Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-01-18
and indulging

al nronrietor, and induiging Wy
much pcrcharce In the. ease and
tha eleear,ces Of life. dipping into THIS anu
sippjne of that intellectual pufsui,.. icy
a. a whole did not possibly DO tne is.s i.,,s
work Of which they were cepaoie, ~" s;as
evidence of their hardihood Or ehp hs IND
Rut that thew were made Of the rignt kino
- ,natey;al thew conclusively proved wnen
Tor right and principle, in that great socla,
cyoione which swept over the oouth anu u
we'll Mich swept il out OF existence, tney W
a man stood firm and breasted the revoiu-
enn vbich took from them oil that they
held dear and sacred save their honoi.
Twentv.fiye years have passed, and rom
the ashes of ruined hearthstones anu tion lu
fields moistened and damp with plooa nsS W.
enrung no a race who. putting tneiI nan ~.
10 tho plowshare. have gone pla W. an H. H.,
with only the memory of days that shall 90
no more. and with but little 20 hope ior ia
The fntnre. But did they wait ana SIT "a
dsytnessY Not they The men OF tns
South proved themselves men indseu.
Cbaerod ON by the women, who, stanulhy
shn,ider Ia shoulder with their lords, and
who deserve to be sung in story through
the eternal ages TO come, they wept not III
weakness or despair, but with spartan en-
dnrance they shouldered their puruen anu
began life over again without ihurnuI VI
a plea for help. ob IN
varied experiences, they to-day stanu a
distinct part of n great nation. Does no,
tbe world know us as southerners as Wen
az Americans? We count ourselves nappy
70 he both. but probably some would not
be az proud of being the latter were IL not
that thew were the former also.
And now, think you not, on. people OF
tho South, that the time draweth nlgh
when we should again take up our own
medium of expression for subjects. scenes,
times and types of our people? Know you
not that many who could give US much
that Is we'll worthy of keeping on, record
are fest diving out? The old school OF
southern gentlemen and gentlewomen IS
randy passing away. Cannot we 90
something TO keep them as typical OIL
an almost distinct class before our
children and our children's chill
dren? Old customs that are almost
abandoned: old styles OF lavish hospitality
so charming to- hear from lips OF In story
are being abolished. Cannot we MAKE
some effort 10 retain all this ere u De 700
LATE? Are we to have our histories OF the
late war made up from articles written by
northern sympathizers in northern maya,
zines? The younger generation does not
know the truth of the matter; shall thelr
ideas be formed from such articles az are
naturally favored by opposing sentiment
That great literary talent has been almost;
recently developed in the South IL wen
known TO the literary world, but that there
il much still dormant and unawakened by
opportunity is equally true. Shall II lie
waste and idle2
No doubt all those opposed TO the esstab-
lishment of a southern magazine shrug
their shoulders and say: impossible; II
cannot be done; we have not inc money
to put into such O scheme"
Unfortunately for the promoters or In
stigators of any literary or artistic venture
those to whom they have to apply for the
financial aid, without which they are help
less 10 act. are often incapable of looking
nj any enterprise from any other stand
noinf than that of a money-making one
and unable to see that good per cent. car
be realized at once, they clap their hands
over their pockets and vigorously shake
their heads.
world than 1t has ever been before Is an
undisputed fact that besides being III
dulged in for legitimate and profitable mo,
tiyes it is the fashion to at least pretend
to keep ND with certain styles OF literature
and the demand for good order Of writing
Is steadily increasing, consequently
now there are thousands Of subscribers &c
monthly magazines where once there were
hundreds.
If it be true, as is so confidently pre-
dicted on every side, that the South is the
coming centre of all things great, both
from a commercial. manufacturing, and
mining point of view, if it is to maintain
it's reputation for culture, refinement, and
elegance and for all things high and noble
ever keeping its banner aloft, then why
should it not keep up with the literarS
progress of the day? Why can 1t not meet
the intellectual demands of the age? and
WHY can we not have as literary centre
for the South our own Richmond, already
historic and famous for many things and
capable Of being famous for many more.
Here at our right hand, as Mr.. Ingle very
truly tells us, IS q mine of literary wealth
and resources that our people wot not. Of
We refer to the State Library, rich IN his
toric lore and full of delightful associa-
tions: pregnant with great possibilities O:
the groundwork of future fiction.
While we know that the organization and
maintenance of southern magazine
which in matter at least should rival those
of the North requires an outlay of money