New-York daily tribune., 1842-12-28
ur. sareeut,m Lecture.

IEr. sargent's Lecture.
In consequence of the failure of Mr.. O'Connor,
JOHN o. SARGENT, Esq. delivered before the Mer-
camille Library Association, at the Tabernacle last
evening, Discourse, prepared at very short no
tice, upon the Uses and the Rights of Literature.
He presented, in polished and well-chosen ian'
guage, and with grea, felicity of thought and dc
ton, the more superficial influences of literature
upon national and social character, in perpetuatlng
from age TO age the rsaown of warriors and OF
statesmen, in directing the popular mind to worth
er objects of thought than the sordid pursuits OF
wealth aud luxury, in ennobling and elevating the
spirit of youth, and in cheering and sustaining the
declining strength of old age. The slight regard
in which men of letters, as such are generally
held, was pleasantly depicted and its unreason-
ablenezs clearly and forcibly exposed. Mr.. SAR-
CENT urged, pointedly and ably, the necessi-
ty of cherishing and Building up national Lit
erature for our Country, as demanded alike by the
welfare of individuals and the stability of our civil
and political institutions The first step toward
the accomplishment of this, ne said, was the re-
cognition and adequate protection of the right OF
Genius q property in its own productions. That
such right exists and is as real and indefeasble
as the right of property in corpereal things, he
proved clearly and conclusively; and brought for
ward some very amusing sketches Of debates spon
| this subject in the House of Commons, in which
the most transparent sophistry was dressed II
brilliant defamation and palmed off the sound,
est and most effective reasoning against the CRY
and the claim of starving Genius The establish,
ment OF IA equitable Copyright law between this
Country and Great Britain he regarded as the
only measure from which aid to our own Litera
ture could be expected; and he treated with point
ed contempt the various subterfuges BY which this
most righteous claim of authors on both sides o
the Atlantic is evaded. The man who steals
brooms ready made, he said can always undersel
those who pfer only the raw material; and upon
this principle as long as the works of English au
,hors may be seized and reproduced here, at nc
expense of time or thought, it is useless to expect
that an American Literature can ever be created
The claims Of authors in regard to their own
rights, he said, were too generally answered as
the Cardinal Mazarene answered the plea of the
hireling libeler-that in some way he must live
really do not see the necessity! was the kind
reply Mr.. SARGENT closed his Lecture by a very
fine allusion TO the capabilities afforded by this
country, its character and its history for the high
est developement of the nobest Poetry and Ro
nance. He presented them in strong light
and in his enumeration of the various subjects for
the exercise of genius, characterized very point.
cdly the several epochs and the crowded incidents
by which American History has been marked.
The Lecture was written in style of great ease
and felicity of expression and discussed the points
of the subject lucidly and with effect far as it
went 1t was somewhat superficial, however, and
concerned itself less with principles and the pro-
founder relations of Literature and Life than the
subject allowed and deservad With the exception,
however, Of rather too frequent political illusions
and that ever recurring offence in lectures that aim
to be popular and ad captandum, a fragrant fiat
tering of the Ladies, offered rather incense
to their vanity than tribute to their worth, twas
n tasteful and finished Discourse. 1t was delivered
with very pleasing elocution and was received
with marked favor by large and most respecta-
bic audience.