The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1862-02-20
- CIarl1's IxnicAcrDocker.''

THE following letter from LOUIS AYLOR CLARK,
formerly editor of the Knickcrbocker Maya
zine to GEORGE D. Prentice, is characteristic of
its good natured, jovial author. and explains what
has heretofore been considered dark In Octo-
Der or November, the "Knickerbocker'' fell from
its high estate as a Literary magazine, and per-
mitted its pag to be prostitued to the advocacy
ofthe vilest political heresies. II was thought
strange, by those who knew him. that Mr.. CLARK
would consent to such conduct of his magazine !;
but the letter referred explains it satisfactorily
We cordially wish "Cla-k's Knick erbocker' that
success which, under the control of is able editor,
it will so justly merit.
He says:
"When, in May. 1884, l took charge Of the
KsIcxERBocXER as sole editor and joint prOp"ie
tor, promised that thenceforth all politics, all
religious discussions, or polemical differences of
opinions should be sedulously excluded from its
pages that there surely could be one broad neu-
trail ground upon which all parties in politics, and
ell denominations in religion, could meet without
reading OH each others toes and that that
common ground was Literature. How we'll l
have kept this promise, let fifty volumes of the
Old knick bear witness and the result was,
that there grew up all affection in the public mind
toward the magazine and its editor. which to
me inexpressibly delightful And such corps of
contributors as drew around me were never APP
preached by any magazine in America.
Before the all of Sumter was in hopes that
the black cl i of secession might prove to be
no bigger thaia mans hand = and when, some
time before, made my little nine year old kite
70 float ia the free air of Rock!and, over the Tap
pan-Zee, split the difference in this wise: the
uprigI. was the northern cedar the cross piece
WAS southern pine the bow of old bic kory
and the tail was made of alternate scraps of the
Charleston Mercury and the New York Tribune.
"Of no avail this proprietary compromise
kite Sumter fell the brave, noble Anderson
filled our great metropolis with his renown and
his praise and henceforth Union was the watch
word, the only here, and my little boy, instead
of flying compromise kites, was the standard
bearer in a company of beautifully uniformed
Juvenile Zouaves and it used to thrill me take
hold of his little moist hand in the night bis
tered in carrying our glorious flag.
"Of course, war was now the to1c in the
hausted in the daily papers n month before, even
when the war articles were not made out of
whole cloth in the office.
I" That could be stood E, but when the proprie-
tor began 70 crowd politics into nv Table to
make me responsible for the most rabid abolition
and emancipation sentiments = from the mo t in
experienced and cfudeSe sources-which our
struggling government at Washington had repu-
dated as not only impolitic but dangerous,
thought it proper that | should Withdraw from the
concern and did not hesitate at once to do so.
have not had line in the magaz ne since No
vember
Please 10 announce, nv dear Prentice that the
first number of CLARK's KNIcKERgocKER MAGA-
ZINE will appear the LIST OF March next printed
on new type Its old page, cover and vignctte re-
stored; its old correspondents rallied to the support
OF their old friend the editor; the whole to be af-
forded at Two Dollars Year. 1t shall be a cheer
full hopeful, entertaining magazine rejecting no
quarrelsome politics, no disputatons, no denomi-
national polemics but rather the pathos and the
humor, the wants AMI the interests, of all social
humans here and elsewhere
Unlike its abolition nomesake, whose editor
and publisher live in Boston, where the work is
edited, it will be Knickerbocker in reaIity-'a
genial New Ork Knickerbocker, and not Bos-
ton Knickerbocker Heaven save the mark.
:" Eish you would ask my editorial friends,
who may see this announcement in your columns
TO copy it. and 'eirkeate cirkelate > as the ed
Stor Of the Bunkum FlqgstaF would say. will
not forget the kindness az their haI ds
"With pleasant remembrances of thirty wears.
your old friend,
"LEwfs GAYLoa CLARK"