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aiffWO ®IS FAIMEOT. ATHENS,....SATURDAY, JUNE 24, 1848. International Copy Right. The newspapers have recently informed the public that Congress has appointed a Committee to report , jn this important subject, a movement which has been too long delayed, but from which, however tar dy, we are led to hope that justice will at length be done to foreign authors as well as to our own. We are aware that the importance of an interna tional copy right law is not felt, as we think it should be, by every intelligent person. There are some— it may bemany —who oppose it, and entrench them selves, for want of better ground, behind the selfish barrier of impolicy, pleading that the first fruits of such a law would be to increase the cost of English re-prints —which are now furnished for a mere song. Granting to these objectors their position —which, however, is not quite so argument-proof as they im agine—let us look for a moment at the morality of their objection. Under the present system of re-print any book procured in England or on the Continent , can be re-produced in this country, independently of the will or pleasure of its author —the same being true of an American book in England. Nor is this all. This very book may, under the same rule, be so mutilated by the re-publisliers, in its style, lan guage, and even opinions, as to place the author in a false position before the transatlantic public. Up on this very point, hear what the amiable and excel lent Hood has said —and let it be remembered too, that while ho wrote, under the pressure of pecuniary troubles, his inimitable sketches and stories, —the American public enjoyed his wit, and delighted, drank in his humor without contributing one far thing to relieve his necessities —a consideration which should add force to his plea: “ There is another injury, however, with which our authors are threatened besides reprinting, name ly, translation, —not from English into American, for there is no such tongue, but from the language of a Monarchy into that of a Republic. Yes ; our wri ters are actually to be done into Locofocos, Nullifi ers, Federalists, Democrats, Sympathisers—nay, perhaps, into Horse Alligators and Yellow Flowers of the Forest, according to the taste of the province in which they may be re-printed, or the predilections ofthe re-publisher ! In fact, American editions are to represent in spirit, as well as in form, American impressions /” If, however, it be doubted that such latitude is ever taken, or even contemplated by the interested oppo nents of an international copyright, let the following extract dispel the delusion. We quote from a me morial of sundry publishers and printers—whose craft was in danger, presented to Congress at a recent ses sion : “ We would also suggest another point of vital im port. If English authors obtain copyrights upon their works here, and our markets are supplied with them, it is apparent that having no power to adapt them to our wants, our institutions, and our state of society, we must permit their circulation asthey are. We shall thus have a London literature forced upon us. at once driving our own out of the field, and sub jecting the community to its influence, So long as we have power over it—so long as we can shape it as may suit our taste and condition, we have nothing to fear; but when this privilege is taken away, and the vast preponderance of British capital has driven our own out of the trade, shall we not have in our bo som a power at war with our institutions, and dan gerous to our prosperity 1 Is it not safer and better to let in this literature freely, but subject'to the moulding of our wants and wishes, rather than to give it an ascendancy, and entrench it behind the in violable privilege of copyright 1” An American author, too, holds the following lan guage; “ I have said nothing—and I might have said much —of the mutilation of books by our American repub lishers—that outrageous wrong by which a noble En glish writer, speaking truths in London, dear to him 38 life, is made to say in New York that which his eoul abhors!” Now, however desirable it may be for the interests of the publisher to remodel the works of transatlantic authors, we confess that we can discover no morality, m short, no honesty therein. We certainly call in question the fairness of “ casting the brains of En glish authors into American moulds and shapes, with as little ceremony as so much jelly!” and to adopt once more the forcible humor of llood : hor my own part, I think that a man has quite ns good a right to attach a sum, as a sentiment, to my signature— to use my name for the supply of his * as for the support of his principles—to turn me into cash, as to turn me into a republican. But there may be more novel notions on these matters on air sis & & the opposite side of the Atlantic ; where another and better world,’ is supposed to be the new one.” We have dwelt upon this point, because it is im portant to shew the false refuge of those who oppose this measure. Their whole ground is untenable and unjust. They advocate a system of intellectual pi racy. They propose to fatten on the brains of poor, unprotected authors, who, according to every princi ple of human justice, have as much right to exclu sive control over the offspring of those hard-worked brains, as the artisan has over the products of his hard-worked hands. Their plea is a libel on human ity—on benevolence—on equity. We write as we feel, strongly on this subject, because we have grown sick of hearing the puny and miserable arguments of a selfish policy, against the creation of alaw —the very principle of which is common honesty ! It would seem to be useless to present other argu ments than the sheer justice of the case, in favor of the law we are considering. Let us, however, ap peal to motives and considerations in themselves, less pure perhaps than that of the simple right, but still, not unworthy of our regard—we mean the interests of our own National Literature—if we may use this expression to designate a comparative nonentity. — With a few honorable exceptions, our books are transcripts of those of other lands, and our writers, unfortunately, in an equal ratio, copyists and imita tors of foreign authors. And why is this 1 Simply because the popular taste has been formed and moul ded to a foreign literature —and to that taste our writers must truckle, or have their labor for their pains. If we would have an American Literature, we must throw around the American author the guards of an international copy right. We must de liver him from that alarming competition with the F iglish novelist and poet and historian, which he has now to suffer—almost to his exclusion from the field. However attractive and valuable his book, he cannot, if unknown to fame, find a publisher, unless at his own cost, because the publishers have their hands full of popular books by foreign authors, which they can pick up as waifs upon the sea of adventure, the moment they pass the territorial limits of the country where they are produced; and wtiile they grow rich upon the sales of the book, its author may be dragging out a poor subsistence in some garret, upon the insufficient sum of his home copyright! Dickens and Hood and James, and a host of others, have had more readers in America than in Great Britain; and yet the former have never paid these authors one dollar, directly or indirectly, for their delightful works. If we were the producers, instead of the consumers of Literature, our eyes would be speedily opened to the absolute injustice of this system. We can see no reason why we should not pay foreign authors as freely as we pay our own ; and especially when we recollect that this would secure to our writers, in re turn, a compensation from foreign readers. While we can have the choicest works of foreign authors for the mere stealing of them—our own wri ters may starve or be compelled, as is the fact, in nine cases out of ten, to abandon Literature, and re sort, like Fitz Green Ilalleck, “ to the cotton trade or sugar line.” Give us, then, we heartily pray, an International Cop3 r right Law. And we will guarantee that this monstrous bug-bear of a high priced English and for eign Literature will vanish into thin air. The price of a book is regulated less by the copyright paid for it than by the public demand for it. Hence, under an equitable system of copyright in America, to for eign authors, their books w ould be furnished by some liberal minded publisher, at such a price as would ensure him a large and rapid sale. A few cents ex tra, on the price of a book would help to gladden the sinking heart of its poor author, and give him the just reward of his arduous and exhausting toil. So mote it be. A New Telegraph. Anew Telegraph is announced as the invention of Mr Curtis, Editor of the “ Commercial” at Cincin atti. From the brief descriptions we have seen, we should suppose it to be an improvement on the plan of Wheatstone, who used dials with revolving nee dles ; and Mr. Curtis employs revolving dials —from which the message is written down. Great speed in transmitting intelligence, is claimed for this Tele graph. Notices to Correspondents. W. C. W. Your favor is at hand, and we will publish the Sonnet in an early number. L. S. D. We cannot do as you suggest, in com mon justice to ourself. R. F. We shall take notice of y.onr favor in our next issue. L. F. “If at once you dont succeed —Try, try again.” R. T. Your sketch of “ Cole the Artist,” is on file. E. L. P. The “ Yankee Blade” is Two Dollars per annum, in advance. <Dur CKosslp Column. Dear reader, is it not marvellous that here in the interior of Georgia, we should be sitting in our sanc tum on the 21st of June, looking with eager plea sure over the London Punch for the third of this month 1 Seventeen days after it is printed, it is read in remote parts of this western world. How wonderful is the agency of steam—nor does the wonder dimin ish to us with familiarity. We are just as much af fected now by the sight of a railroad train, or a mam moth vessel propelled by steam, as when we first be held the phenomenon. But we meant to speak of the miracle of the splendid steamship America. Last week we gave the palm for speed to Brother Jona than by virtue of the performance of his elegant ship, the United States. Now ive must withdraw it, and give it again to John Bull, who has had, and means to keep, the lead in ocean steamers ! Well, it mat ters little whether John or Jonathan builds tho no ble vessel so that we are enabled to cross the bosom of the mighty Atlantic in eight days. Think of it, ye who have laughed a*. the idea as preposterous, and declared it impossible! The America really crossed the ocean—from Liverpool to Halifax—in eight days, and but for detention near Nova Scotia, she had reached her wharf in Boston within ten days of her departure from Liverpool. It is said that when the Boston telegrapher directed the New-York operator to prepare to read tho “ news by the America,” the latter wrote with his instrument the significant word, “ Gammon !” It is wonderful indeed that ten days will now suffice to unite the mother and daughter j land. Who doubts that the Atlantic will be crossed by passenger ships in five days before the nineteenth century closes'? Not we certainly We have furnished our readers with a “ Bowl of Punch” this week, but as a late number has reached us, we will furnish them with an extra draught, assuring them that our Punch never intoxicates, however much it exhilirates. The leading pictorial feature of Punch this week is entitled, “Lord Morpeth throwing pearls before Aldermen.” Doubtless the rea der would have finished the sentence otherwise, and the picture proves that he would be right. The “ al dermen” are huge, porcine figures, in gay trappings with armorial bearings, and Lord M. is dispensing among them his varions Sanatory Measures. Be fore one of the huge, unwieldy animals lies a Bill on Cleanliness; before another, a Bill on Improved Sewerage, and before still another the Health of Towns Bill. The picture tells its own story without any text. Punch gives the following piece of “ smoke:” “ The Rtformc gives us the statistics of the Fete of Fraternity at Paris. Amongst other curious facts, there is one which illustrates rather cleverly the movements of France at the present mo ment. It tells us that, ‘ between the arrival of the National Assembly in the Champ de Mars and elev en o’clock at night, thore were 8402 cannon shot fired.' 1 Here was noise enough to last France all its life ! It strikes us that each of these cannons ought to be ranked with the 900 mouth-pieces that have yet spoken out since the opening of the new Chamber. They ought all to be returned to the Na tional Assembly. If well primed, the President might in vain ring his bell to stop their throats. — They would help, with the other Members, to verify the old national proverb, ‘ Plus de bruit que de fruit ’ —not a bad motto for their high-sounding proceed ings.” ttfeUi IMUorllr. The Presidential Canvass. The two great parties are now entering with spirit upon the campaign, which is to place one or the oth er in power for the next fouryears, from March next. Ratification meetings, as they are called, are being held in all sections by both parties, and despite of some dissatisfaction with the action of the two Con ventions, exhibited by some of either party, we sup pose that the two candidates, Taylor and Cass, will receive the suffrages of the entire Whig and Democratic parties respectively. We hope that po jitical partisans will keeepbool in this canvass, and remember that their loud swaggering and vaporing will really affect the grand result no more than the explosion of a pop-gun would a drawn battle. Let the motto of every true patriot be, “My country and her highest .good.” The Latest News from Mexico. The “ Treaty” arrived in \Yashington on the 15th. It was brought by Major Graham in eighteen days from Mexico. A portion of the 13th Regiment of Infantry arrived at New Orleans in the “ Portland” on the 14th, in five days, from Vera Cruz. The accounts from Yucatan are gloomy. The In. dians are committing wholesale murder upon the peo ple, and at the latest advices, had captured the town of Ysemal, and slaughtered its inhabitants. Postmasters will, we trust, comply with the requirements of their office, and inform us when our paper is not taken out, and for what reason —as in case of removal especially, this is important. (Due iJoofc STablc. VtT Publishers arubauthors who may wish to have their books noticed in the “Gazette,” will please send copies for the Editor, to Messrs. BcrUess, Stringer & Co.,New York, who will send a parcel to him weekly by express. The Lire op Oliver Cromwell, By J. T. Head ley. 1 vol. 12 mo. jp. 446. New York; Baker & Scribner. We have road this handsome volume from begin ning to end ; and our verdict upon its merits, as a whole, is that it is a capital book. Mr. Headley has evidently written it with more care than his former productions evinced, and yet it contains a great many offences against rhetoric, and if we err not, some against grammar. There are frequent inver sions of style, and frequent obscurities and also inele gancies of construction, of which it is unnecessary to point out specimens. While these blemishes are to be reprehended, and should be avoided, we are free to say that a more pleasant and taking volume of biography we have not seen in years. It is written in a free and flowing style,—not lacking in the inten sive,—and the author has evidently a very high and anti-English opinion of the Protector, whom he re presents as a stern, inflexible, self-denying patriot, and, at the same time, a severe though somewhat bigoted religionist. Mr. Headley’s free and dashing pencil, the dark, gloomy and repulsive fea tures of Oliver Cromwell assume a more cheerful and attractive guise, around which the fires of a no ble generosity of warm affections and unquenchable honor shed their brilliant light. Mr. Headley dif fers of course, with the biographers of Cromwell touching many points in his extraordinary career ; but of the historical merits of the book, we are not now prepared to speak. It is susceptible of much and perhaps severe criti cism, as we have already hinted—regarded as a lite rary performance ; but notwithstanding all this, it is a book which the thousands will read and ad mire. It is certainly more interesting to us than eith er the author’s Napoleon or Washington. We may refer to it again more critically than in this brief no tice. 1. The Juvenile Choir. 2. The Young Ladies’ llari*. By Geo. Kingsley. New-York :A. S. Barnes & Cos. The name of the author of these books is prirnu facie evidence of their excellence. None who are acquainted with Kingsley’s Social Choir will ques tion his ability to compile music books for the fami ly circle, the parlor, and the young ladies’ school- ; room. With the first of the books above-named we * | are quite familiar, and have quite frequently recom -1 mended it to those who have desired a good collec tion for young people. The second work is one of more pretension, containing short and popular pieces arranged as songs, duetts and trios, with piano ac companiment. From a slight examination we are disposed to think it quite as excellent as the “ Social Choir,” and more than this we certainly need not say to commend to our young lady friends, and to teachers of music. Bullion’s English Grammars. 1. Practical Lessons in English Grammar. 2. Principles of English Grammar, with copious exercises, ; &c. New-York: Pratt, Woodford & Cos. The choice of text books at the present day is ren i dered exceedingly difficult by the great number of ! competitors for public favor. We think to do our scholastic readers a service by commending to their lV regard Dr. Bullion’s English Grammars, as present ing in a clear and concise manner the principles and rules of Grammar, and affording also admirable nx ! amples of the correct and incorrect in practice. The j Grammar is substantially bound, and yet sold at a cheap rate. Bullion’s Latin and Greek Series. 1. Latin Grammar. 2. Latin Reader. 3.’ CjESar. -4. 1 ! Greek Grammar. 5. Greek Reader. New- York : Pratt, Woodford & Cos. i The Latin and Greek books of Dr. Bullion have certainly high claims on teachers not only from the great learning of their author, but from that intrin sic excellence which has given them so wide a circu lation as they have obtained in a few years. We have not room to speak of them critically, nor is it necessary we should do so, for the oldest Professors and the first Reviews of the country have already . and repeatedly attested their merit. Regarding, therefore, the character of the books as established beyond question, we will barely add that no series of Latin and Greek books issued from the American press is printed and bound in handsomer style or *t a less cost than this. HYMENEAL. s3= We will always find room to chronicle the marriages which take place among our patrons and friends. Married, at Tranquilla, near Penfield, on Tues day, the 20th instant, by the Rev. W. Richards, his eldest daughter, Kate, to Charles W. Dußose, Esq., of Sparta. 55