 
 acing none, we welcome it as an omen of good to the 
 whole family of man. 
 
 France having increased her exports more than 
 fifty per cent, since her last exhibition, which in- 
 crease is in a measure due to it, is now expending 
 more than twenty millions of francs for another In- 
 ternational Exhibition of Industry in 1867, and has 
 invited the United States, in common with other 
 nations, to compete with her. Our Government has 
 accepted the invitation, and asks the people to co- 
 operate. To that end, it is eminently proper to in-
 
 troduce the subject into the Chamber of Commerce 
 of New York. 
 
 The benefits to be derived by the people of the 
 United States from a full exposition of their indus- 
 trial wealth are manifold. 
 
 It will serve to advertise the fruits of our genius 
 and our soil, our inventions and our products, our 
 mineral resources and their availability. 
 
 It will bring them under the eyes of the best 
 instructed men in the world, who will discover 
 values in them which we never knew ; as the great 
 Huraboldt, treading upon the hitherto worthless 
 soil of a friend, said, " diamonds should be here," 
 and there diamonds were found. 
 
 It will enlighten those hitherto unacquainted 
 with our resources, and let loose for investment 
 much of the unemployed capital of Europe, to the 
 profit of the people of both hemispheres. 
 
 It will not only bring to us the large capitalists 
 of Europe, but also those of smaller means, seeking 
 a secure investment of their earnings; but, what is 
 better still, it will induce the skilled artisans and 
 the hardy laborers to seek a land so rich in advan- 
 tages to them. 
 
 O 
 
 It will not only show those abroad, who stood 
 by our cause and had faith in us in the darkest 
 hour, but also those who had no faith, that we can
 
 LIBRARY 
 
 8. 
 
 and will pay our national debt ; not the interest 
 alone, but the principal, far too soon for their inter- 
 est. 
 
 To secure these results, it is only necessary that 
 the Government of the United States should lead, 
 and that Congress make an appropriation befitting 
 the importance of the enterprise and worthy of the 
 nation. Let us, then, urge upon our Senators and 
 Representatives to act promptly and largely. 
 
 Let us also urge upon the Chambers of Com- 
 merce and Boards of Trade, in the various sections 
 of the Union, and especially those of the West, 
 whose agricultural and mineral resources should 
 form so prominent and striking a feature in the 
 Exhibition, an earnest co-operation. 
 
 And above all, let us call upon the whole peo* 
 pie, whose voluntary subscriptions outweigh the 
 patronage of any monarch, to take part in this great 
 international display, in which we have everything 
 to gain and nothing to lose. 
 
 The Resolutions were unanimously adopted, and the Com- 
 mittee authorized to forward them to Congress, and also to the 
 various Chambers of Commerce and Boards of Trade throughout 
 the country. 
 
 A 000 607 271 4