Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1855-10-12
'Jc vols, jo sai-, JIG crois,"
given with Il bcatitudc and radiancy OF expires
II voice treinulous with emotion, and sOul-telt RI
ruus sincerity, that surpassed any previous effort
drew down the house. Herself Il daughter Of L.
ono cannot realize that Rachel belongs To any
persuasion, when in the mimic scene she exclu
IL, suis ,Lrptiruns-r
"Jc vols. 10 sais, je crOis,"
For Mc ERqm,rer.
To tho Friends and Patrons of tho Southern Liz
terury Messenger.
" - T. A u u l.

y La , L Al L l. ~ Il.
Only two months remain 10 close the DIST volume
of the Southern Literary Messenger, mud pcrlapa its
existence forever, The period If rench;ug one's ma
jnriry is ordinarily the occasion of cxchans ing gratu-
lations with frlendS-in the case Of the Messenger II
seems likely 10 prove otherwise, and the probabilities
IRE that the number which completes its twcnty-first
year, will be the last ever issued. The proprirtors are
unwilling, however, 10 abandon 50 long established n
magazine, without a final appealto the patriotism and
generosity of the Southern people. for whose literary
interests II has labored so faithfully; and they are not
altogether without hope that they may meet with II
response that will enable them to continue lis publica-
tion. 1t is not an agreeable thought thu. The only
literary mssd-tHe IN The SUDthtIn States must he
discontinued for want Of patronage, and that niaga-
zine one, which, for nearly h quarter Of n century.
has represented the South in the world of
Letters, developed TO n great cxtcut its intellectual
resources, and ubly defended n.niilst persistent and
malignant attacks, It's socia. institutions. The pro-
prietors need not refer To the nlnny nhlo Essays which
hive appeared, from time 10 time, in the pages of the
Messenger. for proof Of the service il has rendered TO
the South and TO the Uniun-tu the South by setting
forth clearly and strongly the true bearing Of the
question of domestic slavery; to The Union, by calm
remonstrance with the North, and not untrt Quently
by fastening upon Northern men the conviction at the
mischief oi their interference in the affairs OF their
sla vehulding brethren. Nor is ii necessary that the
prnprictors should mention the many distinguished
writer's, some Of the most eminent i'll the annalsot Ame-
ricun literature, who have Inndo the Messenger the We
iiclc of their thoughts to the public, III order TO show
its literary excellence. Of these il might be sufficient
to cite DEW, TUCKER, MAuRY, PoE, SIHMs. CooKE,
DALDwIS, WAsnISGroN, GARNHrT, TO warrant the
assertion that when the literary history of the United
States comes to be written, the SOUTHERN LITERARY
MESSENGER will furnish much If its material.
But il is not the purpose Of flo pr"prictors Mt tlIs
tune to dwell upon the claims of the Messenger in the
past; tIcir present appeal has reference to the future,
and they therefore beg the attention of the friends
aud patrons Of the work To the following
PLAIN STATEMENT OF FACTS.
Three years ngn, al Il time when the Messenger WINS
lan-ulslInS Tor support, it WINS believed by the pre-
sent proprieturs, 1.-TWO of whom hnI then been en-
gagged i'll the office, under the late +. W. White, and
his successors, for thirteen years that by reducing
its price from 50 to 81, thereby putting it ms low as
any Northern publication, they would be enabled to
keep il up. This step was taken, aud III a short time
the subscription list was nearly doubled, encouraging
the proprictors 10 hope that the Messenger WINS nj
last placed upon Il solid Observation-Disclosures expectation.
Not more than half the Subscribers have paid their
dues, and every means tho proprictUrs have tried to
induce them tn pay, hns proved unavailing. Circu-
lars, bills, &C., &c, have been sent again und again,
and appeals hive been made on the cover Of the
work until they have lost all meaning-but all to no
purpose. True. Il inoagrc minority of the Mcssel-
gers subscribers havo reunited the amounts Of their
Indebtedness, and To such the proprietors nffcr their
thanks; but III many cases the only answer to their
just aud reasonable demands has been impairment
reputation OF the debt, and now at the close Of the
Twenty. First Volume, after years OF faithful devo.
ton to the cause of Southern Literature, the rropric-
tors nnu themselves illaOle [" inl'ntaiA Tie alaga-
zine, and with several thousand dollars outstanding
on their books.
lfthe present subscribers of the Messenger feel anv
interest in keeping up the magazine, we bc2 of them
Ia rcmi; US Mt uucc the sums they respectively owe; if
we have any real friends in the Southern Stntcs, We
ask. at this pressing time of need, that they will give
an earnest of their friendship hy procuring us new
subscribers for the coming year. Two months remain
yet for the decision of the qucsti"n-shnH Tie SOUTH
rrm Literary Messenger G discontinued! We await
that decision with real anxiety, having fully resolved,
however, unless some decided cilur, is made in its be.
half, to terminate its existence wish the December
number. THE PROpRlEIORS.
Oct. 9th, 1855.
r. Editor. friendly to the Messenger, will please
publish this appeal.