The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-12-09
Fatal Consequsness OF Pirating the Works
or Literary Men.

Fatal Consequences OF Pir.ting the Works
or Literary Men.
On former occasions, we have spoken of the |
two-fold wrong inflicted on our own authors, and
those of foreign countries, by robbing them of
their copyrights We have shown how the Ams-
ricsn publisher, by plratIng the books Of European
scholars, drives the American author from the
field, and how he Is invariably met with the an
swsr, (when offering new book to the trade);
eve have our hands full already. We presume
your book is a very good one-but we have more
than we can do to reprint the new foreign works
now our list" We have shown how the pre-
sent system OF piracy takes bread from the mouths
OF our literary men, and forces them to abandon
the pursuit Of letters. We did not then, nor can
we now, detail with mnuteness, the modification
and trials of fee ling to which our writers are, as
necessary consequence, subjected-much less the
actual pnvation and Suffering brought upon them
and their families, by this atrocious system.
At future time, however, we shall do this for
mankind have never been insenslble to the wrongs
or the sufsrngs of literary men much less can
the people OF this country be, where, In conse-
quence of the labors and exertions of scholars and
men of science, the means of education have been
brought within the reach of the poorest child IN
the nation, and career opened to HIM, on the free
road of learning, to influence and fame. For the
present, we let this pass.
Our business now is TO show that foreign and
American authors are not the only vIctims-that
the evil not limited even to their families and
fneRds-the entire nation suffers; for our native
authors and our national literature are driven from
the field, and our children educated in Europe
an ideas and foreign principles Ii Is matter Of
perfect indifference to the manufacturer OF books
! (as general rule), what are their contents, SO
| long as he can get them for nothing, and find for
! them a ready sale Hence, while we have one ro-
nance from Pauldng, we have twenty from Paul
de Kock. And yet, what American father would
not prefer to have his children read the "Dutch-
mans Fireside," the "Old Continental" or the
''Puntan's Daughter" filled, as they are, with the
spirit of the revolution of '76, and glowing with
pictures of pure hearts and cheerful homes, than
TO have them reve in the harem scenes of Paul de
Rocks hcentous pen!
But we need not multiply illustrations to confirm
this position. No proof Is needed of so plain
proposition. The vast proportion of reading books
printed in this country, are written by Europeans,
(because, there being no law against plrating them,
our publishers can do it with mpunity,) and they
must, as matter Of necessity, be totally destitute
of the spirit Of our government; they are filled
with anti. republican sentiments; they are written
for privileged classes Uhe chief patrons Of lltera-
ture II Europe); they are produced under mo
nsrcbica institutions What American, for in.
stance, ever would have filled history with such
principles as are found all through Alison's
Europe? Why, all our literary men know that
Europe has done, and still continues to do,
/ hzv
all our opinions about the great characters
of history on the other side of the water. Un-
! I'll very recently, we looked even at Napoleon
through English eyes and Lamartlne was the
first man who dsabused us of the false and vulgar
notions of English monarchists about the first
French Revolution. Who gave our opinions of
Cromwell Hume, the eulogist of kings; and till
within few years, the great mass Of Americans
thought no better Of Oliver Cromwell than did
Charles the Second-probably not half we'll
We confess, that until Carlyle and Macauay began
TO write about the Protector and his Puritans. aud
show the other side-or, in other words, tell the
truth about him end his heroic comprehensive
never saw book, nor brochure, printed in Anne
Ica, which treated Cromwell as anything better
than a cropeared knave, and an outrageous hypo-
critic. These were the opinions Of his enemies,
and we had adopted them; VIII lie (and IT is really
laughable) we covered The Puritans OF New Eng
land (snd Justly, ioo,) with all but divine honors.
The Puritans OF Plymouth Rock were, in our
fancy, the noblest band of men the world had seen
We had sung their heroism in verse, and embalm-
ed their virtues in history. We had placed the
embarcaiion Of the Pilgrims side by eide with the
embaIcatlon of Columbus, IN the Campi1oglIo Of
the Republic, and never thought that Cromwell
was the friend and companion of those New Eug
/ land men-sprung IRON the same stock-luspircd
with The same spInt-and that he even attempted
20 get ON board the May flower and take up his
| home in New England. Cromwell had been ms
understood IN this country, from the begianlng
Even Plymouth Rock men mentioned his name with
a snetr, I'LL Macaulay, On his reviews,) aud Car
hle, With vastly greater boldness and ability, told
the truth about HIM. and showed the world just
what he was--he father OF all the liberty England
now hss-the fret hero-defender Of the RI hts Of
the peuple-and row Il il the fashion in TINS coua.
try to euogise Cromwell Carlye's book came out
aud America changed its opinions about the
cantine. crop-eared hypocute, IN day. Even
Slr Walter Scott, the greatest and the purest of all
the European novelists, had excited a disgust
among oil HE American readers, against the cause
Of tie English Puritans (aaother name for repub-
hcans then
We might multipy Illustrations to show how
deep an injury this nation has received from the
great book piracy, which by robbIug the English
suihor in or4erto stsrye his American brother, has
driven our literary men from the field, and flooded
US win deluge Of foreign books, many Of which
are filled with obsceuity and liceniousness, and
poson the Young minds Of the nation-many of
which are hostile to country and its institu-
items, and few of which fued to instruct the
r,ing generation in the spri, and principles Of
fathers. How deep this foreign poison has gone
how far IT has spread-iew can know, except the
book manufacturers themselves. Weare told that
single firm m this city sells, every year, upwards
Of n million OF copies Of The filthy novels Of the
low French school, and that they nearly all 90 uo
the country. and most Of them by mail or express.
We locked over the list Of this house, AID there