Benjamin Blake Minor

“ Poe is favorably known to the readers of the Messenger as a gentleman of fine endowments; possessing a taste classical and refined, an imagination affluent and splendid, and withal, a singular capacity for minute and mathematical detail. We always predicted that Mr. Poe would reach a high grade in American literature, but we also thought, and still think, that he is too much attached to the gloomy German mysticism to be a useful and effective writer, without a total divorce from that sombre school. ”

“ Thompson says: "The New Year opens well for Southern Letters. There are gratifying evidences, in many quarters of our beautiful and genial section of the country, of a rich blossoming of thought, a quickening of latent genius, a gushing forth of the bright waters of poetry from what has so long been thought a sterile and unsympathizing soil." ”

“ Dear Sir—In a late paragraph respecting the Southern Literary Messenger, you did injustice to that Magazine, and perhaps your words, if unanswered, may do it an injury. As any such wrong is far from your thoughts you will, of course, allow the editor of the Messenger the privilege of reply.
The reputation of a young Journal, occupying a conspicuous post in the eye of the public, should be watched by those who preside over its interests, with a jealous attention, and those interests defended when necessary and when possible. But it is not often possible. ”

“ Richmond had now no monthly literary periodical. Farewell to thee, dear old Messenger, thou patriarch and Nestor of American monthly magazine literature. Requiescas in honore. So far as is known to this warm friend, only one red-snapper, "scalawag" critic has wished thee an earlier demise.
The Messenger is spoken of designedly as the representative of American literature, though it was bound to be Southern also. It had hundreds of contributors from every portion of our even then wide Republic. ”

“ Some of the Southern States have done nobly. Georgia has even surpassed Virginia, in her generous support. Nor has the North rejected it, but has, in many sections, extended a liberal hand. Let old friends hold fast and new ones enlist in its behalf and the Messenger will seek to reward them, by bringing them solace, amusement and instruction, diffusing a spirit of literary ambition and a taste for letters and maintaining the cause of "true religion and virtue."
I shall address the patrons of the work in the next number, and will not now occupy their attention any longer. ”

“ Poe would stick to the department of criticism: there he is an able professor and he uses up the vermin who are continually crawling, unbidden, into the literary arena, with the skill and nonchalance of a practiced surgeon. He cuts them up by piecemeal and rids the Republic of Letters of such nuisances, just as a good officer of police sentences to their proper destination the night-strollers and vagabonds who infest our cities. We sincerely wish Mr. Poe well and hope that he will take our advice in good part. ”

“ Thomas Willys White was not a literary man; but an excellent printer, who had served part of his time in Boston, and no doubt his experience and observation there stimulated his enterprise and were of good service to him in undertaking the Messenger, in which he had higher aims than procuring a monthly job of printing. ”

“ Judge N. B. Tucker furnishes a note on Blackstone, Volume I, page 523, on Slavery, and thus opens the discussion of a subject in which the Messenger was bound to take a leading part for several years. The Judge was replied to in the next number; but in the present one the editor says: "Whilst we entirely concur with him that slavery as a political, or social, institution is a matter exclusively of our own concern, as much so as the laws which govern the distribution of property, we must be permitted to dissent from the opinion that it is either a moral or political benefit. ”

“ Here is another large and rich volume of 800 pages, with a January number of 104. But this time the editor has no poetic herald: at once, he extends New Year's greetings to patrons and friends. He is exultant as well as grateful and might appear to be boastful, were it not that he is able to state some big facts. He says: "Within the last year, our subscription list has increased largely and fresh numbers are daily lengthening it. Never has the circulation of the Messenger been as great as it now is." * * * "If the Messenger has been good in times past, it shall be better in times to come. ”

“ What is called poetry, by its authors, is not wanted. Fires are not accessible at this time of year and it is too much trouble to tear up poetry. If it is thrown out of the window, the vexatious wind always blows it back. ”

“ His serious sketches all bear the marks of bold, fertile genius. There is the dark cloud hanging over all; there are the dim, misty, undefined shapes in the background. But amid all these arise huge and magnificent columns, flashing lamps, rich banqueting vessels, gleaming tiaras and sweet, expressive faces. But the writings of Mr. Poe are well known to the readers of the Messenger" etc., etc. ”

“ A "Stranger," from Baltimore, has come in with some good poetry. Nasus sets "The Wheel of Life" to revolving. H. C. Lea helps Stranger; and so do Mrs. Eames, H. B. Hirst, E. B. Hale, Simms, and Edgar A. Poe, with "The Raven."
"The Raven" had appeared in the American Whig Review, and the Evening Mirror in New York; but Mr. Poe wrote to the editor and requested him to relax his rule in regard to republications, and let "The Raven" come out "in the beautiful typography of the Messenger." ”

“ If these have not been rightly understood, it is not probable that we can now make them palpable. One thing, however, we will venture to remark, in "rigid justice," and that is that one so sensitive as the editor of the Messenger, and so tolerant of a difference of opinion, may probably be led to reflect whether any provocation should induce the conductor of a grave literary work to censure "harshly" and "unexceptionably." Those who wield a ready and satirical pen very rarely consider that the subjects of their witticisms have nerves as sensitive as their own ”

“ Mrs. Sigourney has a pathetic poem "On the Deaf, Dumb and Blind Girl." But what the editor has to say of the effusions in verse that get into his basket is quite amusing: "The quantity of rhyme poured in upon us is a matter of admiration. The effusions which we consign to outer darkness monthly are past enumeration. Such, for instance, as contain the following lines"—which are then given. The literary notices show that the new editor has been at his post, with industry and independence.
Allusion has already been made to the change to which the Messenger was forced in its position on slavery. ”

“ He gets hold of a number of Harper's Magazine and finds in it the following characteristic effusion: "It is only to repeat history to say that the Puritan element has saved our civilization. It is the moral influence in it. * * * If the Revolution of 1688 was the regeneration of England, Puritanism was the controlling influence of that Revolution." And this assertion is succeeded by a glorification of Massachusetts as "the foremost of all human Societies, politically, morally and socially." Of course, our editor pitches into such preposterous pretensions and explodes them. ”

“ John Esten Cooke contributes poetry and "Recollections of a Contented Philosopher," from Southern Field and Fireside. His sketch of Jefferson also is taken from Appleton's Cyclopædia. When he so unexpectedly commenced his literary career he was the Sunday School teacher of Mr. B. B. Minor's sons, in the days of good old Dr. Adam Empie, the first rector of St. James, Richmond, and used to visit his scholars and their parents, who always gladly welcomed him. He was never employed as editor of the Messenger, but rendered it valuable service, in every way. ”

“ Poe's "Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque," they are treated thus: "To say that we admire Mr. Poe's style, abstractly considered, is more than we can say and speak truly; neither can we perceive any particular beneficial tendency that is likely to flow from his writings. This, of course, is a mere matter of opinion and we may differ in saying so from many. At the same time, the possession of high powers of invention and—imagination—of genius is undoubtedly his. His productions are, many of them, in Literature like Martin's in the Fine Arts. ”

“ Maury never after slighted good literature, though he may have somewhat undervalued the classical languages, which he would hardly have done had he remained with his great friend Bishop Otey, for he was devoted to the Classics and had taught them in the University of North Carolina. Indeed a writer from Frankfort, Ky., criticises Maury for being too narrow in regard to the acquisition of languages in his school ship for the Navy. ”

“ Seba Smith has the honor of ushering in the year 1841 with a poem on "Youth and Old Age," and afterwards attention is directed to her "Sinless Child," her "Powhatan" and other productions. The editorial, "The New Year; to our subscribers," is rather stilted, but thankful and hopeful, and has some remarks which are here quoted: "It is true we hold our Messenger as peculiarly the herald of Southern talent. * * * We have made and, by every consideration of kindred and sympathy, shall make our Journal the medium for the defence and exposition of Southern interests and Southern rights. ”

“ The launching of the Messenger has of necessity been somewhat dwelt upon. A friendly correspondent wished that it had been christened "The Launch." Our gallant craft has been successfully cruising for over six anxious months and now she receives a very distinguished recruit. On page 333 of the seventh number, for March, appears Mr. E. A. Poe with his "Berenice a Tale," of which the editor said: "It will be read with interest, especially by the patrons of the Messenger in this city, of which Mr. P. is a native and where he resided until he reached manhood. ”

“ We always welcome the Messenger, though a portion of its contents is occasionally repugnant to our ideas of truth and right. It is well conducted and always contains something to interest and instruct. ”

“ In 1889, Professor Minor was constrained by personal and family considerations to return to Richmond, where he at present resides, engaged in literary work and as secretary of the Virginia Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, and sometimes its delegate to the National Congress, Sons of the American Revolution. ”

“ We entirely agree with the editor of one of the prints that a choice tale in each number would add to its attraction, as something is due to the tastes of those who have neither time nor relish for the higher grades of literature. ”

“ As to addresses, the Messenger had been so liberal that a rule of excluding them was adopted; but when the old veteran educator, James M. Garnett, appeared before an Education Convention, in Richmond, an exception was made in his favor. Another exception was made for Judge Beverly Tucker, who had spoken before the Temperance Society of William and Mary. The editor said that the Judge's contributions had become "like angels' visits and he would fain woo him again into his columns."
There is an abundance of poetry and much of it real. ”

“ The poetical offerings are so abundant that only a part can be adverted to. John E. Cooke has one, "Honoria Vane;" so have Amie, Mabel, Hayne, English and Timrod. Simms is still absent, but his place is fully supplied by Adrian Beaufain, with his "Areytos; or Songs of the South."
Mr. G. P. R. James, as British Consul, had come from Norfolk to Richmond and is now about to change officially to Venice. His friends present him with a silver julep bowl, properly inscribed, and Mr. Thompson adds a complimentary poem. ”

“ The idea that "injury" may accrue to the Messenger from what we have said may have arisen from the "jealous attention" above alluded to, but we doubt whether the public will concur in the opinion. At all events, we can not appreciate that sort of jealousy which deems it proper to defend "reputation" for such slight causes.
(b.) We should have thought a critical eye would have observed that this was a mere typographical error. We did not mean to assume the editor had already obtained "a character for regular cutting and slashing." ”

“ In the fall of 1833, he was admitted to the junior class of Bristol College, on the Delaware, above Philadelphia, and at the end of the session gained one of the honors and was advanced to the senior class. Bristol College was a manual labor institution, under Episcopalian auspices, and Mr. Minor found the experience gained in its carpentry department useful in after life.
His father was now willing to trust him at the University of Virginia, which both preferred, and he matriculated the next session of 1834-'5, and continued there three years. ”

“ The Editor's Table, in "An Adieu to our Patrons and Friends," has cordial thanks to them—especially to contributors, and kind and liberal words for all co-laborers in the fields of literature. The cover contains opinions of the press, from Maine to Georgia, The New York Tribune says: "Mr. Minor, the new editor of this strong-minded and high-toned periodical, shows himself perfectly competent to the task he has imposed upon himself. The range of subjects, too, treated of in the Messenger is almost as broad as the whole field of human interest ”