The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-10-07
Literature.
MAnnAL-IheA ddrassea and Mas

Tss srArrssAs,s MAsuAL-The Addresses and Mes
ssxss of the Presidents Of the United States inaugural
Annsal, and Special, FROM 1889 to lSae with Memoir
of each Of the Presidents and History OF their Al
ministrations; also tho Constitution OF the United
States, and Selection of Important Documents and
Statistical Information. compiled from Official sources
by Edwin W illiams embelished with Portratsof the
Presidents, engraved steel by vistus Balch in four
volumes. New York-Edward Walker, ia Fulton
street, 1919
This is the title Of tour well written, well compiled
well printed and well bosnd volumes, which must
later enter into every pa6lic library that
pnts forth any pretension to be either large veil
chosen collection Of books embraees, with the care
fully aud candidly written sketches Of the lives OF the
Presidents, the most important political documents
that have appeared since the foundation of The govern
ent inning with the declaration vi inGependonce
and ending with the inaugural address of General
Taylor. 10 consequently comprises compete history
Of the political affairs of this nation and brings within
narrow scope the materials from which the states
man aud the hstGsian will hereafter draw their facts
and opinions We have nothing 20 say except in CON-
mendaton of the book for tt Is candid aud honest
com iiation In its production nothing required
but patient research, a clear head, aud honest
heart. In these three qualities the author has,
Capt Cutie remarks few superiors, and equals "
1t il solored with of the lights shadows of ge
deed, 1t is probable that Of genius, in dis
tipetion from oHe Of working talent, never did,
and produce such book. Good com
pnAtions, however, amongst the most useful of
works although their authors get very little credit for
them. In times particularly common sense, learn
ing and honesty some what below par. Humbug in
literature we'll every thing else, is the order Of
the day. The unaedged writer, who, like Melville,
sends two volumes OF travels forth to the
world filed with piquant tabiesur of naked copper
coorsd girls ambolipg about in the waters that lave
the islands OF the Pacific; who, like the Rev Mr.
Headley, mounts one of Marshsl Ney's horses, and
rides along the topnost glsziers Of the Alps without
tripping dashing out from the Black Forest,
covered with powder and smoke, aud riddled with
musket balls who invests the cut throat battle Of
Bunker Hill with the sapguiue and gorgeous msgoih-
of the terrible field Of Austertz Ito rise from
the ridiculous to the sublime) who collects into
volume all the stories of the clock p-dsrs of Connec
tieut and calls it Sam Slick ID become the
hero of the hour By force of puns these princes Of
humbugs succeed for the smeDt hutter cut the brief
span on their fame, and then sink into oblivion.
overly cay unto you, they have their REGARD ("
These remarks bring TO subject (and in tie
mesntme We bid good bye to the Statesnans Ma
srslD which we have long had an intention of dis
eursing and which shall do with thoroughness
aud elaboration. We Intend, find time, to dis
sect and scrutnize in all honesty and truth the subject
Of authors and their pubIishers how books made,
published. snd sold in this country how they ars
pulled and camred-how money is made and loss. and
by whom, in tins prrilous traffic; aud in a word TO
dasuerrectype American literature publishers, ac-
thorf, and editors that the country may be made
Quain ted with the thousand and one shifts and
Tediepts 10 which our writer. are driven .. The vast
army Of leeches that are sucking out their brains
We have long desired ana hoped TO see this hercu-
sn labor performed by Of the called literary
journals of this country, But they With few ex-
captions srd charity requires to admit th at there
seine, although could not mama them) In she
interest Of publishers themselves without whose sup
port go stupidy are they conducted they could not
sahsist at all hut we despsr OF anything ike honesty
independence In journals devoted to parties. sects
eliques II is thu of this country that there
is very little independent writing thinking In IT,
Almost every Journal that falls under eye IL the
organ Of party in politics religion which in
the service Of s master or patrons either suppreses
discolors nrepresens or mangles the truth without
ssnsci.nce and without shame
But there is one class OF men In Amarica-and II Is
large and growing class-who have voice.
representation They are its literary men. II they
treated with neglect they must bear IL In sileoce
they treated with injustice they have redress
into association for mutual protection,
although the hum blest artisans and mech anic through
out the world have the necessity OF doing it, and
Thereby have relieved themselves the tyranny Of
capital which 20 often attempts e. fix the price of Ia
Dor In England such associations exist; aud they
alpoweIful But IL has not always been there.
Less than century ago. the greatest authors OF
England lived in the garrets Of Grub street; aud
God NTH Johnson ana hosts Of other great geoiuses,
went timdiy forth from their miserable kabitatons,
with thread-bare coat on their backs musty ernst
la their stomachs, and Ram Wears OF Wake
teld,n ard " Deserted vnlsges" hunting for publish
Lorg before this, Milton had sold the manuscript
sf Paradise Los for pounds sterling 20 be paid
In annual instalnionts OF n few shipgs; aud every
body seemed 10 think his publisher had treated him
"Hehlapd Mary lived in want and died in poverty
but this ttste Of things has passed away In England
Various associations Of literary men hare at dinersnt
Royal Literary Society This splendid and powerful
asosisticn owes It's origin, In part 10 own Frank
lin. while In the Of his fame, he staying In
London. That society has reg ulated public opinion
throughout the British empire sbsut literature and
dignity IL holds aud literary penrly all the in
fssbce and standing which they possess there. In
nothing has the high agency Of THE great and beueh
cent Institution been effective apparent than
IN creating tariff for literary abors In London the
price fixed for nearly all sorts Of intellectual labor
Most Of the good reviews which occasionally appear
the great Quarteries from the pens OF such JEFF
frey Broushsm Sidney Smith stephens, r~fouri 40 :,
paid for the rate 81 ono hundred 10 ys hundred
dollars per article In subsequrnt numbers of our re-
views We thall enter mipntey into details like these,
fsted In the hustle Of public affairs Ia the heat and
fury Of political contests in the Of telrgrs
phc Dispatches In the upheayug 81 Kingdoms and the
sud time that ~e have not been able to turn aside
from more stirring topics TO contemplate subjects like
this Hereafter W. Intend t. 40 u There H. vein of
thought facts and anecdotes underneath this broad
surface. over which have 40 lightly skinmsd In this
article that invites Investigation and will reward the
toll Of the digger II Is not all gold that sitters An
ibccng ~ human beings from all climates
aud nstions s. rushing to the gtterins shores Of all
fornia The Administration Of and great Pr-si-
Gent bss jus entered the stage and ut this period
CT universal commotion and change ne~ aud strange
sp.etres moving the the scene Old parties
are breaking up; commerce and speculation hndog
new channels mankind have grown restless; and the
whole world ~ changing
n the midst Of th. world vide revolution Of govern
ment. commerce. thought and feeling, which has
launched msnsind upon ne~ ocean Of agitation,
thsre few Who have ought whom all this 10 due.
his phase II human affairs may he for the
but Of believes IT. and this great change,
OF which calculate. its ell pervsdng extent
or final TERMINATION bas been brought shout by the
men ~ho have done the thinking of the worldly the
writer's of books and reviews by editors aud publishers
who have proclaimed them-in q vord by the manu-
fsctu and ssssmep ~ thought aud feeling
How this vast aud oompl Gated machinery has been
organized and tept ia m 'ton among civilized nations
even the great reviews aud Journals Of Europe have
given but little reliable Information This journal
staTtsd with the sutton OF making IL. not only
fhe earliest and most reliable herald - the of the
day hut the Of the opinions Of the thinning
portion ~ apkird But IN these departments Of
effort have hlled less than half the scop. II
ebdssvorm Our principal business has been to hold
agency In directing public opiuion We have
been In the ntere,t Of party In politics