Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-01-18
ready pens 10 oil this southern magazine
to repisson. Isit not even sor ID
r.. ytnxxs az n Lady

Tho Views of . Lady.
n was only suggestion, very short lit
.le article. that came out In the Dispatch OF
Sunday. January sth instant, 10 those who
patiently have been waiting for some time
past 10 see Just such suggestion, Just On
intimation that the subject had sufnciept
life 20 admit OF sts being put before tne
public. II was full of deepest interest aud
Importance.
Probably many Of the Sunday readers
did not notice the little article suggesting
that the time Is rapidly approaching when
10 would bo we'll for the Southern LaierDy
Messenger TO be revived, for in VAIN nave
the subsequent issues OF the Dspd'ca peen
eearched 20 see whether the idea merely
sugoestea would bring forth any response
from persons interested in such matters.
The STATE. which was the first TO notice
the article, evidently has decided. that II
has settled the matter very conclusiveiy,
and that nothing further need be SAID on
the subject, when in remarking upon tne
suggestion IL tells US theidea isimpractica-
bic and impossible that II the South has
rary magazine and never will" Not
withstending this assertion we know
that the Southern Literary Messer1-
oer did sustain itself for thirty years.
and had it not been for the var would no
doubt be in existence now.
That Chicago eight years ago snouid
have made q signal failure IN It's Efforts 10
put before the public good magazine ID
by no means guarantee that should the
South mako such an attempt 1t, too. would
fail. Very possibly the public did not
care for a western magazine. There are
no needs or desires of the western people
that the magazines OF the North cannot
satisfy or fill, and inasmuch as the puoiic
appetite demands individuality, origlnali-
\ e I,fn ,,l
a people there was no material upon
which TO work in the organization oil
periodical supposed TO voice q certain peo-
ple, and 10 be reflector OF its section,
manners, and customs.
But lust what other portions of our
country lack does the South richly abound
in, for verify are we people peculiar 10
ourselves, and possessing as we do as
people and as nation those things that
make us stand before the world as a race
individual and distinct, do we need as no
other people do perhaps an outlet for our
individuality and distinctiveness which
shall preserve for ages to come and Tor
generations unborn those elements which
constituted in days gone by the charac-
teristics Of the South rs section and the
southern gentleman as q type.
In the very admirable article in the Dis"
patch Of Sunday, January 18th, OF Mr.. Ed
ward Ingle he tells us that over twenty-five
wears ago the Southern Literary Messenger
was one of the best reAectors of the social,
political, and literary life of the South du-
ring the years 80 full of intellectual yigor
preceding the war and in brief resume OF
its contributors gives US list OF men ana
women of whom. as people, we may well
be proud.
But It is not to do with the past nor to
recall its glories that we now discuss the
| &c ha nf rppar0a
| the reviving of magazine, which, follow
ing in many points the footsteps OF It's
worthy predecessor. shall yet keep fully up
with the changes and progress of the age.
/ While our magazine should be distinct
lively southern one. we would not have 1t
! 80 exclusively so as to keep from Its pages
| thai which would add to Its value or III
! crease its attractiveness.
Tho South to-day is better able to main
tain magazine than ever before in its his
! tory. Freed by force of circumstances
| from the exclusiveness that perhaps mar
rowed its outlook upon life before the
war. it is better able to-day than 1t has
! ever been TO put before the southern
people a magazine which shall reflect them
| as people, and which by being a means
| of expression for southern writers snail
| give birth TO talents long buried, or per-
| chance tied up in q napkin.
That these talents should be buried or
living dormant is due perhaps to the I'M
successful attempts to make use of them,
or if in any way are they acknowledged or
accepted, 70 often are the articles changed,
cut or added TO to suit the publishers
decree who prints to please she pSO tbs
originals sent.
That we should be entirely dependent
upon northern periodicals for literature
of this kind is reflection upon our South
land.
While perhaps lacking in the wealth that
we might almost say belonged in ante-bel-
lum DAYS to the fortunate few, yet as a
whole the South is better of to-day than
it has ever been.
Bound by the shackles of enervation and
Incidence which enveloped many OF the
wealthy years ago, owing to the conditions
of their ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS to
play any role but that OF q land