324 [Assembly 



so far as to withhold our cotton, manufacture it among ourselves, 

 and export onl}- the fabrics to a wide world of willing consumers ? 

 The gold of California is a trifling item of public wealth, com- 

 pared with the unspeakable value of power of indefl'ate produc- 

 tion of cotton, peculiar to our Southern country. 



Nothing will bind us so much or so closely together as protec- 

 tion to the industry of all sections of the country. With Agri- 

 culture and Manufactures encouraged, — with Commerce pro- 

 tected, — \^'ith our supplies produced by our domestic labor, — 

 and with one Legislation, Union follows and becomes necessary 

 to our interests and our strength, and we cannot but attain to a 

 prosperous condition. It is (need I repeat it?) the unity of 

 interests and the common pride that each man feels in his coun- 

 try, that keeps us together. It should be remembered that, 

 shoulder to shoulder, on the field of battle, we achieved the in- 

 dependence of our country. The battle of Buena Vista, is alike 

 the glory of us all. 



The occasion forbids me to gratify myself in going through de- 

 tails of facts, or to prove how much has been doneby the American 

 Institute to foster and promote Agriculture, Commerce, Manu- 

 factures and the Arts, encourage the genius of our country, and 

 maintain the employment and dignity of labor. 



Have you net heard of the wonderful perfection to which the 

 manufacture of glass has arrived among us. The Bohemian 

 colored glass has been carried to a point of perfection here which 

 has already rivaled that country, in which it was first manufac- 

 tured. The discovery of this is complete in our country. The 

 specimen which is now exhibited was manufactured in the city 

 of Brooklyn. American skill, and American, industry and 

 ingenuity, have accomplished this much, and we challenge 

 Bohemia now to surpass us in this respect. Hete is more that 

 was manufactured in Brooklyn ; and the result is that at Brook- 

 lyn, Wheeling and Pittsburgh, and a number of other places, the 

 glass manufacture of oui' country is entirely and unprecedentedly 

 successful. Strangers have thought there is less glass shown 

 this year than usual. The reason of this is, that we could not 

 afford room for the specimens without excluding other articles 



