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In the 1840's William Gilmore Simms was the South's most celebrated author and had vast experience as an editor and contributor to Southern periodicals.[1] He was probably the best qualified person in the United States to speak on Southern literature and Southern periodicals, and he gave this pessimistic view of them for publication in the Magnolia:
But Simms was caught between the hard facts of his experience and his persistent hopes for Southern periodicals. Within a year of his
It is not surprising, therefore, that when Mrs. Sarah Lawrence (Drew) Griffin of Macon, Georgia, wrote to Simms during the winter of 1840-41 asking for his support in her projected literary venture, The Family Companion and Ladies' Mirror,[3] his response was ambivalent.
Mrs. Griffin and her husband, Benjamin F. Griffin, although originally from New England, had lived in Georgia since 1835. Mr. Griffin was a successful printer and Mrs. Griffin had authored a collection of tales for children and co-authored a series of school readers. Their youth (in 1841 he was thirty-three and she was twenty-nine) and earlier successes probably made the venture with the Companion the high point of optimism and ambition in their related careers.
Simms's first letter to Mrs. Griffin — now missing — probably contained the same sentiments as his letters to the Magnolia. She was apparently offended, for in his letter of June 8, 1841, he apologizes for being "a somewhat rude, blunt man," and, with typical Southern graciousness, accepts the blame for the misunderstanding. He explains the reason for his candor: "If in the case of young beginners, however, they [his views] produce an extra degree of caution, and lessen to a certain extent, that wild and sanguine confidence, which in our country ruins so many thousand, my purpose will be answered, and I shall be satisfied." But Simms was encouraging as well: "I wish you god speed, and will try to do what I can to promote your successes. . . . That you will do well, & prosper, I not only sincerely wish, but sincerely believe."
Mrs. Griffin sent Simms an advance copy of the first (October, 1841) issue of the Companion in early September, apparently in an attempt to get his reaction. In his reply the day following receipt of the magazine, he praised her efforts: "You have done wonders. In fineness of paper, neatness of appearance, general propriety and completeness, your work will bear free comparison with the best of our periodicals." He comments on the articles and poems in the issue and generally praises the quality and variety of the literature and her editorial ability.
Perhaps her contentious reaction to his earlier letter had caused Simms to be less candid with her than he might otherwise have been, for in a letter to his good friend James Lawson, for whom he had just ordered subscriptions to the Companion and the Magnolia, Simms says, "I trust that these will amuse & interest you. They contain some good things though scarcely a fair sample of what might be done in the South with good Editorial management" (Letters, I, 283). On the other hand, this comment to Lawson may represent his sensitivity to Northern critics, for his correspondence with Mrs. Griffin indicates that he was genuinely impressed with the Companion.
For almost a year Simms maintained a serious interest in the Companion. During the early months of 1842, however, his direct connection with the Companion came to an end. At this time Simms was trying to finish his first important novel, Beauchampe, and may have been too busy to respond to further requests for editorial assistance and advice. Another and more important reason, perhaps, is that early in 1842 Simms began to have closer ties with the Magnolia. In April of that year he assumed its editorship, a position which he held until June, 1843.
In the letter to the Magnolia quoted earlier, Simms said, "When I sit down to write for a Southern periodical — which I do only as a professional duty — I do so under the enfeebling conviction that my labors and those of the editor are taken in vain; — that the work will be little read, seldom paid for, and will finally, and after no very long period of spasmodic struggle, sink into that gloomy receptacle of the 'lost and abused things of earth,' which, I suspect, by this time possesses its very sufficient share of Southern periodical literature" (Letters, I, 200).
Simms's presentiment about Southern periodicals came to pass for the Companion. In May, 1842, he wrote to Lawson that the Companion would "probably go down at the end of the year." In August he was more definite, indicating that it would "probably stop on the 1st January" (Letters, I, 310, 322). The signs of decline were all too evident to Simms. A short August number was followed by an announcement in the September issue that there would be a reduction in price, "which would put it in the power of every one to become a subscriber." Apparently the subscriptions were not immediately forthcoming, however, for no numbers were issued in October and November. The December, 1842, and January, 1843, numbers appeared on schedule, but the February number was late. A note in the Editorial Department apologized for the delay and announced that there would
The failure of the Companion was due to many factors. To begin with, it was established at a time when competition was great. Frank Luther Mott suggests that approximately 500 periodicals (not counting newspapers) were begun between 1825 and 1850. Many of thesedid not survive more than a few months.[4]
In his introduction to James Russell Lowell's The Pioneer, Sculley Bradley points out that "in 1843 . . . the world of the American magazine was characterized by rapid expansion, ruthless competition, high mortality, and cheap devices to win the largest number of subscribers at whatever cost to artistic integrity."[5]
There were several personal factors involved in the failure of the Companion. A dispute developed between the Griffins and William Tappan Thompson in the late spring of 1842. Thompson had joined the Griffins in the early part of 1842, in a merger prompted by their need for editorial assistance and Thompson's need for funds with which to salvage his Augusta Mirror from financial collapse. The union lasted only a few months, however. According to Bertram Flanders, "The new editor had not been working long at his duties before friction developed between him and his associates. First of all, Thompson, in ill health at the time, was irked by his arduous duties. Griffin wanted him to perform the labors of a journeyman in the printing establishment. Thompson was editor, contributor, and general superintendent of the office. He read proof sheets, made up the pages of the magazine, and directed and assisted with the job work. He had no control over what went into the Companion or what was left out of it."[6]
The trouble came to a head when Thompson suggested that a series of sketches begun in an earlier issue and entitled "Cousin
It also seems reasonable to assume that the magazine's failure was due in part to the fact that Mrs. Griffin could not supply the time and effort needed. Her seventh child was born in February, 1842, or February, 1843; either date would indicate an inevitable diminution in her professional efforts.
The Griffins remained in or near Macon until 1856, when they removed to Brunswick, Georgia. Four years later, they moved to Manhattan, Kansas. Mr. Griffin remained in printing and publication activities until his death in 1887. Mrs. Griffin is described as already an invalid when the family moved to Kansas. She had borne fourteen children of whom only five survived. Family tradition has it that in later years disaster or tragedy drew no more from her than the words, "I have no more tears." She died in 1872.[7]
Bertram Flanders offers this estimate of Mrs. Griffin's success: "The Family Companion stands at the very top of Georgia ante-bellum monthlies, sharing honors with the Magnolia (Savannah) and the Orion (Penfield). Mrs. Sarah Lawrence Griffin, though not the best judge in the world of reading matter, in some way managed to get
Although Simms's interest in the Companion was short-lived, his influence on it was substantial. He was generous with advice, encouragement, contributions, and editorial assistance. Judging from the suggestions she employed, it seems clear that Mrs. Griffin respected Simms's editorial experience and his knowledge of Southern periodicals.
Although several of Simms's letters to Mrs. Griffin are missing, those which are presented here provide a full picture of an interesting relationship. They also add a chapter to our understanding of Simms and his relationship to Southern periodicals.
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The style followed in presenting these letters is similar to that employed in the collected Letters. The letters are printed verbatim — including misspellings, faulty punctuation, and Simms's own erratic capitalization — except for inadvertently repeated words and crossed-out words which have been omitted. Significant inadvertent omissions have been supplied in square brackets. Indecipherable words are represented by dashes in angle brackets, with a dash for each word. Conjectural readings are also supplied in angle brackets.
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