Portland gazette and Maine advertiser. (Portland, Me.) 1805-1818, 1817-09-16

productions Of our press that In the pres.
cni state of literature, appear 70 meet with
encouragement The number Of profes
sed authors in this country is at present 30
uncomfortable, and the constant stream Of
literature poured in upon us from England
so copious and overwhelming, that under
existing circumstances, no adequate scope
can certainly be afforded TO original compo
si,ions of our own. Admitting, however,
tina. in this respect both nations were placed
upon an equal footing, still the materials
for literary labour ofevcry description are
so much more abundan. in England than
in America, and the patronage bestowed
upon authors in that country so much more
liberal and extensive, that independent OF
all other points of Discrimination, these
two very important advantages would be
quite sufficient to turn the scales against US.
These obvious distinctions are not stated
here from any mosisesto decry the attempts
Of indigenous writer's, Or to exait nnlustly
the literary reputation OF England on the
contrary, every lover of his country must
naturally feel it 10 be duty incumbent
Oh him, on every occasion, to cherish the
native genius Of his counsrymen even tho
il shoot forth on few and sometimes iniudi-
cious subjects while at the same time he
perceives with anxiety, that an Introduction
Of foreign literature would no: alone deprive
many Of the great and lasting benefit Of
pursuing particular study, but throw out
Of employment numerous and very res.
pectabe portion of our population.
In the number and perfection Of our pub
| lie journals, however, there is no reason TO
doub, but that we may vie with any. nation
| in Europe. From the great thirst for read
| ing of this description, aggravated not d
little BY the rancour ofpsrty spirit, these
have multiplied to such an extent amongst
ius, that there is scarcely village or ham
lx, III at has not its Gazette or its Chronicle /;
| for the people OF America, notwithstanding
they seem TO be of an opinion tina, instead
Of poring over volumes Of learned lore,
their time can be spent to better purpose,
find no difficulty in dsvoting now and shen
ia leisure hour 10 The perusal Of the ncwspa-
pers that are regularly brought to their
Doors Seeing then that, apparently, very
generous patronage is granted to the pro-
prietors of our public papers, one would be
apt to conclude that many fortunes were an
nually made by individuals OF this class
and yet, If the truth be strictly spoken by
them, no conclusion could be more falla-
cious. They admit indeed that few pres
ses established in some of our popclous
cities near the sea board, have, after long
interval Of toll and fatigue raised their pro-
Iprietors to a state Of comfortable indepcn
ldence, by printing advertisements for the
merchants still il is denied that the great
err part Of them. in general, do more thar
produce what is called decent living
How then is the incongruity TO be explain
cd !-Simply by remarking, that the wore
ltatronage conveys the idea of two separate
and distinct acts, the one passive and tho
other active, to wit, receiving the paper
and haying for the paper. Now, i SO hap
pens. unfortunately for the printers, tha
our American readers are always very nice
in their calculations as TO the performance
Of the passive act, but by some means q
other they seem to be under an impression
that the active does not concern them a
all And thus it comes 10 pass, that Though
the printer may at any time show a long
list Of subscribers. there is perhaps no
one in ten on this long list Of subscribers
who ever cares sbou. discharging his annu
al obligation. And YET in spite of every
uiscouraEemen., our worthy brethren Tho
TYPE perseyere in their duty. Day after
day and night after night they keep up ths
anxious pursuit Of news, and ransack every
column of,he various packages they receive
in quest OF matter for the edihcation and a
musement of their readers.
In such a drarth oil inte uigence, howev-
or, as that which exists al the present. they
must frequently meet with great difficulty
in supplying the public with decent col
umn of news. Murder, robbery, and sui
eide are indeed at all times an inexhaust;ble
fund to draw upon, yet even there, perhaps,
would have yielded but scan,y supply du-
ring the past summer, had it not been for
the additional aid of the Presidents tour,
the recent great deIugc, and the monstrous
serpent at Salem. The pompous ceremo-
MES connected with the first-the destruc-
ton Of bridges, tenenents, and animals at
tendant upon the secondhand the many IN
ieresting speculations excited BY the latter
have for some time afforded pretty CO
pious stock Of materials for news. When
these have performed their destined careeI
L - ..ssf