—the best of reasons why it should avail itself of the few which through courtesy fall to its lot. I mean this as an apology for troubling you today.
(a.) Your notice of the Messenger would generally be regarded as complimentary, especially as to myself. I would, however, prefer justice to compliment, and the good name of the Magazine to any personal consideration. The concluding sentence of your paragraph runs thus: "The criticisms are pithy and often highly judicious, but the editors must remember that it is almost as injurious to obtain a character for regular cutting and slashing as for indiscriminate laudation." The italics are my own. I had supposed you aware of the fact that the Messenger had but one editor—it is not right that others should be saddled with demerits which belong only to myself.
(b.) But this is not the point to which I especially object. You assume that the Messenger has obtained a character for "regular cutting and slashing;" or if you do not mean to assume this, every one will suppose that you do—which, in effect, is the same. Were the assumption just, I would be silent and set about immediately amending my editorial course. You are not sufficiently decided, I think, in saying that a career of "regular cutting and slashing is almost as bad as one of indiscriminate laudation." It is infinitely worse. It is horrible. The laudation may proceed from— philanthropy, if you please; but the "indiscriminate cutting and slashing" only from the vilest passions of our nature. But I wish to examine briefly two points—first, is the charge of "indiscriminate cutting and slashing" just, granting it adduced against the Messenger, and second, is such charge adduced at all? Since the commencement of my editorship, in December last, 94 books have been reviewed. In 79 of these cases, the commendation has so largely predominated over the few sentences of censure that every reader would pronounce the notices highly laudatory. In seven instances, viz.: 'in those of "The Hawks of Hawk Hollow;" "The Old World and the New;" "Spain Revisited;" the poems of Mrs.
