The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-11-23
The Rights ard Wrongs or American
Authors.

we Ddu space Hd4uly W siduCt d. tic CAUGHT vi Tic
robbery, much less to expose the enormlty of the
outrage. We SHALL on some future occasion, how.
ever enter thatf field and show in detail how foreign
authors have been robbed of the fruits Of their la
bors, and how many exasperaung insults and in
dignitles have been added to nfame the outrage.
Themeans doing this are in our hands-we shall,
at the proper time, publish not few startling facts
and corroborate them by the testimony of the lite
rary men of England, whose declarations are en-
titled to the most implicit belief.
But our business to-day is with our authors,
of whose rights and wrongs the great journals
have nothing TO say, and about which the public
know SO little. The most fatal consequences of
this book piracy are felt by American writers. On
their heads the curse falls with double weight;
and, although it would require huge volume TO
unfold the subject in all its aspects, shall begin
the labor, and continue it time and space may
allow; for we are persuaded, that although
the great piratng book publishers of this country
have hitherto crushed any and every attempt in
Congress to enact an International copyright law,
yet, so soon the nation understands the subject
the people will call their representatives to in
:erpose their authority, and put end to so out
rageous an atrocity. We have every reason for
such belief, for 1t cannot be supposed that the
American people wish to discourage the growth
and cultivation of a home literature, when they
are willing to be taxed to make education
universal and free TO crush and impoverish the
authors and teachers Of the country, on whom
the nation is dependent for all the instruction
that is given in schools, colleges, and univer-
sites; to drive teachers from the school,
house, professors from seats of learning, authors
from their libraries, lecturers from their desks,
and editors from their tables No. we cannot be-
heve that a nation so filled with intelligence,
which has done much for learning will allow
Its representatives 20 refuse 10 enact a law which
will give our literary men the secure enjoyment
of the fruits OF their labors. II would be contrary
its history, libel its justice and intelligence,
10 suppose it, few able and honest members OF
Congress, we are assured, will bring the matter Of
an international copyright law early before the
national Legislature, and there can hardly be
doubt Of ITS passage. Meantime, we shall lay the
matter before the nation IN all its principal bear
ings.
one Of the most palpable evils Of the present sys
TEN appears in the fact, that while publishers
can make all the money they want or even coyet,
by robbing the popular authors OF Europe, and
printing their works without pay, they will not
take American books, unless authors will write
them for nothing. Thus, we have more eminent
men in eny other department of life than IN litera
ture. Fiiz Greene Halleck tried TO live by his pen
but we doubt il that pen ever gave HIM his bread,
until he became clerk. And yet, this man wrote
Marco Bozzaris," the best thing of the kind in
our language. He wrote volume Of poetry, and
a famous house published it bur we will lay a
wager he never cot a groat for his trouble. He
found the muses. Improbable. lie could make
more page for page, by posting books, than by
writing the nobest verses. Scour the whole field
Of American authorship, and doubt II five lite
rary men of reputation can be found who live by
their copyrights Even Irving has depended on
other resources then those derived from his pen
Cooper has to stereotype his own books. we are
TOLD and the perpetual cepynghts on all his works
has been recently sold for less than onetenth whet
SIR Walter Scott got for a single romance not half
as good a. any Of Cooper's; and we venture that
not publisher can be found in the United States
who would give $1,000 for the copyright Of any
book Cooper can write. Even Professor Sparks
the greatest Of all our national historians, has
never been able to rely upon his pen for the means
Of support ard yet he has edited all the works OF
Washington and Franklin. and written their lives
end the lives Of the most Industrious fathers Of our
republic lie has shed more light on our history
than any-we had almost said all our writers.
Bryant has been pronounced by Biackicood and
the EdiRbwgh, TO be our greatest poet. We wish
Mr. Bryant would tell US # his poetry ever gave
him the salt he has eaten in his porridQe lie was,
in early life, driven from the field of.herature,
where he had achieved a triumph, to the filthy arena
Of party politics, to get his bread aud butter We
hazard nolhipg in saying that there is not Anne.
ricsn author that is making much money by his
pen rs a first rate book-keeper in Wall street, or
Jim Grant, the barber, Of Ann street. (his foreman
Is still there shaving as usua) before he quit
cutting BAR for living, and went 10 California to
make fortune. Sooner or later, almost every
literary man in this country makes the discovery
that his pen will not give hun his bread-that he is
not sure Of his living from the sale of his books
Occasionally, we know, author rises on a tran
silent wave Of popularity but the good fortune Is
wave that soon passes. We boldly make the
statement that II the literary men of this csuutry,
os class, had other means to rely on for their
support than their books, they could not keep their
bodies and souls together, excep, 10 few cases
and these are accidents.
The reason Is obvious. Will the lIarpers pay
Cooper So COO for MSS. novel, when they can, by
subscribing for a copy Of Blacltcoofs Magasiae,
get Buwer's Cations for five dollars Will they
pay $4,000 for a great American history, when
they can rob Isllam Of his magnificent Introduce
ton to the Literature Of the Middle Ages, by buy
ing the English copy for forty shlllngsl Think,
for moment, ol the double cruelty Of this system
a robbery is perpetrated upon the English author,
which Is fatal to his American brother. One crime
paves the way for another. Lamartine has his
birthplace and home altar sold at auction, in
France, when slxpence copy on his "Grondsts"
in New York, would save it, and a score of pub
llshers can keep themselves Busy in printing their
pirsied edition; and when Mr. Irving. or Mr. Any