The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1849-08-23
MISCELLANY.

1
stray number Of Blackwood's Magazine
We publish it, because it will be new and
interesting to the most of our readers. 1t is
good for us to have the bladder of our ma
tional vanity, pricked occasionally by the
lance of British wit. We take it as a very
good joke; John is funny old fellow and
we can afford to laugh at his splenetic crti-
cisms, after picking his pockets and beating
him soundIy in two wars.
How they Manage Matters in the Model
f, Republic.
! In our last April nunber--on the appro-
pirate Day of Fools-we laid before our
readers a few stray flowers OF speech, culled
with little labor in that rich garden of ora
torical delight-the Congress of the United
States. Sweets to the sweet!-We confess
that we designed that salutary exposure less
for the benefit of our readers and suhscri-
bers in tie Old World, than OF those who are
our readers, but not our subscribers, in the
New. For, in the absence Of an interna-
tional copyright law, Maya is extensively
lpirated in the United States, extensively
read, and we fear very imperfectly digeSted.
Ihls arrangement appears to US to work
badly for all the parties concerned. 1t robs
the British publisher, and impoverishes the
native author. As to the American public,
if our prccepts had exercised any influence
upon their practice, they would have learned
long ago that iIl-gotten goods never prosper,
and that they who make booty Of other
mems wits, are not excepted from the gen.
cral condemnation of wrong doors. Some
day, perhaps, they will consent to profit by
IL, IL l.. -.
turn their diseases to coinmodity-the ma
modify of self-know ledge and self-rebuke.
An American journalist, however, has put
the matter in quite new light, so far as we
are concerned. Lord Demus, it appears,
like other despots, is hard master, and ex-
acts from his most oppressed slaves a tribute
of constant aduIation. We, too, are invited
to applaud his felonious favors, and assured
that the honor and glory of being read by
him on his own free and easy terms, is
enough for the like Of US.
$50 long" says the editor of the New
York Gazette and Times, as our National
Legislature refuses TO give the Republic an
international Copyright Law, 50 that Amer
lean periodicals of higher class may be
supported among us, the English reviews
will do the thinking of our people upon
great variety Of subjects. They make no
money, indeed, directly, by their circulation
here; but their conductors cannot but feel
the importance, and value the influence of
having the whole American literary area to
themselves. Blackwood, whose circulation
on this side of the Atlantic is, on account of
its cheapness, doubie-perhaps that which it
can claim in the British islands, is more aud
more turning its attention to American sub
jects, which it handles generally with its
wonted humorous point, and witty spiteful-
ness"
This is very. fine; but we can assure our
friendly critic, that we feel no call whatever
to undertake the gratuitous direction of the
American conscience. Our ambition to ''do
the thinking" Of our Yankee cousins is ma
terialiy danped by the unpleasant necessity
which it involves, of being 'sdone" our
selves. They seem, however, to claim a
Eprescriptive right to the works of the British
press, as well as to the funds of the British
public. They read our book, on the same
principle as they borrow our money, and
abuse their bcnefactors into the bargain with
more than HibernIan asperty. After all,
however, we believe that the candor of Maya
has as much to do with their larcenous adj
Imiration of her pages, as the cheapness"
to which our New Y ork editor alludes. To
use their own phrase, SO they go in for ex-
lcitement considerabe;" and, to be told of
their faults, is an excitement which they sell
dom enjoy at the hands of their own au-
thors. Now, we are accustomed 10 treat
our own public as rational, but extremely
Ifallible parsonage, and to think that we hest
deserve his support, by administering to his
Ifailings the language Of unpalatable truth.
And we greatly mistake the character of
Demus, and even Of that conceited monster
the American Demus,-if this be not the
direction in which the interest, as well as
the duty, of the public writer lies. Certain
il is, that even in the United States those
books circulate most freely, which lash most
vigorously the vices of the Republic. Hon
est Won Rau,ner's dull encomium fell almost
Istil-born from the press, while the far more
superficial pages Of Dickens aud Troll0pe
were eagerly devoured by a people who are
daily given to understand, by their own au-
|thors, that they are the greatest, the wisest,
the most virtuous nation under the SUM-
Let European author be never so well dis
posed towards them, his partial applause
contributes but little TO their full-blown COM
lpiacency. But, when they hear that the
Republic has been traduced by foreign,
land especially British pen, their vanity is
piqued, their curiosity excited, and their
conscience smitten. Every one dcnounces
the libel in public, and every one admits its
truth to hlmself--" Whatr' say they, "does
the Old World in truth Judge US thus harsh
lIy! Is it really scandalzed by such tri1es
as the Reputation Of our debts, and the en-
slavement of our fellow creatures? Must
we give up our playful dueis, and our con-
venient spittoons, before we can hope to pass
muster as Christians and gentlemen beyond
our own borders? o free Demus! o wise
Demus! . yirtuous' Demus! Will You be-
take yourself to Clearly and welI-ordered
ways at the bidding Of the scribbler? '--
Thus g they eat, and exc they swear;" VOW
ing all the time that they /" will horribly re-
venge.'' No doubt, however, the bitter pill