It has been our custom, hitherto, to offer some few _Editorial
Remarks_ explanatory, complimentary, or otherwise, upon each
individual article in every Messenger. For this we had many reasons
which it will be unnecessary to mention in detail. But although, in
the infancy of our journal, such a course might have seemed to us
expedient, we are _now_ under no obligation to continue it. We shall
therefore, for the future, suffer our various articles to speak for
themselves, and depend upon their intrinsic merit for support.
In our next will appear No. VIII of the Tripoline Sketches: No. III of
the Autobiography of Pertinax Placid: and many other papers which we
have been forced for the present to exclude. Many poetical favors are
under consideration.
We avail ourselves of this opportunity again to solicit contributions,
especially from our Southern acquaintances. While we shall endeavor to
render the Messenger acceptable to all, it is more particularly our
desire to give it as much as possible a _Southern_ character and
aspect, and to identify its interests and associations with those of
the region in which it has taken root.
As one or two of the criticisms in relation to the Tales of our
contributor, Mr. Poe, have been directly at variance with those
generally expressed, we take the liberty of inserting here an extract
from a _letter_ (signed by three gentlemen of the highest standing in
literary matters) which we find in the Baltimore Visiter. This paper
having offered a premium for the best Prose Tale, and also one for the
best Poem--_both_ these premiums were awarded by the committee to Mr.
Poe. The award was, however, subsequently altered, so as to exclude
Mr. P. from the second premium, in consideration of his having
obtained the higher one. Here follows the extract.
"Among the prose articles offered were many of various and
distinguished merit; but the singular force and beauty of those sent
by the author of the _Tales of the Folio Club_, leave us no room for
hesitation in that department. We have accordingly awarded the premium
to a Tale entitled _MS. found in a Bottle_. It would hardly be doing
justice to the writer of this collection to say that the Tale we have
chosen is the best of the six offered by him. We cannot refrain from
saying that the author owes it to his own reputation, as well as to
the gratification of the community, to publish the entire volume, (the
Tales of the Folio Club.) These Tales are eminently distinguished by a
wild, vigorous, and poetical imagination--a rich style--a fertile
invention--and varied and curious learning.
(Signed)
JOHN P. KENNEDY,
J. H. B. LATROBE,
JAMES H. MILLER."
We presume this letter must set the question at rest. Lionizing is one
of the Tales here spoken of--The Visionary is another. The _Tales of
the Folio Club_ are sixteen in all, and we believe it is the author's
intention to publish them in the autumn. When such men as Miller,
Latrobe, Kennedy, Tucker, and Paulding speak unanimously of any
literary productions in terms of exalted commendation, it is nearly
unnecessary to say that we are willing to abide by their decision.
In every publication like ours, a brief sentence or paragraph is often
wanted for the filling out a column, and in such cases it is customary
to resort to selection. We think it as well, therefore, to mention
that, in all similar instances, we shall make use of _original_
matter.