The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1866-07-14
Southern Newspapers and South
ern Literature.


A great deal has been said and writ.
ten on the Importance of sustaining the
newspapers and encouraging the liter
ature of the South, bat very little has
been done to effect "a consummation
so dpvoutly to be wished" 1t is easy
to talk and write, but it is hard thing
for the Southern people to put their
hands in their pockets and furnish the
lone thing needful" in this matter viz:
the money. without which readable
newspaper cannot be published. They
can hate and abuse the Yankees. for
this costs nothing, but they take their
papers and will patron re themi in prefer
ence to their own These papers are
so full of wood cuts and terrible mur-
ders. robberies and rapes, and snch de-
lightful mishaps and disasters in high
life among the Goldfish and petroleum
aristocracy; and then, what is more,
they can be had for a dollar or two less.
Southern newspapers, we are told,
are so dull and void of news. with so
little reading matter in comparison.
In the name of al that is honest, how
can they expect much without paying
for it! Good editorials cannot be
written without brains, nor type set
up without hands, and heads and hands
cannot work without food. and food
cannot be had without money. Tele-
graphic dispatches cost money and a
great deal of it too. The Northern
newspaper can afford to publish more
matter for less price because they
are patronized. Northern people en-
courage their own publications as they
do their own manufacturers. They
never spend their money for Southern
newspapers, not they, they are too
knowing and smart for that. So of
their literature, they are always prais-
ing it and belittling ours. They are
constantly putting one another and
blowing their own trumpets, and it is
astonishing what an effect is produced
on the public mind by all this noisy
self commandation the world is so apt
to accept without examination the as
sumptions and assurances of the igno-
rant and designing. There has scarce
ly ever been anything of good, sound
honest criticism in this country. A
book is often published in the Nortf
and favorable notices are paid for il
the leading reviews and journals, anC
Southern people are found TO buy an(
read it and think it fine because they
are told so by the paid critics. Suel
people come at last to believ'
that Southern newspaper oI
a Southern book is not wortl
their attention. much less thei
money. They appreciate nothing a
home, they admire everything from I
distance. They would prefer a pebble
from the cutters of New York or Phil
} adelphia 10 diamond at their owl
doors. They pore over the trash,
novels of Mrs. Stevens and Emerson
Bennett. neglecting the beautiful pro
duotions Of Simms and Cooke and Mis-
Evans. Have we no Southern litera
ture to be proud Of !? There is NOR
thought and learning in Beulah or Ma
earia than in whole cart load O
Northern novels. Let us think an
! Judge for ourselves Let us hold u
J our heads and exhibit some manhoo
and self respect and estimation. If W
are a conquered people there is no rea
son why our minds should be enslave
: and our hearts corrupted. Let us a
n go to work earnestly to build up an
c sustain not only our agriculture. con
merce and manufactures, but also ou
newspapers and literature. We hav
s. the brains and the muscle to achiey
wonders and attain greatness, if "
It will use them to advantage. We lac
g nothing but energy and perseverance,
: -[San Antonio Herald.