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n　our　judgment　exactly　where　he　would　have　stood　had　he　been　a　tutor　at　a　college　in　Oxford　instead　of　a　Professor　at　Cambridge　in　Massachusetts。　　Prescott　is　read　among　us　as　a　historian　without　any　reference　as　to　his　nationality；　and　by　many；　as　I　take　it；　in　absolute　ignorance　of　his　nationality。　　Hawthorne；　the　novelist；　is　quite　as　well　known　in　England　as　he　is　in　his　own　country。　　But　I　do　not　know　that　to　either　of　these　three　is　awarded　any　favor　or　is　denied　any　justice　because　he　is　an　American。　　Washington　Irving　published　many　of　his　works　in　this　country；　receiving　very　large　sums　for　them　from　Mr。　Murray；　and　I　fancy　that　in　dealing　with　his　publisher　he　found　neither　advantage　nor　disadvantage　in　his　nationality；　that　is；　of　course；　advantage　or　disadvantage　as　respected　the　light　in　which　his　works　would　be　regarded。　　It　must　be　admitted　that　there　is　no　jealousy　in　the　States　against　English　authors。　　I　think　that　there　is　a　feeling　in　their　favor；　but　no　one　can　at　any　rate　allege　that　there　is　a　feeling　against　them：　I　think　I　may　also　assert　on　the　part　of　my　own　country　that　there　is　no　jealousy　here　against　American　authors。　　As　regards　the　tastes　of　the　people；　the　works　of　each　country　flow　freely　through　the　other。　That　is　as　it　should　be。　　But　when　we　come　to　the　mode　of　supply；　things　are　not　exactly　as　they　should　be；　and　I　do　not　believe　that　any　one　will　contradict　me　when　I　say　that　the　fault　is　with　the　Americans。　I　presume　that　all　my　readers　know　the　meaning　of　the　word　copyright。　　A　man's　copyright　is　right　in　his　copy；　is　that　amount　of　legal　possession　in　the　production　of　his　brains　which　has　been　secured　to　him　by　the　law　of　his　own　country　and　of　others。　　Unless　an　author　were　secured　by　such　law；　his　writings　would　be　of　but　little　pecuniary　value　to　him；　as　the　right　of　printing　and　selling　them　would　be　open　to　all　the　world。　　In　England　and　in　America；　and　as　I　conceive　in　all　countries　possessing　a　literature；　there　is　such　a　law；　securing　to　authors　and　to　their　heirs；　for　a　term　of　years；　the　exclusive　right　over　their　own　productions。　　That　this　should　be　so　in　England；　as　regards　English　authors；　appears　to　be　so　much　a　matter　of　course　that　the　copyright　of　an　author　seems　to　be　as　naturally　his　own　as　a　gentleman's　deposit　at　his　bank；　or　his　little　investment　in　the　three　per　cents。　　The　right　of　an　author　to　the　value　of　his　own　productions　in　other　countries　than　his　own　is　not　so　much　a　matter　of　course；　but　nevertheless；　if　such　productions　have　any　value　in　other　countries；　that　value　should　belong　to　him。　　This　has　been　felt　to　be　the　case　between　England　and　France；　and　an　international　copyright　now　exists。　　The　fact　that　the　languages　of　England　and　France　are　different；　makes　the　matter　one　of　comparatively　small　moment。　　But　it　has　been　found　to　be　for　the　honor　and　profit　of　the　two　countries　that　there　should　be　such　a　law；　and　an　international　copyright　does　exist。　　But　if　such　an　arrangement　be　needed　between　two　such　countries　as　France　and　Englandbetween　two　countries　which　do　not　speak　the　same　language；　or　share　the　same　literaturehow　much　more　necessary　must　it　be　between　England　and　the　United　States！　　The　literature　of　the　one　country　is　the　literature　of　the　other。　　The　poem　that　is　popular　in　London　will　certainly　be　popular　in　New　York。　　The　novel　that　is　effective　among　American　ladies　will　be　equally　so　with　those　of　England。　　There　can　be　no　doubt　as　to　the　importance　of　having　or　of　not　having　a　law　of　copyright　between　the　two　countries。　　The　only　question　can　be　as　to　the　expediency　and　the　justice。　　At　present　there　is　no　international　copyright　between　England　and　the　United　States；　and　there　is　none　because　the　States　have　declined　to　sanction　any　such　law。　　It　is　known　by　all　who　are　concerned　in　the　matter　on　either　side　of　the　water　that　as　far　as　Great　Britain　is　concerned　such　a　law　would　meet　with　no　impediment。　Therefore　it　is　to　be　presumed　that　the　legislators　of　the　States　think　it　expedient　and　just　to　dispense　with　any　such　law。　　I　have　said　that　there　can　be　no　doubt　as　to　the　importance　of　the　question；　seeing　that　the　price　of　English　literature　in　the　States　must　be　most　materially　affected　by　it。　　Without　such　law　the　Americans　are　enabled　to　import　English　literature　without　paying　for　it。　　It　is　open　to　any　American　publisher　to　reprint　any　work　from　an　English　copy；　and　to　sell　his　reprints　without　any　permission　obtained　from　the　English　author　or　from　the　English　publisher。　　The　absolute　material　which　the　American　publisher　sells；　he　takes；　or　can　take；　for　nothing。　　The　paper；　ink；　and　composition　he　supplies　in　the　ordinary　way　of　business；　but　the　very　matter　which　he　professes　to　sellof　the　book　which　is　the　object　of　his　tradehe　is　enabled　to　possess　himself　of　for　nothing。　　If　you；　my　reader；　be　a　popular　author；　an　American　publisher　will　take　the　choicest　work　of　your　brain；　and　make　dollars　out　of　it；　selling　thousands　of　copies　of　it　in　his　country；　whereas　you　can　perhaps　only　sell　hundreds　of　it　in　your　own；　and　will　either　give　you　nothing　for　that　he　takes；　or　else　will　explain　to　you　that　he　need　give　you　nothing；　and　that　in　paying　you　he　subjects　himself　to　the　danger　of　seeing　the　property　which　he　has　bought　taken　again　from　him　by　other　persons。　　If　this　be　so；　that　question　whether　or　no　there　shall　be　a　law　of　international　copyright　between　the　two　countries　cannot　be　unimportant。　But　it　may　be　inexpedient　that　there　shall　be　such　a　law。　　It　may　be　considered　well　that；　as　the　influx　of　English　books　into　America　is　much　greater　than　the　influx　of　American　books　back　to　England；　the　right　of　obtaining　such　books　for　nothing　should　be　reserved；　although　the　country　in　doing　so　robs　its　own　authors　of　the　advantage　which　should　accrue　to　them　from　the　English　market。　　It　might　perhaps　be　thought　anything　but　smart　to　surrender　such　an　advantage　by　the　passing　of　an　international　copyright　bill。　　There　are　not　many　trades　in　which　the　tradesman　can　get　the　chief　of　his　goods　for　nothing；　and　it　may　be　thought　that　the　advantage　arising　to　the　States　from　such　an　arrangement　of　circumstances　should　not　be　abandoned。　　But　how　then　about　the　justice？　　It　would　seem　that　the　less　said　upon　that　subject　the　better。　　I　have　heard　no　one　say　that　an　author's　property　in　his　own　works　should　not；　in　accordance　with　justice；　be　insured　to　him　in　the　one　country　as　well　as　in　the　other。　　I　have　seen　no　defense　of　the　present　position　of　affairs；　on　the　score　of　justice。　　The　price　of　books　would　be　enhanced　by　an　international　copyright　law；　and　it　is　well　that　books　should　be　cheap。　　That　is　the　only　argument　used。　　So　would　mutton　be　cheap　if　it　could　be　taken　out　of　a　butcher's　shop　for　nothing。　But　I　absolutely　deny　the　expediency　of　the　present　position　of　the　subject；　looking　simply　to　the　material　advantage　of　the　American　people　in　the　matter；　and　throwing　aside　altogether　that　question　of　justice。　　I　must　here；　however；　explain　that　I　bring　no　charge　whatsoever　against　the　American　publishers。　　The　English　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　retu