New-York daily tribune., 1843-02-03

/ VIEW. February, l2As J. d H. q. Langley, 81 Chat
I hsn-sreet.
The Democratic Review for the current month
,,cst, its readers to what politicians call sum-
nsrss,n--a splendid specimen of ground and
/ l,fy .umblipg," not equaled, we sure, at the
li Park. nor surpassed by Major NoAR-one Of which
II ouilo's boy, who made cart-wheel of himself"
Il ,pd stood now upon sne end .asd now upon the
/ o,her. with more alacrity than any other man in
,be United gdom-might well be proud. Con-
is,ssdly in the face of all its former convictions
IN deliberate, prefessed contempt Of the beauty of
! consistency, but with q somewhat more anxious
.,sccrn lest the world should cothe itsefa sack
,lsth at the sad event that we should deem either
,ecessary becoming, the Editor at the outset pro-
claims that the International Copyright for which
b has before SO eagerly canored, is" all hum
1 bug We were rather glad of this on some ac-
counts, and entered upon the perusal of this SOL
enn recantation and remuneration of former faith
with good deal of interest, believing that SO
,ible man the Editor Of the Democratic would
no. throw to the winds all his old opinions without
some plausible reason therefor and that we should
bslkely now to find, that for which we had long
/ looked in van-a sound, consistent argument
against the principle and expediency Of some In.
I lernationa Copyright regulation. Taking this
elaborate paper, then, as the strongest plea upon
that side of question that has yet been made, let
U. see in as brief space as possible what it
amounts TO.
Two phases of this question the Editor very pro-
pery recognizes-the aspect of Moral Right and
that Of ExpedieDcy. The last, which is the least,
be considers first, and we will follow his order.
lie denies, then, that an International arrangement
which should secure to authors in nation the
right TO enjoy the profits of their labor in another
would beneGcially affect the interests of American
Literature. Is this true? WASHINGTON IRVING
has an elaborate work in manuscript, Cat least, we
may suppose that he has, which he wishes pub
lished. 1t is the fruit Of the labor and study and
thought of many years; and, with perversity
which Mr.. O'SULLlvAN would probably deem yer,
remarkable, he thinks himself entitled to the re-
cept of whatever his book is acorth to those who
want it. He goes to publishing house, offers
+, bis ware and fixes his price. 81 My dear sir" is
bis answer, we should be glad to publish your
book and pay you for it, but leok at the matter
In Great Britain alison has written and pub
lished great History of Europe; MlLMAN has
Just issued brilliant History of Christianity
Scores of authors there, whose genius is equal, il
rot superior, to your own, are at work day and
night from one end Of the century TO the other.
Their fame here is as great and commanding as
your own, and their works, ercn at the same price,
would find wider sale than yours. But more than
this we can have thom for nothing, and can thus
sell them at half what yours would cost. How
then can We afford to pay you the thousand dollars
you deem your fair reward?" Now this is perfect
yfair, and not one word Of it could Mr.. IRVING
gainsay SO far, then, as his own country is con-
cerned, he could expect no adequate remuneration
and must look elsewhere. How is it in England
He ha, reputation there, and if he publishes here
Englishmen may literally buy. So they WILL but
none the richer will he be for that for copyright
protects his book and all they have to do is to
seize upon it, sell all they and pocket the pro-
ceeds. Is it not inevitable, then, that he must lay
bis manuscript aside till more convenient season
And is not American Literature the loser by this
And in such ease as this, which is likely to occur,
and which does occur, every day, the explanation
Of the Democratic that the true reason, which lies
behind the "polite plsusibilities Of the bbopolc
who declines TO publish for him. is that the book is
no, tcorth publishing, most assuredy will not sui-
nee.
Bat the Democratic alleges that Publishers are,
in ordinary times, all eagerness TO get good
American manuscripts to publish, because it is in
them alone that they can find exemption from the
Interference of rival editions" Facts sadly null
hfy this Fictitious theory. The rivalry TO be feared
is not that Of other editions, but of other books,
books which, equally good, cost nothing, and
can therefore crowd out any others, however valu-
able, for which money must be paid. But it the
argument have any forco when applied to Ameri-
can books, how greatly is its strength increased
with regard to foreign works; and how completely
dces it refu,o the strongest consideration against
Copyright-that republications would by be rem
dered SO dear that their circulation would be linn
ited and the grea, reading public thus deprived OF
lis abmeat. As things now are, LIESIG's Chem
ls,ry, fer example, is published in England, and
halt dozen American Publishers seize upon It
with instant avidiiy. Each Of these must make
prof, of--say ten per cent, for he mas tiye com
pesitors in the market, and the circulation ior
which he can look is thus greatly limited. But
suppose one of them had paid the author, say 500
s0' the American Copyrisht' Would he not find
greatly for his interest to do so, since thus ne
could secure 10 simself the American market
and then, having its exclusive possession, would
he rot hnd it still, more for his in,eres, to content
himself with FIRE per cent. profit, since thus he