The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1843-02-20

and M The lace oil SUCH Vssipo"eshg aSeou'sse-
ments. ~ - tNt
We trust that better has been reached and
that n Democrats Representatives Of the people,
as well AS Democratic editors, will hereafter assume
a more elevated and magnanimous position in regard
to The President II alike derogatory To theirname
and their principles, TO play ino the hands Of the
Federal Wings Ia warfare such as We described.
In order 10 do Justice 10 themselves aud 10 their prin
ciples they first be just and honorable towards
John TYLER. lie has done and suffered much Tor
them-and ingratitude Is one OF The most isooe ana
de.picable Of sins. We may perhaps resume the
subject 80 D.,
THE INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT CUES
TON
The writer IN the Democratic Review. who ex-
presses SO frankly the grounds OF has recent con
version TO an unfavorable view OF the International
copyright project contends that II wou'o ho' oene
fit American authors or American literature We
hold that ia this opinion he is most clearly wrong
L. us illustrate
i, not The free republication in this country Of
ali the British reviews and magazines, manifest
detrment 10 the interests of the Democratic and
other American revewsi Does II not to the extent
in which those periodicals are purchased, diminish
the range Of market which would otherwise be open
TO the reception oi our native periodicals. II one
or two hundred thousand copies OF these works are
annually sold in the United States does II not no far
lessen The ability Of the public 10 procure works
which originate at home Is not the demand for
reading matter decreased just TO that extent, or 10
near that extent
Again, are American readers not especially int
rested in cOnending for the political literary OPT
Mons of magazines, likely TO pay five dollars for
AN American periodical when they get, by means
Of English one, an equal amount OF amusement OF
instruction for two dollars No one we think
fail to answer this question in the negative and in
asmuch native literature can only be sustained
by vigorous and general support, the immense cir
culation Of the foreign periodicals must be direct
and enormous injury to their prospects
But, it will be said in reply, that by law Of copy
right we should not be able to cut of the circulation
Of foreign reviews Not entirely, we admit. But
we should be able to equalize the chanches of both
parties for success How stands the case al present
Why, the foreign periodicals are obtained by
publishers for nothing; they can be reprinted in
newspaper form, at small expense; they can be
distributed all the city by the hands of the ever
active news boys and they be sent 10 every VII
age and hamlet in the country, through the mails,
at mere newspaper postage.
How in the world native periodicals to
stand competition like this The two classes of
publications The foreign and domestic do not appear
in the market an equal footing. All the adyan-
tage is in favor of the foreign publisher. Nor can
any one, then, be surprised that so many OF mag
azines, after brief and sickly existence Of
few months, are compelled to fall.
The case is precisely similar in regard to books
Works written by foreigners be had for nothing,
and publishers under these circumstances, will not
give large sums oil money Tor the copyright of
American manuscripts. How many Of best a,-
thors, during the last five years, have been turned
away from the doors of publishers Washington
Irving we are told, has had valuable historical
work in his possession for years, unable TO get i,
published on reasonable terms. We ourselves know
an eminent author who has been obliged to make his
valuable manuscripts free gift TO publishers in or
der to get his works before the public.
The evil effects, however, of the present cen,ou,
system do not stop here. They are corrupting and
poisoning current literature. A Democrat, like
the writer for the Democratic Review, need not be
told that the spirit of nearly the whole literature of
Great Britain is in the strongest degree anti-Demo-
cratic. The periodicals and books Of England are
alike tainted with the basest notions of arisocracy
and monarchisrh. II we except Mr. Dickens, hard
ly eminent writer in England is free from the pre-
vailing influence Of that land Of mobiles Now, We
ask, ought the American mind to be overwhelmed
with their opinions Is the sp rt of English liters
ture the right spirit to diuse among unsophistI.
Gated population
True, we should have to meet it in any case, and
we are willing TO do 50, but let il be done on fair
terms Let the conditions Of the fight be equal and
we are prepared for the CONTEXT As matters now
stand, the tories and cons rvatiyes have the van
tage ground.