We are very proud in being able to afford our friends so many and so
great evidences of the Messenger's popularity, as are contained in the
following Notices.[1] From all quarters we have received
encouragement--in the approval of our past labors, and in prophecies
of our future success. We desire to call the attention of all who are
interested in the advancement of Southern Literature, to the matter,
the manner, and the _source_, especially, of the Extracts subjoined.
We hazard little in saying, that _never before in America has any
Journal called forth so unanimously, testimonials so unequivocally
flattering, as the First Number of the Second Volume of our "Southern
Literary Messenger."_
[Footnote 1: The Notices here appended, are very far from _all_ we
have received. Many are omitted for want of room. All those left out,
are unexceptionably flattering to ourselves.]
_From the Richmond Whig_.
_The Literary Messenger_.--Nothing is more repulsive to our taste,
than puffing--one of the artifices of book-making and book-selling,
reduced in this our time, to a science. It is dishonest, for its
object is gain at the expense of truth, and its means are imposition
on those who are not familiar with the tricks of trade. It is unjust,
for modest and unobtrusive merit is often compelled to languish, from
the rival advantage given to mediocrity or worthlessness, by the
meretricious puff direct. It is injurious and disgraceful to
Literature, and for ourselves, we feel a repugnance to whatever we see
puffed, by which we mean praise disproportioned to merit, and praise
administered by the shovel full, without the administerer being
possibly able or pretending to assign a cause or to point out a beauty
to justify his rapture.
Mr. White's Literary Messenger is either the most transcendantly able
periodical in the United States, or its proprietor has been most
particularly successful in eliciting the puff--for it attracts more of
the notice of the Press, and is more uniformly admired and praised
upon the appearance of its successive numbers, than all the Literary
Periodicals in the United States put together. The North American,
Quarterly, &c. are comparatively lost sight of. It is universally
noticed--not only in the newspaper press of the great towns and
cities, but in the obscurest village sheet throughout the land. As
Virginians and Southrons, solicitous for the honor of Southern
Literature, we are proud to believe that this extensive favor bestowed
upon the Messenger, flows from its deserts, an opinion confirmed by
our personal knowledge of its enterprising, esteemed and modest
proprietor.
The last No. of the Messenger (for December) which commences the 2d
volume, is most emphatically admired and extensively complimented by
the American Press, and we have read portions of it with much
satisfaction. Among the rest, our friend Noah expresses his pleasure,
and any dealer in Literary wares may be happy to receive the
countenance of so fine a genius as the Major. We are no critics, and
beg leave to adopt his review with some qualification. We would praise
the Barbary Sketches more, for we really view them as the very best
specimens of History by any American. We will not subscribe to the
sentence against "Eliza of Richmond;" and the Major must look over the
"Broken Heart" again, and the next time wipe the moisture from his
specs.
The Critical Notices are much to our taste--decided in their
character, correct (as we think) in judgment, and lashing dullness, as
it always deserves to be lashed, with a cat-o'-nine-tails.