north america-2-第101章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


h　author　is　a　victim　in　their　hands；　but　it　is　by　no　means　their　fault　that　he　is　so。　　As　a　rule；　they　are　willing　to　pay　something　for　the　works　of　popular　English　writers；　but　in　arranging　as　to　what　payments　they　can　make；　they　must　of　course　bear　in　mind　the　fact　that　they　have　no　exclusive　right　whatsoever　in　the　things　which　they　purchase。　　It　is　natural　also　that　they　should　bear　in　mind；　when　making　their　purchases　and　arranging　their　prices；　that　they　can　have　the　very　thing　they　are　buying　without　any　payment　at　all；　if　the　price　asked　do　not　suit　them。　　It　is　not　of　the　publishers　that　I　complain；　or　of　any　advantage　which　they　take；　but　of　the　legislators　of　the　country；　and　of　the　advantage　which　accrues；　or　is　thought　by　them　to　accrue；　to　the　American　people　from　the　absence　of　an　international　copyright　law。　　It　is　mean　on　their　part　to　take　such　advantage　if　it　existed；　and　it　is　foolish　in　them　to　suppose　that　any　such　advantage　can　accrue。　　The　absence　of　any　law　of　copyright　no　doubt　gives　to　the　American　publisher　the　power　of　reprinting　the　works　of　English　authors　without　paying　for　them；　seeing　that　the　English　author　is　undefended。　　But　the　American　publisher　who　brings　out　such　a　reprint　is　equally　undefended　in　his　property；　when　he　shall　have　produced　his　book；　his　rival　in　the　next　street　may　immediately　reprint　it　from　him；　and　destroy　the　value　of　his　property　by　underselling　him。　　It　is　probable　that　the　first　American　publisher　will　have　made　some　payment　to　the　English　author　for　the　privilege　of　publishing　the　book　honestly；　of　publishing　it　without　recurrence　to　piracy；　and　in　arranging　his　price　with　his　customers　he　will　be　of　course　obliged　to　debit　the　book　with　the　amount　so　paid。　　If　the　author　receive　ten　cents　a　copy　on　every　copy　sold；　the　publisher　must　add　that　ten　cents　to　the　price　he　charges。　　But　he　cannot　do　this　with　security；　because　the　book　can　be　immediately　reprinted　and　sold　without　any　such　addition　to　the　price。　　The　only　security　which　the　American　publisher　has　against　the　injury　which　may　be　so　done　to　him　is　the　power　of　doing　other　injury　in　return。　　The　men　who　stand　high　in　the　trade；　and　who　are　powerful　because　of　the　largeness　of　their　dealings；　can；　in　a　certain　measure；　secure　themselves　in　this　way。　　Such　a　firm　would　have　the　power　of　crushing　a　small　tradesman　who　should　interfere　with　him。　　But　if　the　large　firm　commits　any　such　act　of　injustice；　the　little　men　in　the　trade　have　no　power　of　setting　themselves　right　by　counter…injustice。　　I　need　hardly　point　out　what　must　be　the　effect　of　such　a　state　of　things　upon　the　whole　publishing　trade；　nor　need　I　say　more　to　prove　that　some　law　which　shall　regulate　property　in　foreign　copyrights　would　be　as　expedient　with　reference　to　America　as　it　would　be　just　toward　England。　　But　the　wrong　done　by　America　to　herself　does　not　rest　here。　　It　is　true　that　more　English　books　are　read　in　the　States　than　American　books　in　England；　but　it　is　equally　true　that　the　literature　of　America　is　daily　gaining　readers　among　us。　　That　injury　to　which　English　authors　are　subjected　from　the　want　of　protection　in　the　States；　American　authors　suffer　from　the　want　of　protection　here。　　One　can　hardly　believe　that　the　legislators　of　the　States　would　willingly　place　the　brightest　of　their　own　fellow…countrymen　in　this　position；　because；　in　the　event　of　a　copyright　bill　being　passed；　the　balance　of　advantage　would　seem　to　accrue　to　England。　Of　the　literature　of　the　United　States；　speaking　of　literature　in　its　ordinary　sense；　I　do　not　know　that　I　need　say　much　more。　　I　regard　the　literature　of　a　country　as　its　highest　produce；　believing　it　to　be　more　powerful　in　its　general　effect；　and　more　beneficial　in　its　results；　than　either　statesmanship；　professional　ability；　religious　teaching；　or　commerce。　　And　in　no　part　of　its　national　career　have　the　United　States　been　so　successful　as　in　this。　　I　need　hardly　explain　that　I　should　commit　a　monstrous　injustice　were　I　to　make　a　comparison　in　this　matter　between　England　and　America。　Literature　is　the　child　of　leisure　and　wealth。　　It　is　the　produce　of　minds　which　by　a　happy　combination　of　circumstances　have　been　enabled　to　dispense　with　the　ordinary　cares　of　the　world。　　It　can　hardly　be　expected　to　come　from　a　young　country；　or　from　a　new　and　still　struggling　people。　　Looking　around　at　our　own　magnificent　colonies；　I　hardly　remember　a　considerable　name　which　they　have　produced；　except　that　of　my　excellent　old　friend　Sam　Slick。　Nothing；　therefore；　I　think；　shows　the　settled　greatness　of　the　people　of　the　States　more　significantly　than　their　firm　establishment　of　a　national　literature。　　This　literature　runs　over　all　subjects：　American　authors　have　excelled　in　poetry；　in　science；　in　history；　in　metaphysics；　in　law；　in　theology；　and　in　fiction。　They　have　attempted　all；　and　failed　in　none。　　What　Englishman　has　devoted　a　room　to　books；　and　devoted　no　portion　of　that　room　to　the　productions　of　America？　But　I　must　say　a　word　of　literature　in　which　I　shall　not　speak　of　it　in　its　ordinary　sense；　and　shall　yet　speak　of　it　in　that　sense　which　of　all；　perhaps；　in　the　present　day　should　be　considered　the　most　ordinary；　I　mean　the　every…day　periodical　literature　of　the　press。　Most　of　those　who　can　read；　it　is　to　be　hoped；　read　books；　but　all　who　can　read　do　read　newspapers。　　Newspapers　in　this　country　are　so　general　that　men　cannot　well　live　without　them；　but　to　men　and　to　women　also　in　the　United　States　they　may　be　said　to　be　the　one　chief　necessary　of　life；　and　yet　in　the　whole　length　and　breadth　of　the　United　States　there　is　not　published　a　single　newspaper　which　seems　to　me　to　be　worthy　of　praise。　A　really　good　newspaperone　excellent　at　all　pointswould　indeed　be　a　triumph　of　honesty　and　of　art。　　Not　only　is　such　a　publication　much　to　be　desired　in　America；　but　it　is　still　to　be　desired　in　Great　Britain　also。　　I　used；　in　my　younger　days；　to　think　of　such　a　newspaper　as　a　possible　publication；　and　in　a　certain　degree　to　look　for　it；　now　I　expect　it　only　in　my　dreams。　　It　should　be　powerful　without　tyranny；　popular　without　triumph；　political　without　party　passion；　critical　without　personal　feeling；　right　in　its　statements　and　just　in　its　judgments；　but　right　and　just　without　pride；　it　should　be　all　but　omniscient；　but　not　conscious　of　its　omnipotence；　it　should　be　moral；　but　never　strait…laced；　it　should　be　well　assured　but　yet　modest；　though　never　humble；　it　should　be　free　from　boastings。　　Above　all　these　things　it　should　be　readable；　and　above　that　again　it　should　be　true。　　I　used　to　think　that　such　a　newspaper　might　be　produced；　but　I　now　sadly　acknowledge　to　myself　the　fact　that　humanity　is　not　capable　of　any　work　so　divine。　The　newspapers　of　the　States　generally　may　not　only　be　said　to　have　reached　none　of　the　virtues　here　named；　but　to　have　fallen　into　all　the　opposite　vices。　　In　the　first　place；　they　are　never　true。　　In　requiring　truth　from　a　newspaper　the　public　should　not　be　anxious　to　strain　at　gnats。　　A　statement　setting　forth　that　a　certain　gooseberry　was　five　inches　in　circumference；　whereas　in　truth　its　girth　was　only　two　and　a　half；　would　give　me　no　offense。　　Nor　would　I　be　offended　at　being　told