The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1842-04-14
INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT.


Among the many reasons why an interna-
tional copyright law should exist, is the mischief
to be apprehended from the universal dissent
nation of trashy and immoral novels and ro-
mances among the poorer classes of society.
However well the crude and mischievous con-
ceptions of evil romancers and aristocratic
foplings may serve to beguile the hours Of
fashionable misses and idlers about town,
their mischievous effects are limited in extent
and comparatively harmless but when they
reach those who form the bone and sinew ofthe
country, there is no telling how far they may
serve to unsettle the morals of society, and thus
do lncalculable injury Going forth among all
classes clothed in all the richness of glowing
and meretricious style, they heat the magma
ton, and introduce opinions and ways of think
ing totally at variance with the dictates of
sound common sense. If the poisonous non
sense to which the age has given birth were in
the form of books, the price, if nothing else
would in great degree counteract its mischiev-
GUS tendency; but when it is spread about in
the form of mammoth newspapers, at a few
ous by being placed in the hands of the poor
est persons, the scantiness of whose education
and want of information render them easy vic
TINS to its banefu influences. We may be told
that publications in this form aid the cause of
literature and should therefore be encouraged.
That they increase the mass of reading matter
is certainly true but that they effect any good,
is extremely doubtful Literature, to be useful,
must be of an instructive character, and if the
excessive cheapening of printed matter takes
away the stimulus 10 the exercise of hig intel
lectual power, by depriving it of its reward, it
is easy to see that, instead of writers of learn
ing and solid attainment, we shall be overrun
by host of needy scrbblers, who will publish
any thing to gain few pence. Our country
possesses many men of great literary genius,
whose powers are lost to the world, simply
because they cannot afford to write for nothing.
AS the case stands, how is it2 An American
author publishes book, and, so far as the
American demand for it may go, he does very
well; but there the benefit ceases in regard TO
him at least. His work is caught up, and car
ried, we will say, to England, where, in the
absence of a copywright, it is republished by
an English bookseller, and if it be really good,
realizes for him profits that should have enured
to our countryman. Hence it is that we see
the stock Of good American authors daily be-
coming smaller. Poor authors, however good,
cannot afford to write except they are well paid
for it; and hence we will find that the prepara-
ton of hooks will gradually become more and
more confined to the few who can write for the
mere fame of the thing. Ifthere were an interna-
tional copyright law in existence, this difficulty
would be obviated, and the American author
would have opened to him the British market,
and thus lie secured in a reward worthy of his
merits. We have thrown out these suggestions
in the hope that they may aid in proving to our
National Legislature the propriety of protecting
and fostering American genius.