Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1860-01-23
sonthnrf, Literature.

n
we stated that the South was fast escaping FROM
the repro.eh. that was formerly cas-, upn heT, oil
literary inferior;ty to the North. In pr'"f Of this
fact we see II stated. on good authority, that two
publishing Acs.es in New York have issued, with
in few months, the one fifteen aud the other sew
entcen different publications, writer by Southern
authors, representing Louisiana Alabama, oeor-
yia. South Carolina. Virginia and Kentucky
The euir. drawback 10 the natural crsuhca-
non rc should feel in contemplating this e'rcum'
,tancc is the fact that these authors weui to the
North t, hare their books printed, However 1t
NAV have formerly bee n, It's sndeninAy true tha,
at this time we can execute printing a. well IN
the Southern States Of this Onion anywhere
in the worid---sad we believe il lie done bet
ter. There is no excuse for any Southern author
10 70 beyond his section to have his book printed
and it he cannot be taught this fact IN any 9th
er way let the Scuthcrn public determine TO buy
no book OF Southern authorship. which bears tho
imprint Of = Northern publisher.
The New York journal Of Commerce lately de.
Tended the Souih and very successfully too
aga Ms; the charge olliters-y nteeiority and the
New Orleans Picayuus has some pertinent; and
short time age" says that journal III was made
. rcproach to the South that she had no literature.
To the enervating influence Of the climate andNhc
indolcBcc supposed To be engendered by the pccn-
liarity of social institutions was charged the al
legged fact that nothing worthy x very high
place in the republic Of letters. had been produced
But the reproaeh was ycars ago really without
solid foundation, and pos cannot with any degree
of truth be urged. The reasons psesent'd as phi
losorhical solution Of the question. why the South
had not achieved higher iriumphs in letters, were
fallaeious. Her climate is in reality favorable to
high mental development Her States lie between
the parallels which, in the aid world, produced
the great masters in art and the slye r-tonguo
poets whose minstreiey We, charms de oril,
The historic monuments &c the early civilization
OF our race are lI the warm lat,tudts Ruins whose
scattered fragments arc the admiration o. traveller
and scholar statues and paintings waich modern
genius looks rcverenuy upon as models that they
may initiate but no. excel; gigantic public works.
the result ouly Of the hughes. intellect usl pro-
gress but Of great physcal energy, all exis where
the parchos the plsinn ar sdmulatts ,"ge-
tation with great activity aud eKubersnce. There,
too slavery existed IL the brightest eta Of mental
triumphs.
As though 70 establish our latitude and soca
institutions the best calculated 20 produce tho
modest manifestation Of intellectual energy. tho
South has been prominent in the Grst oo,G TO with
OF eooo,ry--a .eivid popular cio1ucnce,--
Patrick Henry will over stand tnremns; am ong
those WHO seem gifted with in.pira,ien of thou ght
aud an utcr4Lc'. - win tonga. u ERE. ''al-
houn and Preston, Ciay aud Hreci inriigo. Me
Duiie and Randolph, and hundreds Of 9th crs in
every Southern State have received she III ant les
of the prophets of cloquence who proceeded the m
perpefuating line Of intellectual giants Of
whom he country is proud to he thought worth y.
The exhibition 81 this species Of mental woI tn
was an indication q The power that mig ht
and would he Developed under favorable c,rcuin
stances. Eloquence and craftsmanship were the
first fruits, because 'hesn qualities werc demanded
by the exigenciss Of the tunes ghey spruug in
t. beng whom States to be formed; civil
MD social institutions 20 be moulded; people
diverse in origin and association 10 ba wrought
into harmonious mosaic. Poetry comes next
in order II is the warbliog CT the s"ul IN rc'-
ponse to what is beautiful grand, or touching Ia
nntnre or human action The South = ,ul OF
poetic melody; not perhaps long and well sustain
ed strains-ao grand cpics that will q, down Ia
other ages. growing more attractive with timo--
but those cheerful melodies that tell Of happiness
and comiort-that respond in human eme,ious,to
the beauties Of natere-tbat are ntterauc.s Of
cultivated tastes, soul alive &c harmony aud fill
ed with images 81 the beauiiiUl.
With tire acquisition Of wealth and leisure
come the products OF The stud -the laaors 81 the
scholar. class Of literat grows up as sn,iety
demands their iabors.
- begin to appear at the Sosth. In the va
ried departments ct literary effort che products of
Southern mind are at the present momcnt pass
ing through the press. while many books have
been lately issued that have created marked SEN
sation in the country
We could Of our own koowleegc point to many
persons OF ripe scholarship and taste who
are at work producing other bouks that prom
Use to be worthy additions to our national litera.
aure, and honorable to the character Il the Sou
thern mind.
Indeed it ia but lately that the want Of South
ern authors has been strongly felt We have just
begun to perocive that history by Nortbera uri
ters almost ignores the South, and even the histo
ry of tho revolation in which the heroisnl the for
titude the sacrifices, and the ehvalry of the Sos,
were most conspicuous, scarcely mentions our bat
tie fields cur share in the sharp encourters in
the Middle States. The want will be supplied
Sons Of the South will tell the romantic story Of
settlement. the thrilling events Of colonial lie.
the terrible bat glorious national birth in which
the State ~ 43e vrr;t~r .v; he vs IL. lo..