The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-10-10
INTERNATIONAL COPYRICnT-BISHOPB iSCOM.


BALTIMORE, September, 1850.
To ths Editor ofth National Era:
have just been reading the life of Mahomet,
by Washington Irving, aud IL set me to thinking
upon the poor rewards of literature in this coun-
try, and merely for the want of an international
copyright. remember being in Washington
when Mr.. Irving was appointed Minister TO Spain.
The on da there was, that he had only asked for |
a legationship, but thatthe President in consider
alton of his high reputation, and the honor his |
name had conferred upon the American literature |
abroad nominated him minister, as above.
The politicians about Washington-M. C)s and
$saJfs---tss aot; at least many or them, pleased
with lrvings appointment, as they seemed to think
that such places should be bestowed upon those |
who bad peYSorme9 paftY auty--es < sc Shp had )
adorned the literature of his country was not
above the doer of party work They affected to
think that lrvings vocation So follower Of lit
eratureo had untitled him for such position
forgetting, or being ignorant of the fact that
of the leading men in English and French diplo-
matte history were from the literary class. Prior,
the poet, was a capital diplomatist, and was Sir
William Temple and believe it is not asserted
that Guizots literary attachments interfered
with his craftsmanship. Somebody said Of Dean
Swift, or may be he said il of himself that he
preached politics. This might have interfered
with his clerical duties but he certainly was
statesman, while he was the most original literary
| genius of the day,
Since Irving's mission, Bancroft has filled one
to England with eclat, though he did write the
history of his country And while Mr.. Irving
was our minister, he not only fulfilled all his
duties at the Court of Spain, to the satisfaction
| of his countrymen, but he found time to revise
this life of Mahomet, which he had previously
written-a work which perhaps few politicians
abroad or at home could write 30 well.
Almost all the leading statesmen Of France are
| literary men-commenced their career as litera-
tcurs and Burkes Essay the Sublime and
| Beautiful did not prevent his being the most
| prophetic statesman OF his day nor did Can
ning's contributions to the Anti-Jacobin, and his
literary indulgences, take from his skill as a
| leader in the politics of his country. Lord
Brougham can testify that Canning's wit shar-
pened by such uses, had keenness and point
which have left q sore place in his Lordship's
memory. But enough of this. Why have we
not an international copyright Our country is
flooded with foreign republications, most of them
of n pernicious tendency, UNFOLDING institutions
aud presenting state or morale incompatible with
the wellbeing Of a Republic, while Ameri-
can literature goes begging for publisher.
The cause Of this is evident IL American pub
fishers can get Bulwer's and Dickens's and
Thackeray's publications for nothing, they are
not disposed to pay anything to an American au-
thor. They can get Eugene Sues works trans
lated for few dollars, and make their tens of
thousands by flooding the country with them. |
say nothing of those reprehensble publications,
fit only for the outcasts Of society and their asso-
ciates, which the book-boys hawk about in public
and press upon the travellers at every depot, upon
the clerks ut every counter, upon the soourners
at every hotel, and, in fact upon the wayfarers in
every street.
To use simple illustration If one can dine
at the best hotel, on the best viands, for twenty
FIVE cents he is not willing to give more to IA
hotel less famous for good things, and where the
| fare is higher, and the courtesy not 30 distn-
guished So, while the publishers serve Bull
wer and Boz and Thackeray up so cheaply to their
customers, they will not pay Cooper or Irving
much, merely to Americanze their bill Of fare
But with an international copyright law, Eng
| lish authors could command price here, and
ours could command price In England AS il
is now, the foreign authors supply both markets.
| for they get high pay for their works at home
many of a literary talent have to seek some
other than a literary field for bread for they get
scarcely anything at home, and nothing abroad, for
their works
If we had an international copyright law, every |
author in Great Britain would avail himself Of IL,
for no one publishes book without expecting to
have readers. At the came time only such Eng |
lish writer's as Bulwer and Dickens and Thack-
cray could obtain a very high price In this coun-
try for their publications; while other authors,
having awaited themselves Of the international |
copyright the republication Of their works would |
be interdiced. Then American authors could
present themselves with their manuscripts, and
enter into fair compettion-for until foreign
author had established n reputation In his own
land at least our publishers would not give him
anything for his copyright. In the mean time,
our literature would grow up around us and
among us and taste for II would be established.
In mechanics, in craftsmanship, and at the bar,
our talent compares with that of England, TO say
the least of it, and we fall 30 far behind in lite
rary point of view because our men Of literary |
talent have to seek some other field Of labor to
live. When we speak Of American authors II |
must be remembered that, perhaps, not one Of
them, except Irving, has supported himself by his
pen and Irving, be II remembered wrote his most
popular works when the publishers on both sides
of the water paid him literally before the system
of cheap publications took root in our land and
when what now sells for twenty We cents sold for
two and three Jo5lays.
II may be objected, that II the system Of cheap
publications abolished that the people Of our
country would be deprived tthe great mass Of the
people, Of that source OF reading 80 necessary to
their moral and intellectual improvement and
which now Is in fact a want with them. Firstly
there Is not much moral or intellectual improve
ment in the mass Of cheap publications TO any
body. And secondly the whole world Of existing
literature, would be open to the cheap publishers
still II would only be the copyright works OF
living authors, which, II their authors chose,
would be secured to them in both countries
We hear Of an Industrial Convention of all M
tons, to be held In London; and who does not APP
prove Of III Suppose that congress Of nations
should be held upon this copyright question
what do you think they would say of us who APP
paud such man as Walter Scott to the echo,
circulate and read hundreds Of thousands Of
copies Of his works, behold our publisher making
hundreds Of thousands Of dollars by their sale,
and know, at the same time, that their illustrious
author is actually writing himself to death to pay
his debts and will not permit him TO make one
cent by the sale Of his publications In the United
States. What would they say Of us
As long AZ we oan steal our brooms ready made,
we are content But u time Of sterner justice
unto all men is coming God speed II
In my last communication ! mentioned being
taken by my good aunt, when was quite child
to hear Mr. Summerheld preach to the children
summer6eld IL now long since dead, and Mr. Bas-
com, who was then his great pulpit rival here, II
the word rirai may be used Ia such category, IL
now dead also The last mail brings US the
news that he died in Louisville, Kentucky.