The Daily Dispatch: October 11, 1862., [Electronic resource]

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A Southern publishing House.
[from the "Southern illustrated News."]

The Southern people are a reading and thinking people, and no one found this out quicker than the wooden nutmeg Yankees. The astute Yankee costermonger, with a knowledge of this fact, wrote and published just such flashy, sensation books as suited his taste, gave them high sounding names, for which he explored Webster and Walker, and then started on his peddling expedition in the South. By means of his sleek, oily tongue, he managed invariably to sell them to the Southerners, who would, in nine cases out of ten, after reading the books, pronounce themselves ‘"swindled again."’--But, thank Heaven, we are to have no repetition of these things. We have eternally separated from the everlasting Yankee nation, and are now engaged in a righteous war for independence. Who will enumerate the horrors of this war — the untold sufferings — the hearthstones that have been made desolate by the loss of some husband, father, son, or brother? Yet there comes through all this misery a ray of sunshine — a hope. We derive a consolation in feeling and knowing that the war has been productive of good to us in more than one respect. The blockade has taught us to become a manufacturing people, and we no longer rely on our enemies for every little article needed.

A Southern book, at one time, was a dreg in the market, row it immediately springs into popularity, and is eagerly sought after. Southern authors looked to the Harpers, the Appletons, and others of a like character, to publish their books for them — now they rely upon those enterprising publishers, Messrs. West & Johnston, who are extensively engaged in the publishing business. We have now upon our table a variety of military and other works gotten up in a very superior manner by these gentlemen. The typography will compare favorably with the Harpers, while the binding and general getting up is not inferior, but in many respects superior, to any work ever issued from the press of any Northern publishing house. Thus we will no longer be compelled to read the trashy productions of itinerant Yankees, whose books, as a general thing, are as worthless as their hearts are black; but will in future have Southern books, written by Southern gentlemen, printed on Southern type, and sold by Southern publishing houses. Messrs. West & Johnston deserve the thanks of every citizen of the Southern Confederacy for the enterprising manner in which they have entered into the publishing business, and we command them to the support of all true Southerners.