Daily national era., 1854-01-23

PAY OF AMERICAN WRITER'S
II has been stated frequently Of late years,
and, we believe, without heretofore meeting
with contradiction, that American writer's are,
and ever have been, poorly paid for their Ia
bors-more So indeed, than the literary men
of any other country. Mr. H. c. Carey, Of
Philadelphia, in q recent pamphlet on the In
ternational Copyright question, states that such
is not the case but that, on the contrary,
many American authors have amassed or are
amassing fortunes from the sale OF their works
To prove his assertion, he brings forward
large number of instances. Professor Dr. Wis
he says, has realized more than $50 900 from
his series Of school hooks; Professor Anthon,
$4,000 from his series of classics; Mr.. Morse
800 900 from his school geography; Miss Les
lie, Sl2 900 from her cookery and receipt book
Mr.. Headley, $4,000 from his various works
4 Ike Marvel = $4,000; Mr.. Prescott, the his
torian, $90,090. DIR. Barnes received $40 600
for the copyright Of his religious works
4 Kents Commentaries" have already yielded
to their author and his heirs moro thar
$l20,0O0, "Webster's Dictionary " has reached
gives large number Of additional instances OF
large sums being received in this country for
literary labors but those we have quoted are
sufficient TO show that American writer's are
not 80 poorly paid as is generally supposed.
OF the price paid for magazine literature
Mr.. c. remarks as follows:
9 have now before me statement from
single magazine publisher, Geo. r. Graham
in which he says that to Messrs, Willis, Long
fellow, Bryant, and Aston, his price was uni
formly $50 for q poetical article, long or
Shorthand his readers know that they were
generally very short in one case only fourteen
lines. To numerous others it was from 1925 to
$40 In one case he has paid $s25 per page for
prose. To Mr. Cooper he paid $1,000 for
novel, and 81 900 for a series Of naval biogra-
phies, the author retaining the. copyright for
separate publication and in such cases, if the
work be good, its appearance in the magazine
acts as the best of advertisements. To Mr..
James he paid S i, 200 for novel, leaving him
also the copyright. For single number Of
his Journal he has paid to authors 81 900.
The total amount paid for original matter by
two magazines--the selling price Of which is
SO per annum-in ten years, has exceeded
$4,000, giving an average of $4,000 per
annum. The Messrs. Harper inform me that
the expenditure for literary and artistic labor
required for their magazine is $4,000 per
month, or $4,000 year"
ELEVATED RAILRoADs--The agitation of
the projects Of building railroads through the
streets Of New York has brought forth prop
osition from Mr.. Smith, to build them on
arches raised so high that the railroad will not
interfere at all with the travel in the streets.
Mr.. Smith now proposes to carry his idea on
ward, and build all the railroads throughout
the country including the Pacific railroad,
elevated sixteen feet above the surface Of the
ground. Hesaystherc would then benonecessity
of fencing the road, no danger of running over
cattle but little to pay for rights Of way, the
owners of the land could till it even under the
track, and no obstruction from deep SHOWS.
The roads could be built ut much less expense,
short curves would be unnecessary, it would be
for the cars to run off the track,
and speed Of hundred miles an hour could
be safely attained - Erchange.
If we are not greatly mistaken, Mr.. Mills,
Of this city, proposed something very like this
through the public papers last summer. How
much more would it cost to make strong
continuous bridge than to I'LL up and grade
perfectly solid and level road and lay the rails
upon it?
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY ABRoAD.--It is the dufy
of Government constructed as ours is, to seek
for its citizens freedom Of conscience every
where. On that first element Of human liberty
rests the whole superstructure Of our free in
Foreigners Of every religious faith
enjoy here all and more than it is proposed to
ask for Americans abroad and these religious
rights Of foreigners are inalienably secured to
them The possession Of them must OF neces-
sity coexist with the constitutional frame work
e <t..k~
ligiotls opinion il part Of onr institutions II
cannot be withheld from the poorest or the
most ignorant The State does not attempt to
interfere between man and bis Maker. An it
requires Of him is good citizenship Essentially
Protestant as are the people Of the United
States, they neither desire, nor would the Gov
ernment permit them, to deprive Romanists Of
particle Of the freedom to worship God and
practice religious rites according TO their own
convictions nor would they dream Of denying
to them place Of burial for their dead, and
the observance Of every rite connected with
that sad Office Equally secure are the rcli-
gious rights Of every other sect or dcnomina-
ton.
Our Government can indeed urge the uninl-
peachable plea do unto us as VIC have done
unto you.n IL can urge the highest law Of
reciprocity. II can plead precedence in ex-
ample.
II Romanism be truth, and Professionalism be
error, their respective natures cannot be chang
ed by either exclusivcness or tolcration Wor-
ship by Prote stants, permitted at Rome, would
be no more an admission Of its truth than Ro-
manist worship in the heart Of this city is an
admission Of the truth Of Romanism. The
principle on which the Roman Church has act
ed in this matter il radically erroneous, even il
we concede that Romanism is orthodoxy and
Protcstantism hcresy for it amounts TO an ad-
mission that truth, with all the advantages and
appliances and position it enjoys, is unable to
withstand or prevent the spread Of error
In whatever light the subject is viewed, il
seems to us TO bc the duty Of our Government
earnestly to cndeavor TO secure religious toler-
alton for it's citizens everywhere, and the rites
Of Christian burial.
N. Y. Com. Adu, Jan. 30.
Auupxartnu ar CANanA -Tho Hna aet NOR