New-York tribune., 1871-11-04
pR1TIsH LITERARY TOPICS.

,,Oor rHs REGULAR CORREsPoF.pE DENT OF THE TRIBUNE
1oxpoN. Oct. 21.-TbA International Copy
-. .siIOn has been br ought up again by letter to
"a; Fi.ts signed "A Traveller" ne riHHeS headeu
-. ,.,ter Amercal Pirates" and kept the heAa1ine
..DA,pR for come days the letters Pro Snu 'oH
-nI,h n saw at to PRINT Tue Traveller" whoever no
h. reiterated the old and lust complaint aeainS'
,~.rcan publishers and against M rs nAuOh' ioi 80
e,.ue or neglecting 70 enact law for tne Pf"toU
.T,hors Mr.. Stilman replied aptly ana iorc'"H C
Tn,,shmen stole as much Americans ana Hu'. iU
,t-h psbHshers did not want copyright laW-s So
s.t which ELECTED in the first place yell OF lndenAnS
.,,e,pept In the second place II eleited Hs'or iO
~, Macmillan one Of the largest and most emnch' u
-. honorable Of English publishers. HIS Vesuin0' %
J.csye and Is 30 valuable that must quote IL ~
SEEMS to me clear that Mr. sman has goou a,can
.onnIaininV Of the use OF this epithet "
aSsbers as wanting justice as wei a.
socause the frst place. 10 prop2TIEI Scb has fair
an ot sale in the other there nss pesn s
Sue much piracy on TINS ~ o IStnrns6ed I iuriss
Sd az understand that m properly Is Sne No Ol
hT has not as YET SyTeS tEer s no deseb
q h. law and thercore sGYRSse' No oners m &p
obnoxious STn Gsd nv American publishers to English
kors have therefore, been acts OF grace not OF Iega
osCG q SpS Sesc T m has been least as great
R' GHtSran az 10y English publishers The blame, II
Y Rs tst: Sg js III SoEEi s T. s a0 S,Se4 Ss 4RS
stoS s therefore who Ia TO blame for this state OF
6e lawi When was in America four years since met
- ~ IN, uost distinguished authors and publishers,
and ihCy M declared themselves in favor OF an lnterna
f"pa cSayrigAt with only exception and he very
M, S Trit It'll YOU abolish the law Of Charles
H." he sid aud put literary property on the same
i0o3s"' n IN me NATTER As, after reading Lord
NScsulay brilliant speeches Oh this question: ana near ear
10 ,n argument from distinguished IurlstS, am sun
m e 10 see ade uuate grou lds for limitation OF tenuIc
in Iicrsy property could say httie 70 ms oIyec'Ur,
.tl,, - half a IA
Lyad" The feeling of tiiS eminent AmeTlcan literary
nan comedies VITA lAe quotation even 10y SouI Uoi
md, T. M D. 10 show that the feeling OF respect
io tcrary property is strOng among the Americans
y !. among ourselves, aud that the reckless use oI
Gnsu across the Atlantic is unwarranted by facts'
All through the week. the copyright war has
rared warmly in the columns OF half dozen
LOBoon papers More than one English author OF repue
has come forward his name to say that he has
tuoA American publishers honorable and liberal in their
dealings Mr. Justin McCarthy's letters, though
execution might be taken 20 some Of his state
nepis are creditsble alike to him and to the
ruhlshers A good many EuClishmen, on the
other band prOcaimug themselves authors but hiding
upder pseudOnym, have shot after arrow into
what they seem consider the enemys camp 1t Is not
the frSt time that disappointed writer has persuaded
himself that his success the fault not Of the pub
be- but Of the publisher. do not discover much in the
controversy either of argument fact absolutely
d the New.York firm Of D. Appleton Co., which ap-
Iesrs IN The Times Of Friday morning.
ONr Appletons letter it is not too much TO say that
has changed the aspect of the discussion. The literary
merit Of it remarkable II is clear, fOrcIbe, pungent
and perfectly gOOdnatured statement One almost
Ertts that who knows the use Of the English Ian
Euage as well as Mr.. Appleton should be publishing
boks instead Of writing them. shall not undertake to
'ondelte his leterf hope that, although it fills
tOuuu, Will find room 10 reprint the whole. 1t is
lAr te t!Iany Of an expert aud is more
nUPN,e statement than I have seen on his
Hds q the QucstlOn Those who have oil
lGtakCn II for granted that the American publishers
tlc opponents OF Copyright law will be surprised
by Nj. AppetOns declaration that he, AnLerican
publisher large experience is in favor Of such law
ind Oeheyes that his conviction is shared by large
uuDher II not by majority, Of his cOuntrymen. He
would have exclusively authors cOpyright-a lim
liion which mGht be made the basis of a
Nmpromise that would, presume, satisfy nearly
Il Enc-sh.en except those interested i'll the
uanu.scture of books You will not fail to notice Mr.
APPcton remark that the most effective weapon Of the
Yue u an international Copyright law in the United
Jts = batch OF English newspapers after Of their
Fnc!cM explosions. Stu keener is his reply to Mr.
olils, no complains that the Appletons reprinted his
iotlsnd paid HIN nothing for it, Mr.. Appleton Gays II
yery likely they did. though he heard Of it, hut
Il
| late Of Mr. Collnss novel; offers to give him all the
profits be will indemnify them against loss, The letter
1 I!culd, u telling points.
| Tx UueOlected Writings, Essays, and Lectures OF
kalI Waldo Emerson, with Introductory preface by
b. Conway and Alexander Ireland" vols, SvO., are
abCshd hy-Of all men in the wOrld-Mr. j. c. Hotten
j. Anericdns who know Mr. ]. c. Hottens peculiar
kT1atiou and who viii naturally wonder that Mr.
ErtrOH should have chosen such publisher have TO
II u fkaff M In "A
~ stand and deliver. scarcely know whether
u Aberson would like to have the whole story
u He did his best 70 escape from Mr. HOtten's
aEhe,, hu nobody ever suspected that enterprising
Ftutg4n of letting 20 good thing which he had once
sI and Nj Emerson forced TO consent 20 the ap-
sDoe Of these volumes in this way lest worse thing
EaG beai him. Mr. Hotten'S method Of dong buAi-
~ Neng what II is, the English might as well stop
liking about American pirates. His recent raid on the
htlE4un Ballads drew 30 much American atten-
N at 10 him, that his name may be pretty
i U5y Known. No efforts Of Mr.. Leland or
q be publisher, Mr.. TrThner, could induce
HO.ten either to withdraw his counterfeit and inn
rect EDITIONS OF dissuade him from Issuing many
ne he could without putting himself within reach
HiOr law. He is not content with appropriating book
SGefe, It with notes OF his own When he lately re-
E1td Nj. Brct Harte's Heather Chinee and other
"rs he Irt'aced them with nsolcnt graph az
uung that the Bill Nye spoken Of is ,snting alu-
uA 10 James I'VE, United States Official Of eminence,
At private taste for card-playiDg is well-RnOwn in
u cSn country" The Bill Nye OF the poem being pro-
'@l0nA. gambler and swindler, there can be no
w" that Mr.. Hotteu might be criminally
eused for tins libel, and would have been, had 1t re-
NtN 10 an Englishuan Mr. Hotten's latest convey
p- % hVn an American author is the pike County
a o. Col Hay. His scent for what is best is keen.
| "Phis Of other American books numerous,
Wr l." y BOT Americans only who have had to suffer.
"n NJ Macmillan issued authorized collection Of
- DK1ts speeches, Mr. HOtten issued another
'N0iAea' gathering what he could out OF the news
tH "lorts not copyright, selling them at q cheap
- aho Advertisng with his usual assurance