The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1837-09-19
PROSPECTUS OF THE
SOUTHERN LITERARY MESSENGER,

THOMAS W. WHITE, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR.
THIS is A MONTHLY MAGAZINE, devoted
J. chiefly TO literature, but occasionally finding
for articles that fall within the scope Of Science and
protesting entire disdan Of tasteful seiectios though
its matter has BEEN as will continue to be, in the man,
Party politics and controversial theology, far pos
sble, are jealousy excluded They sometimes So
blended with discussions in literature or in moral science
otherwise unobectonabe, TO gain admttance for the
sake Of the valuable matter to which they adhere
but whenever that happens, they incidental only not
primary They dross, tolerated only because can
well be severed from the sterling wherewith
incorporated. N.Y.. +.
Reviews and Critical Notices occupy their due space
in the work. and is the editors aim that they should
have threefold tendency-to convey in n condensed
form, such valuable truths interesting incidents
embodied in the works reviewed., direct the readers
attention to books that deserve to be read and to
him against wasting time and money upon that large
ber which merit only to be burned In this age Of publ
cations, that by their variety and multitude distract and
over~hem every undiscrimnating student, impartial
criticism, governed by the Just mentioned OF
the most nestimabe and indispensable of auxilanes
him who does wish to discriminate.
Essays and Tales, having view utility amusement,
or both-Historical Sketches,-and "reminiscences of
events too minute for history yet Calculating it, and height
enng its Interestingly be regarded as forming the staple
of the work And Of indigenous poetry enough is pub
lished-sometimes Of strain-to manifest and TO
cultivate the growing poetical taste and talents OF our
country
The times appear for several reasons demand such
work-and not one alone, but many The public mind
is eversh and irtaed STILL from recent political strfe
The SOFT assuasive influence Of literature is needed, TO
alay that fever and soohe that irritation Vice and folly
rotng abroad They should be driven by indignant
rebuke, dashed by rdicule into their fitting haunts
Ignorance lords it over an immense proportion OF our
people. Every spring should be set in notion
the enlightened and increase their number that the
great enemy Of popular government may longer brood
like portentous cloud, the desiines Of our country
And to accomplish all these ends, what more powerful
agent be employed than PERIODICAL the plan Of
the Messenger if that plan be but carried out in practice
The South, peculiarly, requires such an agent In all
tho HMM pf ASH fun
periodicals Northward Of that city, there probably at
least twenty-five or thirty Is this contrast justified by
the wealth, the leisure, the native talent the actual
literary taste Of the Southern people, compared with those
of the Northern No: for in wealth, talents, and taste,
we may justly claim at least equality with our be-
ihren and domestic institution exclusively our own;
beyond all doubt affords il choose, twice the leisure
for reading and writing, which they enjoy.
1t was from deep of this local want, that the
word SourRERN was engraited on the name of tins
periodical and not with any design to noursh local pre-
udces to advocate supposed local interests Far from
any such thought it is the editors fervent wish the
North and South bound endearingy together forever
the sken bands OF mutual kindness and affection Far
from medating hostility to the North, he has already
drawn and he hopes hereafter draw much Of his choicest
matter thence happy indeed will he deem himself
should his pages by making each region know the other
better contribute in any essential degree to dspe the
lowering clouds that threaten the peace of both and
TO brighten and strengthen the sacred ties OF racrn4
love-
The Southern Literary Messenger has now reached the
fifth No Of its third volume How far it has acted out te
believes however, that il falls further short OF them
than human weakness usually makes practice fall short OF
theory @.&. r..
The Messenger is issued monthly Each number Of The
work contains "a large superoynl pages, printed in the
very handsomest manner, new type, and on paper
equal at least to that which any other periodical IS
printed in country.
No subscription will be received for less than volume
and must commence with the current The prc" IS
IS per volume which must be paid in all eases at the time
Of subscribing This particularly adverted to no" to
avoid msapprehcnsion, future misnnderstanding-as
no order will hereafter be attended unless accompanied
with the price Of subscription
The postage the Messenger is six cents on any SIN
gle No for all distances under 100 milesovcr 100 miles,
ten cents. '.-."
All communications or letters, relative the Mcssen'
ger, must be addressed TO THOMAS w. WHITE,
Southern Literary Messenger Office, Richmond "a