The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1840-01-25
PROSPECTUS
OF TIE
Southern Literary Messenger.
T. W. WHITE, Editor and Proprietor.

This is monthly .Iagazine, devoted chiefly tc
Lit rature, but occasionally finding room also fol
articles that al! within the scope of Science; and
not protest. g entire disddin oftasefu selections
Though It's mailer has been, it i'll continue lo
br, In the main, original.
Party politics and controversial Theology, as
far as possible, arc jealousy excluded. They arc
sometimes 50 bIndcd with discussions in literature
or in moral science, otherwise unobjcctionab!e, as
to gain ad.nrtance foi The sake Of the more vaua.
hle matter tu which they adhere. but whenever that
happ rs, they are incidental, only; not primary
They are drnss tolerated only because il cannoi
well he severed from the stcrdg whcrcwith it is
ncOr rjOr;tcd.
Reviews, and Critical Notices, occupy THAR due
! spree in the work: and il is the Editors aim tia
t!ey should have thrccf)ld tendency-to convey.
in condensed form, such valuable truths or inter
| esitIE Incidents rs embodied in the works re
! Hi"%e ito direct the readers attention TO books
b. ,C-% We 10 b" r"ld -.,nd t. warn him against
| W.; '.g iIle and money upon that large number,
wh !! "rrlt only to be burned In this agc, Of pub
!ic,iIoms lt BY their variety and multitude distract
AM "Scrwne!m every unliscri mating student, i'm.
partial criticism, governed ly tie views just mcr-
toned, it is one of the most ncsimable and inds-
pensah.e Of auXllliarics, to him who docs wish to
discriminate.
/ Essays, AMI Tales, having in view utility or
Inuse hcnt, or both Historical Skctches-and Re-
miniSccncCs of events too minute for Hi. tory, yet
ruciJ ting it, and heigh,ening lis Interest, ma !
b. regarded as forming The staple OF The work And
| Of Indigenous Poetry, enough is puhlisllcd-somc-
t:hieS OF no mean Stiain-o manifest aud to culii-
vate the growing poctica taste and Talents Of Our
coHniry.
The times appear for several reasons TO dcmpue
such wGrk--Lnd moi ono alone, but many The
p:hI:c mind is leverish and irritated STILL from re-
cr"t political stres--Thc soft, assuasiee influence
OF Literature is needed TO allay that fever, and
sooihe th.t irritation. Vice and folly arc rioling
abroud- They should be driven by indignant rchuke
or lasted hy rihicuc, into their fitting haunts. g-
noran:e lords it over all immense proportion of our
peorlc:--Every spring should be set in motion, 70
arouse the enlightened, and to increase their num-
ber so that lhe great enemy of popular government
ray no longer blood, like porlentous cloud, over
the desnies of our country. Andto accomplish all
these ends what more sowcrful agent can he employ
cd, than PERIODICAL the plan of the Mcssengci;
if that plan he carried out in practice?
TIL South peculiarly requires such an agcnt. Ia
all the Union, south of Washington there are Iut
two Literary publications! Norhword Of that city,
there are probably at least twenty five or thirty Is
this contrast justified by the wealth. the lcisure, the
native talent, tie actual literary taste, OF the
Southern people, compared with those OF tho North
ern? No: for in wealth, talents, and taste, we may
Justly claim at least an equality with our brethren,
and domestic institution exclusively our own, be-
yond all doubt affords us, if we choose, twice the
leisure for reading and writing, which they en-
oy.
1t was from deep sense of this local want, that
the word Southern was engrailed OIL the name OF
this periodical: and not with any design TO noursh
lutil prcjudices, to advocate supposed local inter-
cs,s Far from any such thought it is the Editor S
crvent wish to see the North and South bound en-
dearlnnly together forever in the silkcn bands of
| mutual kindness and affection. Far from mcdita
ting hostility to the north, lie has already drawn.
and he hopes Hereafter TO draw, much Of his cho
himself, should his pages, by making each region
know the other better, contribute in any essential
degree to dspel the lowering clouds that now thrca-
ten the peace of both, and to bright and strength
en- sacred lies of fraternal love.
The Southern Literary Messenger has now
reached the May No of its fourth volame. How
far has acted out the ideas here uttered is not for
the Editor to say. He believes, however, that it
falls not further short of thJrn, than human weak
ness usually makes PIactice fall short of Theory.
CONDITIONS.
l. The Southern Literary Messenger is publish
ed in monthly numbers, Of 64 large superroya &C.
tavo pa"es each, OH the best Of paper, and neatly
covered. at % year-payable in advance.
9. Or FIVE new subscribers by sending theiI
names and 800 at time to the editor, will re-
their copies for one year for that sum, at
81 fJr each
8 The risk of loss ofpaymcnts for subscriptions,
Which have been properly committed 10 the mail,
or to the hands of postmaster, is assumed by the
editor.
a. lra subscription is moi directed to be discon-
tinued before the first lumber of the next volume
| has been published it will be taken as a contnu-
mence with the beg inning Of the volume, and snot
be taken for less than a years publication, unless
the individual subscribing is willing to pay IS for
,horler perod--cveH if be for single number
5. he mutual obligations of the publisher and
subscsbcr fer the year, fully incurr'd, as soon
as tie first number of ths volume is issued and al
will BIT tune, TO dIsconinrance of subscription
oonte p":nittsd. Nor will subscription be dis
emantedrur any earlir notice, while any thing
din euufe. unless ache option of the editor.