"I was much delighted with the third number of the Messenger. It was
really a fountain of pleasure to me, and I shall never forget the
feelings which I experienced on reading the story entitled '_My
Classmates_.' I must believe that there cannot be any thing than the
most flattering hopes and prospects of your success in your truly
laudable--your truly patriotic undertaking. The people of Virginia, if
none others, will support its cause. They cannot--no, they will
not--they have too much love for the honor of Virginia, to let the
'_Messenger_' of science and literature suffer for the want of their
most liberal patronage. But you are not laboring for Virginia alone: it
is for the south--the _whole_ south; and might I not add, for the whole
country? For who doubts but that the Messenger is destined to call into
active exertion the genius of the south? And who would deny but the
south has genius which would do honor to the _whole_ country in any
walk? I shall never believe but that the land which produced a Henry, a
Washington, a Marshall, a Madison and Monroe, can also under favorable
auspices, produce a Cooper, Irving, Paulding, or _any man_. '_Go
ahead_,' as David Crockett says, '_since you are right_.' I send you a
subscriber."
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