Independent Democrat., 1843-11-04
In Advance.
Number :.

that by their variety and multitude distract
and oyerwhelm every undiscriIninating
student, impartial criticism, governed by
the views just mentioned, is one OF the
most inesiimablc and indispensable Of aux
ilaries, to him who does IRISH 10 6iscrimi-
naie.
Essays, and Tales, having in view util-
ity or amusement. or bolh-Iistorical
Sketches-and "reminiscences Of events
too minute for History, yet calculating il,
and heighlening its interest, st,--may be re-
garded as forming the staple of the work.
And of indigenous Poetry enough is pub
ished--sometime of no mean strain---te
manifest and to cultivate the growing po.
etical taste and talents of our country.
The times appear, for several reasons,
to demand such a work--and not one
alone, but many. The public mind is fa-
verish and irrtated still, from recent poll
iical strifes:--'rhe soft, nssuasiye influ-
ence of Literature is needed, to aIlay that
fever, and soothe that irritation. Vice and
folly are ripting abroad They should be
driven by indignant rebuke, or lashed by
ridicule, into their fitting haunts. lgno-
rance lords it over an immense proportion
Of our peope:-Every spring should be
set in motion, to arouse the enlightened,
and to increase their number; so that The
great enemy Of popular government may
no longer brood, like a portentous cloud,
over the destinies OF our country. And TO
accomplish all these ends, what more pow
erlul agent can be employed, than peri
odical, on the plan Of the Messenger; if
that plan be but carried out in practlce2
The SOUTH peculiarly requires such an
agent In all the Union, south of Wash
ington, there are but two Literary period
icaIs Northward of that city, there are
probably at least twenty-five or thirty! Is
this contrast justified by the wealth, the
leisure, the native talent, or The actual lit
erary taste, of the Southern people, COM
pared with those of the Northern! No:
for in wealth, talents, and taste, we may
Justly claim at least an eqahty with our
brethren; and a domestic institution exclu-
siyely our own, be"ond all doubt affords
us, if we choose, twice the leisure tor
reading and writing, which they cnjny.
1t was from deep sense Of this local
want, that the word SOUTHERN was engrait-
ed on the name of this periodical: and not
with any design 10 nour:h local prejudi-
ces, or TO advocate supposed local interests.
Far from any such thought. il Is the lGdI-
tors icrvent wish, to see the North and
South bound cndearinaly together forever.
in the silkcn hands of mutual kindness and
affection. Far from mcditaing hostility
to The north, nc has already drawn, and no
hopes hereafter TO draw, much of his choi-
cest matter thence: and happy indeed will
he deem himself, should his pages, by ma
king each region know the other he:ter,
contribute in any essential degree to dis
pei forever the lowering clouds that so
lately threatened the peace of both, and
10 brighten and strengthen the sacred ties
of fraternal love.
The Southern Literary Messenger has
now nearly completed its NINTH voLuME.
and NINTH YEAR. How far il has acted
out the IDEAS here uttered, is not Cor the
Editor to say. He believes, however, that
It falls not further shott of them, than hu-
man weakness usually makes Practice fall
short of Theory.