The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-06-25
Literature for the Million.

LANrfNE, III WHICH he announced plan for
tevolutionizing ''the trade" The text of his
discourse the annual schedule of a assessed
taxes, with calculation of the oumbers of
persons vito might be assumed to nav the taxes
for each separate article of luxury from which
ne deduced the conclusion that the immense
majority OF British families. endowed with lib
eral fortunes, had never vet conceived the re-
hottest idea that their domestic Arrangements
were Incomplete unless they expended some
considerable sum annually upon the purchase
OF oooSs- Take" said he. "this one absurd
and contemplate item of the tax on hair-pow-
der; the use of it is almost entirely gene out of
fashion. Batting a few parsons and LAWYERS
wigs, 1t may be said that har-powder Is con-
nned to the .t'unkeys, and indeed to the livery
servants OF great and splendid houses exclu-
slvely nay, In many of these it is already
quite laid aside. Nevertheless, for each head
that Is thus vilifed in Great Britain q
guinea is paid yearly tn the exchequer; and
the tares m that schedule are an arnsy com
pared to the purchasers of erea tire best and
most popular of books
lnis was in 1925, and subsequently, to the
publication of the large editions of Scorr's
most popular poems and novels. The great
publisher, warmed with his theme, continued
to expatiate on it, and to follow out the same
course of calculation in regard TO armorisl
bearings, hunters, racers, and four-wheeIed
carriages; and having demonstrated that hun
dreds OF thousands in Great Britain held indis-
psnsable to their comfort articles of costly
luxury OF which their ancestors never Dream
ed, ne told his auditors that their self love do
ceived them grossly if they imagined that the
nouons OF the world as to the matter of books
had advanced in al all a corresponding proper
Hon. After some further development of his
views, CONSTABLE added--s'If | live half :,
dozen years, III make it as impossible that
there should not be a good library in every
decent house in Great Britain, as that the
shepherds ingle-nOok should want the saut
poke" "fes," he added, with fayorite ad-
DURATION, 81 have hitherto been thinkinr only,
Of the wax-hghts, but before Pm twelve
month older shall have my hand upon tho
tallow." "TrOth," said Scorr .svop ,re IN
deed likely to be the grand NAPOLEON of tho
realms of print ''If you outlive me.v re-
piled CONSTABLE, 81 bespeak that line for nv
tombstone; but, IN the meantime, NAV pre-.
sumo to ask you to be my rght-hand mar
when loPen my campaign of Marengo2 | have
now settled my outline of operations-a three
shilling or halt-crown volume every month,
which must and snail sell, not by thousands
or tens OF thousands, but by handreds of tbou-
sands-ay, by millions, Twelve volumes in
the year, hsfpenny of profit upon every
copy OF which will make me richer than the
possession of all the copyrights of all the omar
sos that ever were, or will be, hot-pressed!
Twelve volumes, so good that millions must
wish to have them, and so cheap that every
butchers Gallant may have them, if he pleases
to let me tax him six-pence weeNo
The reading world has extended its circle
Immensely since CONSTABLE first broached this
magnificent idea to the great novelist, His
Idea moreover has been operated upon IN
larger extent than its author could ever have
Imagined Instead of halfcrown volumos
halrshillng volumes have 5aen circulated Nv
millions, not only among the classes in Great
britain Whlch ourn tallow candles, but among
those who are obliged to do their little reading
oy dayllgEt on Sundays and HOLIDAYS. In this
country everybody is reader, and we can all
ouy book for about what we once paid for
ne" sPaPer, certainly for the price of maoa-
zine or pamphlet. The brothers HARPER were
tne original CoNsrABLEs of the United States.
WINCHESTER cut under them with his shilling
novels, and ,3en street in its turn cut undar
WINCHESTER with its yellow covered trash and
TumPery, 1t seemed at one time as if we
were to be deuged and overwhelmed forever
with this lamentable stuff, and were never to
see decent books again. Dark DAYS threatened
the regular trade when the outsiders were fur
nlshlng the multitude with such inexpensive
entertainment. But all this has only educated
readers and enlarged the market for the trade
len good books, of fair appearance and price.
are now sold tor one that was purchased ten
years ago. Cheap literature has increased the
demand for better and healthier literature
and the HARPERs sell all the more of their
valuable standard works because they have
been selling the current novels for shilling or
twenty-five cents. They could not find a
market for their CoLERIDGE, the sixth yoIums
OF winch is now issued from the press; or their
four volumes OF DE LAMARTIsg's Restoration.
Of Monarchy IN France, the last of which is
now before us; or such works as LEoPoIp
RASSE's Girl Vars and .Honsrchy in France
m the Sixteenth and .Serenteenh Centuries
which they have just repriuted-were it not
that the market for these books has been ere
aled amorg men to whom books were no neces
olty, until the habit of reading books that could
be bought for little and were not worth much
created taste and demand for works of a
higher character and better style.
Besides the works we have mentioned and
the current number Of their .Haga-ins-o
which they now print the almost incredible
amount of 10000 copies month-the HAIR
pERs have published during the present month
The old House By the Rirer by the author OF
the OlcL Greek Letters: two volumes of The
Life and Letters qf DR.. DIN, late president OF
she Wesleyan University; aud Marco Palaps
,4drsnturss in Boston, the last mentiohed for