Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-01-30
01i) Sta'tesulall,
FROM THE METROPOLIS. ? i
Correspondents. of the Ohio statesman.l j
.NRw YoRK. January 27. 1sG

NEW YORK, January II, 1868.
= In these times of railroads and tele-
graphs, when Information spreads with
the rapidity of. lightning almost over
this whole inhabited part of the globe,
it is but natural that education should
make rapid progress, more especially in
q country like ours where no odious re-
strictions are imposed on any body to
express his opinion and principles in
public by word or through, the press, the
education of the mass stands much
better chance to develop itself rapidly
than on the European continent, where
the Governmentllays more or less oner
Gus restrictions ON all publications, thus
preventing the public from forming an
independent sopininnsand giving them no
chance for comparison and reasoning in
questions which touch International or
even internal questions of State, religion
or politics. II We may therefore consider
ourselves lucky Ito live in a republic
where every s facility 81 is given to
a man Of forming an opinion of his own
whatever may be said in favor of. mona-
archicaiiustitations ON the ground oftheirl
being adapted for the character, habits,
and MANNER Of thinking in certain Euro
pean countries, we venture to state. that
these monarchies and empires will not
arrive at the state of perfection which
we enjoy in this Republic in regard to
obtaining general, information, and the
education of the public, as long asethey
persist in their restrictions on every
branch Of science which tends to instruct
the public as to the equality of persons
before the law.ie Scienceand literature,
although actually enjoying a higher de-
gree of perfection, and probably more ape
preciated on the otheriside of the Attain,
tic than here, are, nevertheless, restrict
ed by virtue of the more or
less aristocratic institutions in Europe
to g azBemuch more IA narrow circle
than here, i.iwhere free sdschools,
reading rooms and literary societies are
on the increase 81 Every day we notice
in the spaperss7somea new enterprise
aiming towards public instruction in the
above mentioned smanner,i and our me-
tropolis appears toobe fast assuming the
lead in the literary world of American
as it does already occupy by far the
most prominent position among the COM
mercial cities of the new world. yo Y our
correspondent has, for instances lately
had anopportunity,t to examine the newly
erected printinga and book-binding build Z
ings of the enterprising publishing firm,
d. Appleton g. Co., whichl;is not 1only
an. ornament to our city, but cannot help
interesting every friend of literature,
for that, firm has done more, perhaps,
than any other in the United States to-
wards the. introduction and circulation of
useful and instructive works of litera-
ture. 1t is the intention of that firm
to publish an edition of the works
of the great authors, which will for its
price be accessible even to the poorest
class of our citizens, and promises to be-
come a source of useful diversion and of
comfort in every family. The edition
combines neatness with taste. and the
entire works of Dickens, for instance,
will in this edition cost only $3.50. 1t
appears that the. Waverly Novels, the
works of Bulwer and other we'll known
authors, will soon be published at cor
respondihgly low rate. Taking about
Dickens, who, by his admirable lectures,
is likewise contributing to the diffusion
Of knowledge, particularly the knowl-
edge of human nature, he is at present
making, trip through the West, but we
are selfish enough to hope that he will
soon return and deliver as many lectures
before the New York public as his time
may allow him, previous to his return to
Europe. Mr. Dickens may be called a
good or poor actor, as he has alternate
ly been by New York papers; he may
be abused by others for having abused
the Americans by ridiculing some of our
institutions in some of his works but
be is nevertheless an admirable author
and benefactor to whomever under
stands and knows how to. turn to good
account the, useful lessons which he
gives us in his works and readings. 4o7'