Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 07.djvu/214

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Southern Historical Society Papers.

work. It was compiled by Professor Schele De Vere, with whom it was "a labor of love" to give to the work his untiring energy, fine literary taste and enthusiastic devotion to everything pertaining to our grand old University. He gracefully acknowledges his indebtedness to Captain Nash for valuable services in completing the catalogue.

Professor Schele gives a vivid and deeply interesting sketch of the origin and early history of the University, and especially of Mr. Jefferson's connection with it. Then follows a list of the Rectors, members of the Board of Visitors, officers of the Board and of the Faculty, and names of the Professors and Assistant Professors from the foundation of the University down to 1878. Next we have the catalogue of students during that period, with a brief biography of each one—giving date of birth, sessions spent at the University, degrees won and chief events in the after life of each. The volume contains "ten thousand names and over a hundred thousand statements of facts." Its compilation was a work of immense labor; and if errors have crept in the wonder is that they are not far more numerous and important. The get up of the volume, in type, paper and binding, is all that could be desired. In a word it is a volume which no alumnus of our noble old Alma Mater should be willing to be without, and which should at the same time find a place in every well selected library. It has a high historic value, not only in showing the character of the men whom the University has sent out to bless the world, but also in illustrating the statement that much the larger part of the intelligence, education and moral worth of the South entered the Confederate army. The book can be had of Captain Joseph Van Holt Nash, of Atlanta, Georgia.

The Southern Review for January, 1879, has been laid on our table by the new editor and proprietor, C. J. Griffith, Esq., Richmond, Virginia, by whom this quarterly will be hereafter published. Under the able management of Dr. A. T. Bledsoe and his accomplished daughter, Mrs. S. Bledsoe Herrick, the Review won a wide reputation, which has not suffered during the period since Dr. Bledsoe's death, when it has been under the management of Mrs. Herrick, who, during her father's life, was accustomed to contribute to the Review articles so original in conception, so able in argument, so full of learning and so fresh and vigorous in style that they were attributed to Dr. Bledsoe himself.

If the present number is a fair specimen of what we may expect of the Review under its new management, then we predict for it an even wider repu- tation—not for ability, for that were scarcely possible, but for variety, pop- ular interest and real value as an exponent of Southern thought and South- ern literature. We regret that our limited space will allow us little more than a bare mention of the table of contents of this number:

In "Southern Poetry—A Sketch," Rev. H. Melville Jackson gives a very pleasing and, in the main, judicious statement of the claims of Southern poets, together with some well selected illustrations of their style.

Rev. Dr. W. P. Harrison gives an interesting sketch of the rise, progress and extension of the "Southern Methodist Church."