PRIMARY SOURCES

ON COPYRIGHT

(1450-1900)

Letter from Noah Webster to Daniel Webster, New Haven (1826)

Source: Morristown National Historic Park, Lloyd W. Smith Archival Collection

Citation:
Letter from Noah Webster to Daniel Webster, New Haven (1826), Primary Sources on Copyright (1450-1900), eds L. Bently & M. Kretschmer, www.copyrighthistory.org

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No Translation available.


                                                New Haven Sept. 30th 1826

            Sir:

                                    Having, since my return from Europe,
had no opportunity of seeing you, I take this occasion
to express to you my acknowledgements, for comply-
ing with my request, & processing an act of Congress
enabling me to import copies of my Dictionary Synopsis
into the United States, free of the duties imposed by
the tariff. When I wrote to you from Cambridge, Eng.
I had not offered my manuscripts to the booksellers,
I supposed I should find no difficulty in procuring them
to be published. But after I went to London, I soon found
that the principal publishers were engaged in a new edi-
tion of Johnson, & in a new work of the like kind; & they would
not bring into market a work that might come in com-
petition with Those in which they were engaged. The small-
er booksellers & publishers could not undertake so heavy
a publication. One of the principal booksellers who
examined my manuscript, said the work would
maintain its ground in England, but his engagements
would not permit him to undertake the public-
ation. I am therefore obliged to wait for types to execute
the works in this country; & this has caused a great delay.
But this delay, I find, will be very useful to the work; &
on the whole, I have reason to be well satisfied with the
result, both of my voyage & of my appreciation to the Eng-
lish Booksellers.
                                    There is another subject, Sir, to which I take


    


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