The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1838-11-21
PROSPECTUS OF THE
SOUTHERN LITERARY MESSENGER
THOMAS W. WHITE. EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR

THOMAS W. WHITE EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR
THIS IL MONTHLY MAGAZINE, devoted
- chiefly TO literature, but occasionally finding room
Tor articles that fall within the scope Of Science and o
processing entire disdan OF tasteful ssieetions tho
It's matter has been as viii 10 be- in the man
original
sble are jealousy excluded. They are sometimes %
blended with discussions IN literature in moral science
otherwise nnobJeetonable, to gain admance Tor the
sake oil The more valuable matter which they adbrr.
but whenever that happens they are incidental only M,
primary They dross tolerated only because IL can
not well be severed from the sterling wherewilh =
Reviews and Critical Notices occupy their due ,nars
in the work and IL is the editors aim that thew shoud
have threeiold tendency-to convey in condensed
form, such valuable truths interesting incidents MS arc
embodied In the works reyiewed,-o direct the readers
attention 10 hooks that deserve 10 be Teadand TO warn
him against wasting time and money upon tina, large
ber which merit only TO be burned In this Of publ.
cations, that by their variety and multitude distract and
| overwhem every undiscriminating student, impartial
criticism, governed by the views Just mentioned is u
the most inesmable and indispensable OF auxlanes 10
him who does wish TO discriminate.
Essays and Tales having in utility amusemen
! or both,-Historca Skeches,-and "reminiscences II
events too minute for history yet calculating and height
enng its interestingly be regarded forming the staple
Of the work And Of Indigenous poetry enough pub.
lished-sometmes Of stran-to manifest and 10
cultivate the growing poetlca taste and talents of
country.
The times appear for several to demand such
a work-and not alone, but many The public mind
is feyersh and nated STILL from recent political snfes
The soft, assuasve influence Of literature is needed
aay that fever and soothe that irritation Vice and folly
are riong abroad They should be driven by indignant
rebuke, or dashed by ndicule into their fitting hsins
Ignorance lords ii over an immense proportion o. our
people. Every spring should be set IN notion TO arouse
the enlghtened and 10 their number so that the
great enemy of popular government may no longer brooc
like porenous cloud the desiinies OF our country
And accomplish all these ends, what more powerful
agent be employed than periodical, on the plan
the Messenger II that plan be but earned out in practice
The South, peculiarly, requires such agent. In all
the Union, south Of Washington there are but two literary
periodicals Norhward Of that city, there probably
least twenty-five 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
may justly claim at least equality with brc
thren; and domestic institution exclusively own
beyond all doubt affords We choose twice the leisure
1 for reading and writing, which they enjoy.
II from a deep of this local want that the
word SOUTHERN engrafed the Of this
periodical and not with any design TO noursh local pre-
JUDGES or to advocate supposed local interests Far from
any such thought is the editors event wish the
North and South bound endearngy together forever
the slken bands of mutual kindness and affection Far
from medItang hostility to the North he has already
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 dispel the
lowering clouds that threaten the peace Of both and
brighten and strengthen the sacred ties OF raterna
love.
The Southern Literary Messenger has reached the
fifth No of its third volume How far il has acted out the
ideas here uttered is not for the editor to say. He
believes however, that it falls not further short OF them
than human weakness usually makes practice fall short
/ theory.
The Messenger is issued monthly Each number of the
work contains Ga large supcrroyal pages printed IN the
very handsomest manner, new type, and on papcr
equal least that which any other periodical IS
printed in our country
No subscription will be received for less than volume.
and must commence with the current one. The price y
SIS per volume which must be paid in all cases at the time
Of subscribing This is particularly adverted to no" 10
avoid misapprehension future Misunderstanding
no order will hereafter he attended to unless accompanied
with the price Of subscription.
The postage on the Messenger is six cents any sin
gle No for all distances under 100 milesover 100 miles
| ten cents. =
All communications letters, relative TO the Messcn
ger, must be addressed to THOMAS w WHITE,
/ Southern Literary Messenger Office, Richmond, Va