New-York daily tribune., 1843-02-03
The copyrixht question.

sound and able Lecture last evening al me fooms
Of the Society Library upon the better Literary
Interests of this country in connection with an In
ternatioual Copyright 1t was evidently the result
of nature consideration and settled conviction
He spoke chiefly with reference to the moral JUS
,ice, the Right OF such an arrangement, and in re-
futaiion of the sophistry Of those who, under the
shallow plea that Genius cannot be made the sub
ject of properly, proceed to pirate and live upon
its products-showing thus that if il may net be
orfaed il can al least be stolen. The inevitable
degradation into which the existing system Plunges
our own Literature, sitting beneath the trash
poured daily forth by the British Press, and as In
stan,iy reproduced by own, all of beauty and
worth that growa up among ourselves and destroy
ing every thing like manly and careful thought, IN
dependent criticism and Intellectual strength IN the
Literary productions of our land. was delinested
with evident truth and effective vigor. He hit OIL
with hpmor and graphic skill the process by which
books frem abroad arc now hurried through the
press and sent to the farhest portions of the coun'
try, without examination the slightest fore
thought as to what they may contain. lhe strife
of publishers bitterly querreling among themselves
for the profits Of book whose author they have left
to starve while they fight ovsr his pilfered prop
erty, was admirably depicted and the disgrace
they bring upon our character, and the deadly
effects of the poison thus heedessy infused through
out be reading class, were we'll portrayed MIR.
MATHEWS defined pentedly and we'll the benefits
to American Literature for which might hope
fully look to the passage of Copyright Law, the
dignity and purity il would induce, the honor aRd
reward it would bestow upon. authors, and the
many incidental benefits which, though unforeseen,
would be certain to result.
We could not share the fears of Mr.. MATHEWS,
lest the monarchical opinions Of British writers,
freely and hcedlessly introduced into this country
as they are under the existing system, should pre-
senty prove dangerous to our Liberties and insttu
tions; for there is instinct of Republicanism
! among our people which throws off oil danger Of
such effects We do not believe that such scnti-
,nens have any influence upon American readers,
not one particle more, TO say the least, than is
nocded to keep in healthfu check the anarchial
tendencies which always exist in Republic. The
Conservatism Of ALIsoS's Europe. will do no
harm and may do much good among American
readers. These considerations, however, do not
weigh feather agans, the Right and ExPedency
af an International Copyright regulation and we
trust that the Legislators of our country, having
already acknowledged the principle involved, will
act nobly and promptly in accordance with 1t. Mr.
MATHEWS has done much to give public opinion
the right direction in the matter, and we believe
that his exertions, with those who have labored
with him, have already done much to effect the de-
sired result.
Dy DR. De Wits Lecture before the Lyceum
on Wednesday evening we'll written but not
comprehensive sketch of the first settlement and
condition of the New Netherlands under the first
three Dutch Governors, Van Twiller, Keith, aad
Ssuyvesant, better known from the veritablc histo-
rian Knicke booker. as Walter the Dosbter. Will
liam the Testy and Peter the Headstrong. The
Doctor evidontly had the subject entirely at his
command, and might have communicated many
acw and interesting facts in relation to our worthy
Dutch ancestors, but he covered too much ground
tor one lecture, and consequently was obliged to be
too statistical and fguratice to interest q popular
audience The DR.. has evidently an enthusiastic
admiration for old Dutch virtues, and wishes they
were more often engrafted the charaeters OF this
later, steamboat and railroad age. He thinks for
instance that hotel with Yankee landlord and
Dutch landlady the perfection of travelling COM
fort The ose at the door to receive the guest and
the other the presiding genius of roast and boiled
in the kitchen form combination TO give the guest
assurance of good house The Doctor defended
the memory of Peter Stuyvesan, from the malicious
slanders of Diederick Knckerbocker, and declared
that what that historian calls obs,inacy, was IN
fact firmness grounded on strong and cogent req
.ons and fall consideration. He is believed to
have been a man OF warm pisty, and paid from his
own purse portion OF the salary OF the clergyman
who ofticia,ed in the Chapel he built on the spot
where now stands Saint Marks Church.
DR.. Dewitt. also gave a high and deserved euIo-
GUM to the memory of the late Patroon, Stephen
Van Rensselaer,, as man of enlightened views,
extending palernal protection over his teaantry,
whom he had the power TO opPress and who' by
his religious walk and conversation, proved himself
not one of Natures Noblcmen, but one OF God
nobemen The audience warmly responded to
the remarks upon the charater OF the Patroon.
The Doctor closed with q humorous parallel
between the habits and opinions of the worthy
burshcr of New.Amstcrdam and the New-iorker
OF the present day. In the oiden time, said the
Doctor, the bed was deserted at sunrise in the
winter, and still earlier in summon, and then all
to work during the day.
In the afternoon the Dutch danes were seen with
their knitting going from door to door visiting their