The Female Prose Writers of America/Louisa S. M'Cord

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LOUISA S. M’CORD.

Mrs. M’Cord was born in Charleston, South Carolina, Dec. 3, 1810. She is the daughter of Langdon Cheves, Esq., so well known in our public and political history. She was educated in Philadelphia, at the celebrated school of Mr. Charles Picot, during her father’s residence in that city; resided a short time in Lancaster, Pennsylvania; and in 1828, returned to the South, where in May, 1840, she was married to D. J. M’Cord, Esq., of Columbia, South Carolina. She is living at present on a plantation, about thirty miles below Columbia.

Mrs. M’Cord has not published much, but quite enough to show that the advantages of birth and education so liberally granted her, have not been without fruit. She is one of the few women who have undertaken to write on the difficult subject of political economy. Her contributions on this subject to the Southern Quarterly Review are characterized by masculine vigour and an enlarged acquaintance with the subject. Among them may be named particularly “Justice and Fraternity,” July, 1849; “The Right to Labour,” Oct. 1849; “Diversity of Races, its Bearing upon Negro Slavery,” April, 1851. She has published also a small volume, called “Sophisms of Political Economy,” translated from the French of Frederick Bastiat.

Mrs. M’Cord is also favourably known as a poet. A volume of her poetry entitled “My Dreams,” appeared in 1848; and in 1851, she published “Caius Gracchus, a Tragedy,” by far the most elaborate and important of her writings.