The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-11-16


inolination 70 become partners In that which ever.
throws the laws Of equitable trade, sets tho honest
tradesman's intentions Ct defiance, forbids tho au
thofs living, and trausplants an honest trede Win
the most fragrant and eonups prsc'lces snss can "
Under the regime we have described, the Ameri
can author begun TO free himself from tho grasp OF
tho American publisher, who had In measure CON
trolled taste Tor reading. Independent OF the Anne
rcan publisher the American author Was fast gain
ing position which would enable him TO break
down that very Capitalization Mr.. Carey 30 much
t ten TO He that by denying the
authors right of property In his iaooFa the pub.
lisher's power becomes absolute, and just In that
place where he procure mechanical labor at the
lowest rate his trade will centre.
Since 1852 new impetus has been given to
American literature in Great itain by the publica
ton Of" Uncle Toms Cabin" No less than thirty
different London and Edinburg editions, produced
by nineteen different publishing houses were sent
two millions Of copies Of Uncle Tom were sold
within fifteen months No effort having been made
to secure copyright, the work was at the mercy
Of those who chose 70 publish It. In few instances
remuneration was made to the author, tho pub.
fishers distinctly stating that they did II upon what
they conceived to be proper respect for the au-
thor's rights One house very literally gave Mrs.
Stowe thousand pounds but that the very house
which printed and circulated more than any other,
never inte nded TO make any compensation, is well
known fact. Here, then, the promptings Of honest
principle are brought IN contact with reckless
system Of and al this y sanctioned y
his property, if that property be sent beyond the
limits Of his own county.
The singular and unprecedented demand for
q Uncle Tom led 70 he repriInatng Of nearly every
cure this copyright BY first publishing here 80 much
the better for himself. Another class Of American
authors now came in, and by taking advantage Of
sa S
Miss Warner, Hawthorne, Curtis, Melville, Bayard
Taylor, and Colbourn Adams, were recipients OF
considerable sums for their literary labors. Tbs
last named received f20O for his Sovereign Rule OF
South Carolina" Not one Of these authors could
now get q sxpence for their works. They have
trans Atlantic names-it may be paid for BY ths
wouldbe honest publisheIs-but they now serve
only the pirates interests. The legazed open trade
nov proclaimed by the House Of Lords has Invested
the American author of all right to his works, and
with 1t swept away all hope Of further remuneration
Dickens and others Of his class are protected by
their fame, while the law of taste will al ways create
Q demand for their works; bat the less fortunate
English author (whose writings may contain moro
material good) finds his writings valusless in the
eyes Of the publisher, who can print any sort Of
American works, for which he has no c3p fright to
pay. He can print them at his own price; and the
authors property being at his disposal, the only
profit he expects is small per centage for himself
Thus, while the MAJ ket flooded with every sort Of
American trash that can faint the name Of Ameri-
can literature the publisher ceatralizes his pc wer
and alone is benefited. Again, this species OF lite
rature becoming current In the market, naturally
destroys the demand for the ordinary English
writer's labor, without beneftting the American,
whose writings are made by the publisher to super
sede In this state of the CASE everything becomes
to the publisher who will csntralize his
power and make the most mercenary system serve
his ends.
The old established and respectable publishing
houses, which heretofore did SO much to give pro-
m'nence to American authors and their works, de-
cline to have anything further to do with American
works until some protection be afforded them They
even decline to publish an American work. The
consequence Is that TIE pirate publisher waits till
they appear in America, procures an early copy,
and puts bis edition before the English public, only
too glad to avail himself OF the security the decision
Of the House of Lords affords his plunderings.
Much as the mind may recoil from the BE-
meaning influence of such protected piracy, 1t
cannot but view with contempt the irtelli-
gent man who would boldly come forward as its
advocate And satisfied then with destroying
the market hitherto open to the poor English au-
thor, usually bat poor, American authsrs must
now be cOntt mt with having their works published
in tho most plorabie manner, and by persons made
reckless by competition, and unable, from want Of
means, either to preserve the reputation Of the
thor or to return him one cent remunera ion. The
Messrs Sampson, Son h and Sons, who have strug-
gled hard and done much to protect the interests Of
Anne lean authors, row find themselves stlipt of
all legal means by which to keep American works
from the pirates hands. Their house made agency
its chief business; and in its endeavos to protect
Ame rican interests, bad recently gained great ad
vantages for those interests, as we'll as edit for
themselves, by the prompt and honorable ma amer in
which they made returns to American authors. LIE
gally, they now find themselves helpless; and whai
they may hereafter do for the prosectlon Of Ameri
can Literature, will depend much upon the respect
shown to the paltTy expedients Of incorporating
portions Of English writing in American works, to
the rights Of authors BY the two governments would
obviate this driving honest men to such miserable
SHIFTS.
The reader cannot fail to see that in the absence
of all protection or owedgment Of the au-
thors right to his mental laboIs, that the poor
thor Is shut outs the man whose name has become
f nous In literature increases his strength and the
publ hing power becomes centred in that point
where labor Is cheapest; The rich man, with means
taste, and. give his labor to the public without
Remuneration; Messrs. Dickens, Bulwer and Tnack-
airy will yet obtain large sums for their light labors,
for the piI ate publisher must have cloak for his
iniqutoIs trade, and will make his boast of large
compensation for certain works and names to the
total sacrifice Of the authors whose works he pi-
rates. To the pirate publisher some pretencs Is
necessary for the purpose Of giving shadow Of
character to his system OF trade; and the works Of
such AUTHORS as we have here5named, he c0nceives
necessary to give additional impe rs to his sales.
Thia then is the very which must create that
bliehting Capitalization Mr.. Carey 80 nuch fears.
He VI uld give all power to the London publisher,
and forever keep London the centre of book max
ing. The very state OF things which Mr.. Carey so
much breads is now, by the system be advocates,
becoming fearful reality. On American literature
the effect will be big Citing in the extreme. The
American publisher has ling kept them under his
thumb SCREW; but now nothing can save them from
utter destruction but the passage Of protective
law. American writer's are driven back to their
own country (not so their works, for the London
publishers will food the market with them, while
he sends English publications to Americs at q
cheaper rate than they can be produced there) whom
they will again become mere literary dependents,
subject to the publishers peculations. England,
which supplies 80 large portion Of our mental
de mands has il in her power to furnish tue whole.
An AMERICAN AUTHOR.
THE EXPERIENCE OF A SENSITIVE MAN IN NEW
York; dned day at the Irving House. The man
next TO said to his neighbor, "Hows -four 10 days
Why, risng-we made nice thing oft this morning
O few thousands"
nned next day at the Aston Man next to observed
10 his friends well how's Erie ~ ooh! down, sir
down--dull-very dull but there's money in it,"