The New York herald., 1850-11-16
The Business OF Literary Men In 1850.


tori, with his Alexandrian library, belonged to
those centuries which rolled by before the mighty
agencies had gone abroad which are now agiaiing
mankind. We need not, however, go back so far
as the authors we have mentioned, for our illus
iTations. Ne longer ago than the time of Johnson,
Addison, Goldsmith, and Steele, literary periodi-
sals were novelty which excited the curiosity
and astonishment of mankind When the Rum
bier and the Aler were first projected, they were
supposed to be fatal Innovations upon the literary
system of that period for, in the hands of such
men, nobody could doubt their success. The
black-letter taste still prevailed in England,
which was far advanced beyond the rest Of the
world in the spirit of modern progress.
From that time, the literature of the world has
been gradually advancing, from Libraries, cloisters
studios, and universities and il has at las, be-
come 30 aggressive that few authors now rely
upon the bound volume form, for influential or
powerful works. In the beginning of the present
century, Edinburgh became distinguished in lead
ing the way in literary journalism in Europe. The
Edinburgh Reuletp, and BLack,oood's Magaz me
started at about the same time-the one a monthly
and the other quarterly publication. The former,
Brougham chose for the medium of his stirring and
powerful ideas; the other became the organ of JEFF
frey and his associates and they put forth more
influence upon the literary taste of Great Britain,
than all its books together These leading minds
felt the spirit of their age, and they foresaw that
with the progress men were making 10 their ideas,
books in ponderous forms were becoming too slow
medium through which to communicate with
the world. Rival journals were rapidly multiplied,
and things at last came to such pass in Great
Britain, ard on the Continent, that nearly all the
startling asd brilliant literary productions of euti-
ot.J, do -,
university, city, society, and profession, had its
organ; and reviews and periodicals were multiplied
10 on indefinite extent. The great changes which
came over Europe during the ascendency of Ma
poleon, and the mighty discoveries and applications
of new principles in the mechanical world, with
the rapid and Unprecedented rise into power aud
reputation OF the American republic, introduced
new period of progress in journalism. Men could
no longer wait for the ponderous quarterly or slow
monthly, for the discussion of ideas and priacises
Great literary and weekly journals were esta blshed,
and maintained their ascendant, for consider able
period, until, at last, even these had give way to
the lightning speed OF the daily press.
We have now reached period when books have
lost nearly all their control over the opinions of
mankind, and the thinking machines of the world
are the cylinder presses which strike Off 10 900 an
hour. 1t is great mistake that Methuselah lived
such avery long time. Nine hundred and sixty. nine
years didn't amount TO much before the food
Time is no longer 10 be measured by successive
strokes Of the pendulum, but by successive ideas;
and before an author, whatever be his talents or
reputation, can write, and print, and bind, and
nfipg INTO market a single volume, ten TO one tn.
SUBJECT Itself has grown stale as the burning of
MOSCOW. Events are moving too rapidly TO allow
W shy hisloriogrepher except the steam press
The telegraph is now dong the work of railways.
-nu ex,-ss are scsu,,,n. their nccssvc-ses on the
wings Of the wind. We do not meal 10 say that
literary and scientific may not still, for long
period and perhsps forever, write and publish,
with profit and advantage, essays and dissertations
upon science and dsystems of education. There are
many investigations, discoveries, and ideas of
men Of learning which require the elaborate form
of the ponderous volume but we mean to say
that the literary talent of the world, to all in
tents and purposes, makes itself felt every twen-
w.fsur hours through the daily press. Ia Lon
don and Paris the most powerful and learn.
ed writer's are concentrated around the great
daily journals. Those men, who once de-
voted oil their energies to the writing of great
books, now cit up till three o'clock in the
morning, when the last telegraphic dispatches ar
rive from every part of the world, and during the
next hour or two, compose with electric speed, ar-
ncles which are thrown under the steam engine
and committed TO the railways Of forty miles an
hour, before daylight Their thoughts, instead Of
being thrown into Libraries, thrown into the
community Instead of waiting whole weeks,
msnths, years and, perhaps, generations, Tor read
ers who can appreciate what they say, they reach
The heads aud hearts Of millions before the earth
has made one revolution on her axis. Their ideas
enter into the conversation the thoughts, and th,
actions, Of myfiads, even before they read thens
themselves in printed form.
THIS we conceive to be the highest mission OF
literary men and if every accomplished scholar
in this country, instead Of wasting his tine aud
sxhnusng his powers in preparing volumes which
would he limited in their sale, and consequently in
their influence, would hold their ear to the tele-
grsph ard listen TO its responses they might be able
20 control the opinions Of mankind a thousand
uHst more efectually than has been done by any
su,hor Time is more precious in 1850 than il ever
wss before. Franklin was supposed to be a very
wise man, and he doubtless was but the highest
estimate we find in his writings upon the value Of
tine, is embraced IN that golden sentence where he
ssys, time il mosey." In the month Of October,
anno domni 1850. il means something more. It
means gold, indeed, and from California at that
but sho means politics moral, social, and intel
iectual power. il aeans progress, impetus, sd-
vsucement I, means everything that belongs to
he sge, into which the elements of ell past ages
are crowded Ii means fifty thousand Herald,
surek oH in four or FIVE hours Of any and every
morning, TO be distributed throughout the entire
civilized world
When we read in some essay, written chiefly
10 aid digestion the sofs after good dinner, or
fashionable novel-whch, we are happy TO learn,
the meet approved and celebrated homprithie ply
sicsbs invariably prescribe, in small doses, a.
spodynes, soporifics, @s.-that large number Of
literary men, charity scholars, poets, ct ceera, are
wandering about the streets. out AZ the elbows and