New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-08-08
A WORD FOR THE MAGAZINES.

To ne Edifer Of The N. r. Tribune.
SIR: Having read one Of your attractive leading
article feel disposed to show the false philosophy of
itthat is if you are not too much displeased with
this fisnkness of address.
You compare our magazine enterprise to & strand
stIewn with wrecks and you WISH if not to discourage,
at least to VAIN those who may be Opposed to "try
again in the same way. You point to the failures.
But, look round the habitable globe" and tell
what is the law of human effort, and the fate Of the
best laid schemes Of mice and men. All progress may
be called an aggregate of individual faluresor what
seem such-as the history of the greatest men can
prove and the best and most representative men have
been the ofenest bafled Need give you instances
Turning from this general view, ask, why apply TO
our literature argument you will not apply to that
other phase of our civization-our commercial enter
prise? Will you attempt to discourage and paralyze
the great onward movement Of the millions busy
with their railways, steamers, mines, and so forth, by
showing that these do not always pay, and very often
burst upl No, you will not attempt to control the
spirit of the age. You know the way Of the world is
vast march or battle, and that the rubbish Of all
the failures only goes to macadamze the track for the
general advance attack, strife of progress All
that we have on earth has been picked up from dsap
pointments mistakes cata Nrophes, and we must still
continue TO stumble and fail; but We must still 60 on.
Better fifty years of Europe than cycle of Csthay.
Copse quehty, Sir, your disparagement Of the poor
magazines is net philosophical. We must have more
of them. They are necessary things. But it Is not
at all necessary that the projectors Of them should
make by them If they fail, why !" they fail, as Lady
Macbeth says; but others are always ready to play
cut the play. Besides, it fact that failing ag.
zine wonderfully comforts and encourages some folk
lsee Rocbfoucauld) instead of depressing them. In
another part of your article you 60 on to say, aud
show how the ready fresh newspaper has supplanted
the monthlyhere especially. This is true in great
measure. In the midst Of q population like ours,
where the minds of men in incessant hurry and
race of business, it could hardly be otherwise People
like something short But surely this is not state
of things for your philosophy to rejoice over Any
thing which should create more slow and solid order
of thought among would be for our benefit; and
whether they succeed not, is to be hoped that
higher and graver order Of magazines viii be still
maintaned n this county to draw out OF the ddy
currents and make think, now and then, in the quiet
corners ard breathing spaces we can yet afford.
Encourage the Glow, solid magazines, Sir by all
means. Encourage slow reading. People don't read
newspapers; they through them-the generality,
at least-seeing that tO-mOrrOws paper is hurrying
up and when it comes If will make the present jour
ra old and STALE Msgazine-readng has currency for
thirty times as long; and of all people in the world We
want that kind Of reading most. As it s, our maya
zine literature does not show hopelessly. If ony
improves in the next fuStrum as it has done IN the
last, will be cheerful thing to look to- Relatively
it has improved more than that Of England.
Youis, SPES.