Weekly national intelligencer., 1850-11-09
NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS, LITERATURE, AND
THE FINE ARTS IN NEW YORK.
Iwnrrrs ron THE NATIONAL rsrrIrror.crn.l


IwRrrrns THE NATIONAL IsrrLIIoEscrR.l
New YoRK, OcTosEH 81, 1850.
In the absence of an international copyright law that bug
bear of the cheap publishers and deferred hope of English
novess and popular suhors on both sides Of the Atlantic
enterprsng magazins and publishers msking the
of the available literature Of the day. both Anglican and
Continental That there is foundation for the complaint
the part Of such writers as DICKENS, THAcKERAr and
BuLwEn that they have bored and other have entered
into the fruit of their labor may be inferred from the i'm
editions Of their works issued by American publishers
to the American public generally hout any other compen-
saon to the author than that unsatisfactory Of gene
raj reputation which neither feeds Clothes While
new book, by native writer, of appreciated merit
and popularity is fortunate if it reaches third fourth
edition Of thousand copies each, the novels by land
ing English struck off to the number of be-
tween t,centy and thirty thousand copies. "JAmEss LAST
is still card, and the HARrERs able to compli-
ment that popular novelist his visit their establishment
by Informing him that they had printed and sold thirty
thousand copies of bis last worl-a compliment which the
author probably regarded re at his own expense The
answer to the questions Who buys them |" and sWhere
do they all go to I" found in every acar steamboat and
hotel in the country while those dep6 of periodical and
light literature, which be found in almost every
village in the Union, for thousands copies While
the names Of EUeESE SUE and ALExAsDRE DumAs are
comparatively unknown in France hundred miles out of
Paris amongst the provinces and the interior departments
volumes Of their works will be found in log cabins
hundreds Of miles beyond the Lakes and on the borders Of
the furthes proiries.
But what capital nest-egg the periodical literature Of
England and France might be for active friends the pub
fishers fully known until the recent enterprise Of
skimmng the Of all every month"; and presenting il
10 the shape OF monthly magazine. True, bad Lit
teps Lining Age and the Eclectic" which gave the best
articles from the leading English Reviews but Do,kng which
swept into its monthly circle all the of the foreign
periodical press. Harpers Ney Monthly and Strnger q
Iocnsends International Magazine accomplish this object
They capital inventions for making the light material
the English essays and magazine writers available the
heavier matter Of the reviewers and the novess BY this
system of reproduction nothing lost the geanngs
are hrehed out aboousy the main crop and the un-
happy victims Of no-copyght furnish more bricks with the
| same amount Of straw, rather with at all.
Apart from the merits Of the main question of copyright
which, like all questions, has two sdes although very dis
proporonate in compasst great pity that there should
be great disparity between the action of our very
and publishers rights system upon foreign authors and
Its reaction upon authors at home If had half
dozen genuine American writers Of equal popularity in Eng
land with the most popular Of their authors here should
question of literary property.
Is it pity that under this superintendent weight Of
imported literature periodical literature at home
should be left to angush and die for want Of support or to
keep itself alive only in the fashionp magazines of the
day, which pretend higher character than that Of monthly
utons for the entertainment of lady readers Here in
New York. the project Of monthly review magazine Of
high literary and national character too hazardous
its prospects of induce publishers embark
it secure they are Of living profits" from the field Of
foreign literary labor of the Sort Most Of leading
authors emnenty qualified for that style Of writing in
which MAcAULAH, CARLYLE, STEPHENS, JEFRREIs, and
LEIGH HUNT secured their reputaton-review and magazine
writing. The difficulty is that there is opportunity for
display Labor Of this sort goes begging in America
gets starving pay There indications just
an attempt to establish monthly on the hypothesis
that there both writers readers in this country Of ab
ties and tases independent enough support periodical
literature apart from the English quartees and Backwoods
Magazine Success to such enterprise Its nationality
should secure it from failure.
The pecuaries Of life and manners civic and social in
New Orleans and the results Of year Of observan,
experience there have been embodied by A. O. HALL Esq
of this city, in series of very clever and pointed sketches
which first appeared n part in the Literary World and are
published in volume by REDrIELD, under the title Of
" The ManhattanS in New Orleans; Sketches of Life and
Character the Crescent City, The difference between the
habits and well the social and spirit of our
Northern and Southern capitals gives the sketches Of this
description great capabilities Of interest, and exhibition
of American life opens vein well worth working by our
authors.
PUrsAn Jamaica 1850; The Effects of si-
teen years Of Freedom Save Colony, by Mr.. BeELow
the Evening Post gentleman who left the practice Of the
law for editorial labos year snce and produces
this brochure the results Of few months observation during
in the island Of Jamaica in the winter Of 1850 The
author is writer of ability in the field of political economy
which includes the present work.
MAcFARLASr's History Of PropeAcrs and Steam Nasi-
CATION, by the publisher is another Of those contrbu
ons scientific literature which the American press null
pying rapidly The demand for works Of this
description is evidence Of the great interest taken in the
subject of practical mechanics and the steady advance which
is being made in mechanical improvements.
The recovery of PowERss Statue of CALHOUN which has
just been rescued from its watey grave of the
interesting in the history of American and
such deserves special notice This statue ordered the city
Of Charleston in the year s46 ls47 has commanded the
best energies and skill Of the distinguished artist. He had
taken the bust Of CALHOUN before leaving this country, and
he had difficulty in forming his studies for the head and
figure. The wMk progressed rapidly the extreme dill
gence and scrupusus Of PowERs in all the details
his sculpture would admit In the early part Of this year
finished and ready for delivery and embarked
the ship EEzabch Leghorn for New York. That i'll
fated vessel wrecked near Fire Island within few hours