The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-01-26

Nem d ORR correspondence.
LETTER XVI.
New YORK, January 1912

| NEW DIRK, january lS42.
In my last, gave you briet history of four five
of the magazines of our country and the mode and
manner of conducting them | will now, in the alb
sence OF all news ofimpofancc, mention two or three
others and give you brief memorandum of some OF
the chief contributors. Besides Godrys Graham
Snowden's, the Arcturus and the Southern Literary
Messenger, there remains be noticed the Kncker-
booker, The Southern Quarterly, and one or twc
others. The Knickerbocker is well known to the
public. 1t has been many years established, and has
managed without much talent but great tact in its d
torial management, to win for itself large share of
public favor and the confidence of the literary world.
Ii has been supported by certain class comprising
good deal of talent wealth and birth, and is organ
of The arstocracy, Its writers have embraced The
chief literary men in this country and many in Eng
land. Washington living has, within twoycars past,
given his distinguished name to it. though writing
very little for it, 1t is edited By L. Gaylord Clark
Esq gentleman possessing great editorial tact and that
peculiar scaroir fare which will enable some men to
get along in the world with moe success than men OF
great abilities He writes very little for It under
the editorial head which he renders very amusing and
| entertaining by vein of quiet humor characteristic
both of himself and his late talented brother and coad-
jutor, w. Gaylord Clark Esq, whose "Ollapod" pa
pcrs, have seldom been surpass in this country, and
which irresistbly reminded the reader of the gentle
eliza" The reviews Of the Knickcrbocker are gene
rally only brief but wewrtten notices and would
be just but for failing the editor has, in common
with so many pscudoreviewers, both in tn 5 country
and England of reviewing the author instead of his
book mngling personal feeling and private preiu-
dice with the majesty of criticisms
The Southern Quarterly Review, the first number
of which appears this month, is destined to take a
high rank among periodicals, 1t is under the edito-
rial management of Mr.. Whitaker, late of the South
ern Literary Review, of Charleston, S. C. Mr.
Whitaker is gentleman who, from his scholarship
good taste, extensive reading, cool Judgment and
great experience, every way qualified for the task
he has imposed upon himself This is no hastily got
up review, destined to struggle through an cphcmera
existence. Two years previous to preparing the
first number, Mr. Whitaker travelled through all the
Southern and South Western States, visiting person
ally the mansions of all Southern men of intelligence
wealth, and influence, soliciting their cooperative
patronage. He was every where received with hos
ptality and Kindness and was every where successful
both in subscriptions and in engaging able writer's
When, therefore, he returned to New Orleans to
begin his editorial labos, il with subscription
list which he knew would fully sustain him in his en-
terprise The South have become interested in lis
success, and pride-a literary esprit du corps has
been awakened, and the result will be that in the
city OF New Orleans Review will be published
which is destined to take the very first place among
our magazines.
There are two or three other magazines in the
South, OF graceful, light character but which we
fear are to be transient in their existence as they
are beautiful and entertaining. The South has been
hitherto the grave of periodicals. The Southern
Literary Messenger has alone survived while score
have persisted The "Rose, published in Charleston
we believe, by Mrs Gilman valuable and usofu peri
odicol. 1t 49, however, juvenile in its character and
its aim is the combined instruction and entertainment
Of youth. In Philadelphia is also published a useful
magazine, called "the Ladies Garland" Its tendency