Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1858-10-09
From the New Orleans pieeyune
HOW THE NORTH SUPPLIES THE SOUTH
WITH LITERATURE.

No little surprise has. at times, been manifested
at the want OF success ut every attempt to establish
literary papers in the South, and at the failure 0
almost every weekly Journal which has ever beer
issued. Some have asserted that the people of tn,
| South were not n reading people that, absorbed
in business or devoted to pleasure, they neither hat
time devote to literature nor inclination for suci
relaxation. Such an impression can only be en-
terained by those ignorant Of the habits and th'
phrtaities Of our people.
The Inhabitants of New Orleans an! Of the Soutl
are liberal contributors to Northern journals In
stead OF nOurIshing those which have their origin
here and would reflect Southern opinion and
Southern intellect they regular readers of such
as are published in Northern cities ard contain the
trnshiost productions Of even Northern intellect -
brief summary Cf the weekly sales Of Northern
news papers in this city will establish this assertion.
In the facts condensed it is also worthy of note that
the New York LEDGER journal that contains on.
y the whipped syllabus Of literature-has the
wides circulation.
A few months since the following weekly sale of
papers published in northern cities made in
New Orleans lIarper's Weekly. 1900 copies !;
New York Ledger. 2500 Police Gazette, 500 ::
Frank Leslie, 400 Ballou's Pictorial, $50 New
York Clipper, 800; New York Herald, $50: and
several other wecklies OF New York and Boston,
ranging in number Of copies sold from $50 to 500
copies each, making in all total sale Of $500 cop
les per week.
Household Words, by Dickins is sold to the
number Of 100 per month
The American monthlies, published at tho North,
reach a circulation OF 5000 copies in New Orleans,
Of which lIarpers has circulation Of 900 copies.
The total expense Of these publications to this com
muuity is S4j 600 per annuIn.
Here il the secret Of the want Of success Of home
journals Of u literary character. The North has
possession Of the field. Thrty'two thousand OF
our population, allowing only four persons to
family into which these journals 90, are brought
constantly ard habitually in contact with North
ern mind. We need not say that the character Of
most Of these northern journals, indeed Of almost
all of them except Iarpers is not such is calcua
ted to improve the taste develop thought or puFi'
fy the heart. Still less do they communicate val
liable knowledge, or aim at anything higher than
to cater to morbid sonsbities.
If we desire to create Southern liter a,ure, we
must first determine to foster home journals in
stead of those published in the Free States, and
nourish them into prosperity tina! will react up
on Southern mind and incite it TO activity.
A comparison, which we are able to make, will
give to the views here expressed still greater force.
Two frst-cass magazines are published in the
Southern States Russell's Magazine, published
in Charleston, and the Southern Literary Messen-
ger, published in Richmond. These will compare
tavorably with any Magazines in the country
The latter has been regularly issued for twenty
five years. OF these journals there are but So cop'
les circulated in this city, 40 of RusselPs, and Is
Of the Messenger.
The fact is, the South has little literature be
cause it shows liberality to Southern produc
tiOns, and is content while berating the encroach
ments of the North, to pay tribute to every enter
prise which any literary adventurer of the Free
States may undertake.