Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-07-10
Ante-BeIlum Literature North anc
South.

rary matters could place itself in the posi-
tisr which that journal must, by reason OF
the article in question. occupy before an
intelligent and reading public. II must
be grossly ignorant, or be swayed by
partisan or sectional prejudice that
completely wsrps its literary Judgment.
The article Is ossenslbly = euIogy OF Mr..
| HARRIS. In ali it says Of Mr.. HARRIS we
heartily concur. Nobody is disposed to &C.
cord him higher place in literature than
are We. We know OF nothing that equals
| his negro dialect work and his portrayal OF
| the best impulses OF the negro excspi the
| little gem. "M1s Chan" by THOMAS n.
! PACE, recently published in Seri5'ser. He
Is making a sustained effort in a wealthy
and important field, and Mr.. PAGB should
follow his example. But when the Josr-
| nal eulogizes Mr.. HARgIs at the ex-
pense OF the literary past OF the
South; when it makes such eulOgy
| the occasion for Measurements and for
venting its spleen against southern society
| and southern institutions; when it uses
one mans work to pervert the record OF
all that is best and lruest in southern meth
DDS Of thought. we must enter an emphatic
protest. And in 30 doing we protest, we
believe, for Mr.. HARRIS also.
To give some insight into the Journals
article, we make the following extracts:
ave suppose that there will be as little
dispute now, even among intelligent south
erners themselves, that practically the
whole product OF southern literature before
tho war was worthless, and had nothing 10
keep its existence even in remembrance,
as when Sydney Smith derisively
asked the question, Who reads an Anne
ricsn book'
"The literature OF the South before the
war was considerably less mature than that
Of the North, and essential, sophomore,
crude, and artificial. For this there were
several reasons. One was the less degree
Of general education, the smaller circle and
greater isolation Of cultured society, and
consequently feebler stimulus upon intel
lectuaI development"
"Finally and most effectual OF all, the
state Of society was false and artificial, and
created an essential fslsity in It's literary
pTOuUCI. I1OtlN u lDt DtpDtt
serted the righteousness Of slavery they
were, il not in secret ashamed Of it, at least
awaie that IL was condemned by the voice
OF the civilized world and could not he
successfully defended against it. Therefore
they avoided the true and native sources
OF strength, the wonderful elements OF
human interest in tragedy and humOr with
which IL cOlOred life, and sought inspira-
ton in pseudO-classic and other themes
which they found in books, and which,
like all such limitations, were utterly false,
barren, and worthless. All that there is
OF southern literature before the war that
is OF any value whatever is volume or
two OF character sketches, coarse and crude,
and OF which their authors were ashamed
for their lack Of dignity, but true 20 life
and affording valuable picture OF past
age.'
alt would not have been more OF a sur
p-ise TO the southern people ii they had
been told that the only product OF genius
that would I've. in the worlds mind and
survive by the saving qualities OF truth,
sincerity, and originality, was being pro-
duced without their knowledge by the
ignorant and deSpsed race OF bondmen,
than that they would be overwhelmed in 4
struggle for independence on their native
soil by the base mechanics OF the North"
at was the slave. and not the master,
who was creating all that is worth anything
in the literature of the South before the
war. and the fact is another example of the
wonderful irony OF fate in revenging
wrong and Furnishing the oppreSsor."
We have frequently asserted that the
negro is the bane Of the journal. If that
fact had net been established already it
would, we think, be established by the
above. The quotations we have made not
| only carry their own comment on that par
ticular point, but prove conclusively, we
think, that Mr.. HARRIs's wTk Is q side
| issue compared with the true object OF the
( article which is to bring the South in re-
proach in respect of everything pertaining
TO education, civilization, and morals.
And il we leave the negro out OF the ques-
ton as far as possibls, the force Of this
last assertion Is not weakened. II the
| Journal is not ignorant OF the his
| tory OF southern literature, it must
| stand convicted OF wiliul mlsrepresen-
| tation for most unworthy pur-
| pose. We dislike TO take this ground,
| but are forced to it. II is not so that south.
erners consider that practically the whole
product OF southern literature before the
| war was worthless; il is not so that the
| literature OF the South before the war was
considerably less mature than that OF the
North, and was essentially sophomore,
| crude, and artificial; It Is not so that there
was feebler stimulus upon intellectual
| development in the South than in the
| North; It is not so that the state
| Of society was false and artificial and
| created an essential falsity in literature;
and, above all, 1t is not so that call that
there IL OF southern literature before the
! war that Is OF any value whatever is
volume or two Of character sketches, coarse
and crude, and Of which their authors
were ashamed for their lack OF dignity"
| For the South TO admit any OF the Jour.
! mars propositions would be TO stultlfy
herself aud contravene the most competent
literary criticism.
Ii a fact capable Of demonstration that
In every department Of literature the South
made as strong and as healthy an impress
sion before the war as did the North, and
II Is simply because the North published
our books that this has not been more gem
orally recognized. The finest private libra
ries of the country were In the South; in
proportion TO population there were,
as Dr. J. l.. NJ. CURRY has frequently
stated In his public lectures, more col.
leges and collegebred men in the South
than there were in the North; and there
was everything in our "srtihciL society"
10 create stimulus upon intellectual de-
yelopment. These last positions can be
sustained by the records OF the sales OF |
rare books In the South since the war and |
the educational statistics OF the census.
As TO the "volume or two OF character |
sketches, coarse and crude, and OF which
their authors were ashamed" etc., we
would reply TO that by asking the Jour
no! fey questions. Is there anything
IN the sweet influence Of MARIAN HAIR
LAND or the wholesome lessons in