The Sun.
London, England, 1863-12-28 00:00:00

Editors of Newspapers.

The statistics of the last Decennial Census show that in
1861 there were 1,673 persons engaged in literature in the
capacities of authors, editors, and writers. Of these 1,528
were men, and 145 women. Bearing in mind the great
spread of education in Great Britain during tho past ten
years, it is remarkable, says the Atheneum, that the above
numbers should differ but slightly from similar returns in
1851, At that period the numbers professing to be engaged
in literature were 1,501 males and 109 females. As may be
expected, of the 1,673 persons recorded in 1851 as living by
the profession of literature, more than one-half (795) reside
in the Metropolitan district.

There is nothing to prevent Mr. Cobden, remarks the
if he pleases, the example
London news to the
o.sfa tthoseurdify
eßheevieieew
f:
pfrirorts imitating,whosupply
American papers. He is at liberty to publish the names of
the persons whom he knows or guesses to be the editors,
the contributors, and the correspondents of the Times. He
may glean or invent facts illustrating their private life, and
Way describe, if they have ever had the pleasure of dining
fin the same company with him, the kind of wine they pre-
laetr,oannd the dishes to which they are partial. It is by rove-
irritating veil of
i of this sort that the inquiring American strives
to
allay the curiosity of his countrymen, and to strip off the
anonymous journalism. Mr. Cobden might
i w' t w
to all this, and yet the
would be, we think
him.
Ihseerseareay eertain minor annoyances
take no notice of
to which every man
may be subject who adheres to a course
of conduct proved to be,
country at large. It
is ?n the whole, beneficial to the
highly desirable to have no more
duels, but it is very arm
horsewhipped by a annoying
that a little man who is pub-
liclyand more animated mohdeefuOrfegaetting redress than bringing
man should have no quicker
fmorya sensitivepolice court. In the same
hisway
it triumphantmaybeh aernde
that his name in full
coward and a libellous scoundrel,
and al/ his wickedness shall be revealedn in the Morning
Star. But an editor must learn to bear
journaliststhis, because it is
when it has
for the public good that anonymous
on. And, practically it is proved that
found out that a thing is desirable, can
carry it out. The disuse of duelling mighthave led to in-
tolerable arrogance on the part of bullies no ion
of fitting punishment, or to nervous men shrinking in fear
fully from the imputation of screening the-ir fearing. Pain-
politic dislike of duelling. This has not happened, b der a
generally society, s h '•u 1d go
society, seeing that if either of these risks becameecause
common, duelling could not fall into disuse, deter-
mined mined that neither the bully should bully with impunity,
nor the nervous have cause to feel ashamed. The bully
was simply cut in society, and the nervous men encouraged,
and there was an end of the whole difficulty. In the same
way, anonymous journalism exposes the criticised to be
wrongly attacked from personal motives, and the critic to
be wrongly suspected of saying secretly what they would
not dare to say openly. Society in a great. measure reme-
dies both these evils. If public men are treated unjustly
by a newspaper, if the language used about them is scurril-
ous, if the opinions advocated are manifestly thote of a
small clique, or are determined by private considerations,
society condemns the journal to obscurity. It sinks out of
circulation in the educated and governing classes, and de-
rives a precarious support from those to whom such language
is palatable. If, on the other hand, the anonymous
journalist or editor is wrongfully denounced, even in the
columns of the Morning Star, no great notice is taken of
it, and the world of newspaper readers is content to take its
own measure of the honesty and ability of the articles it
studies. The next time the editor of the Times is threatened
with an exposure of his real name and address by an in-
furiated popalar orator, we hope that he will resolutely
abide the coming of this mighty stroke of fate, and we will
venture to prophesy he will survive it.
There was a time, says the London Review, when the
English aristocracy affected a disdain for newspaper writers
and editors, Bat sounder and more generous views prevail.
Men of letters now receive a gracious welcome into the best
society ; and the journals to whose responsible managers
every good house is open, offer the brightest examples of
the self-respect, good faith, and courtesy which belong to
good society.
The revolution in modern journalism has effected an im-
mense change in the relative positions of public speakers
and public writers. In the days of Pitt and Fox states-
men gave the tone to journalists. In the present day the
newspaper instructs the statesman. It drags to lighthabuses,
collects opinions from practical men, winnodwsht the chaff
from the wheat, points the way to reform, an
fhands the
question over to the statesman when it is ripe or logi'la-
tion. The public orator, when backed by the press, may b,
He laboured
said to be irresistible ; but unless he is aided by the news.
alpthombees.listene 1 to by
Mr.
paper writer,
Cobden is himself an illustration of this "modern inatanee.:,
he has little power over public opinion,
toHis
demolishcareer
thean c agitatorbr
n iaw
the public as the press took up the cause of free trade ; and
sh;asnheadbetwg
he knew the battle was won whenathe 7,.
—2l/C8 came out
and declared the League to
Russian
"great faet.,,
Mr, Cob-
den's opinions against the war were quite as strong
much
his sentiments be - -
as against the Corn-laws. Yet he incurred so unpopu-
laity, and were held t so un patriotic,
that he was obliged to retire from the West Riding, and his
headquarters
lieutenants were beaten in the
of free trade.
lie is an energetic and persistent advocate of Parlia-
mentary Reform, the extension of the suffrage, the cut-
ting down of the estimates, the impolicy of constructing
fortifications, the advantage of giving small freeholds to
labouring men, and the Policy of conceding
de-
wand, however unreasonable and humiliating, that may
be made by the
these topics he feels strongly.
season and out of se
Federal Government.
The Yime4 every
"Upon all
Re urges them in
reports his
speeches withas"' ill-requited fidelity and
minuteness.
or menacing, Scrupulous but
and reverberated his Free-trade speeches to the furthest
But the powerful voice that enforced, echoed,
confines of Civilisation, has in these latter days been silent
but is himself struck by the thunder of Olympus. Ile has
measured himself against the des.flisediacnie.wisipaplernwriter,
g- The orator wields no longer the bolts of Jove,
and has received a fall. I
make no way with the presel,lainncdtpt:eblic op"inYioincBis thereeL'arne

dead aaiest
g
There never w him
as a time in the history of mankind when
the newspaper editor and newspaper writers had more occa-
sion to magnify their office. The life of modern intellect is
becoming more and more determined to the daily newa•

THE CURISTIVAS AMUSEMENTS.

DRURY-LANE.

The pantomime at Drury-lane may be truly
cliartcterisi-d as a wonderful success. Never on any
former occasion has a more joyous and happy
audience assembled in the magnificent national
theatre than on " Boxing Night," and most
certainly never was good humour higher in the
ascendant. The stalls and dress circles were um.
pied with a brilliant and fashionable company, the
pit and upper boxes were filled to overflowing, and
too gc.llerics were one seething mass of her Majesty's
l'eges, each of whom had determined to "go in"
tG r a night of thorough enjoyment. Of
course there was the usual recognition be-
the galleries and pitites, the harm-
less but unpleasant pelting with orange peel,
but then no one gave vent to his ill-humour, and
those who did not exactly see the joke of the
thing,calmiy allowed themselves to be shot at with
the good-tempered remark, " Christmas-time,
let all enjoy themselves." The entertainments corn-
= enced with the good old-fashioned but jovial
pie ee, " A Roland for an Oliver," but, as usual, it
was gone through in dumb show, notwithstanding
the characters were supported by Mr. Addison,
Mr. Walter Lacy, and Miss Heath. The panto-
mime was the attraction of the evening, and the
der,cent of the green curtain on the introductory
piece was hailed with delight. The new grand
pantomime of " Sinbad the Sailor, or the Great Roc
of the Diamond Valley and the Seven Wonders of
the World," is from the pen of Mr. E. L. Blanchard,
who has now for more than a dozen years been the
author of the grand Christmas annuals presented at
this theatre, which has become both renowned
and remarkable for its productions of that
peculiar kind of entertainment. The success that
invariably attended Mr. Blanchard's former pro-
ductions has, if possible, been exceeded this year.
The dialogue is witty, pointed, and telling, the
situations capital, and the plot the very essence of
pantomimic drollery. The prompter's ring for the
overture was received with a hearty cheer; and
then the band, of course, gr.ve the usual introduc-
tory movement of hurried music, and then follow.
ed a favourite melody- This year it was
" Pretty
Polly Perkins ;" and no sooner did the gods catch
the first notes of their favourite than they all burst
into the chorus—
proud as a
Oh! she was as beautiful as a butterfly and

Queen,
-Perkins of Paddington•green,
Was pretty Folly
in the moat entnusisstic and (knighted manner.
At the termination of the overture it was a question
with toe audience whether they should not have
their jolly song again, but the splendour of the
opening scene settled the question, and certainly
we have never seen anything more strikingly
picturesque than "The Pyramids at Sunset ;"
on the one side a gigantic Memnon—on the other a
mossal Sphinx. The scene introduced an interview
between the shade of Cheops and first the Spirit of
the Nile, and next intrusive and audacious Young
.'England, who, arrayed as a Volunteer and exhibit-
ing the slender proportions of Miss Rose Leclercq,
had come to read the true riddle of the Sphinx by
discovering the source of the Nile, We grieve to
say that author, artist, and actress alike showed a
sad irreverence towards the tutelary protectors of
Egyptian mysteries. Who does not know the pe-
culierity of " Memnon's broken image sounding,
'mid desolation tuneful still"—of the legendary
Memnon which gives forth musical strains when
the sun's rays fall on it. The huge Memnon of
Drury-lane bellowed in hoarse sepulchral notes,
seeming to issue from the deepest caverns of the
earth, a song to the familiar air of " Old Bob Rid-
ley," in which the audience also joined in chorus.
The Sphinx, in its turn, asks Young England a
conundrum—" When is a horse not a horse ?" but
the downy young Volunteer is too much for anti-
quity, and solves it by saying, " When it's turned
into a field." Having thus done the Pyramids,
Memnon and the Sphinx, Young England pro-
ceeds on his discovery of the source of the
Nile. This was an exquisite scene. Deep rich
foliage, sparkling water, gleamirg in the moon
—a moon across whose disc fleecy clouds floated
frequently es in the real and open sky—stars train
quiliy shining down, and numberless Dive or Peris
filling the foreground, made up a picture which,
with ail its f!ntasy, was positively realistic in the
perfection of its composition. Mr. Beverley was en-
thusiastically called for, and had to come for-
ward and how his acknowledgments. Then fol-
lowed the adventures of Sinbad the Sailor,
which disclosed many comical situations and
startling scenes. Sinbad svas! personated by Miss
Lizzie Willmore, who made her first appear-
ance in London, Miss Willmore was entirely
suceessful. With a pretty bright face, a graceful
il?;ure, shapely limbs, and an easy unconstrained,
but vivacious and effective style, she well merited
the frequent applause which she received. Excel-
lent, too, was the acting of Master Percy Resell, who
played the Old Man of the Sea with irresistible
quaintness and drollery. The scenery to illustrate
tie vicissitudes of Sindbu,i the Sailor—is
ficeht—never hs.s the renowned Beverley produced
such wonderful effects. The Valley of Dia-
monds, with the descent and ascent of Sinbad, is a
most extraordinary "sensation" scene, and the
beauty of transformation is positively beyond de-
"tiption, What with showers of diamonds, the
gala e foliag of the trees, the radiance of
desettlitig-'Peris and the Bright Fairies of the
CTIOTInq
"
, defies
an effect is produced which
psitively
ea
in
restacitsues description. The audience were
Roxby hati to
'and both Mr. Beverley and Mr. R.
appear and acknowledge the plaudits
cf.' the vast assemblage. After the transformation
scene we were intro
_
oiessrs. Bolen() a zonucen to a double set of Clowns
M Lauri), of Pantaloons (Messrs.
Barnes and Morris) of
liar'equins (Messrs. Cnrmack
and Saville), and -
B3leno and lesskle three Columbines
Misses Gunniss, it shouia Misses.. Gunniss). The
(Madame
beo. said, led many brilliant
dances in the early part
Pantomime. The
humours of the second partL:it
e of the usual kind
and kept the audience
in
perpetual mirth. Ail left
the theatre gratified and delighted •
With the exer-
tions of Messrs. Falconer and (.1,
,mttrton.

....................

ROYAL ENGLISH OPERA,
On Saturday evening the proceedings u
'Nita with
the second act of the " Bohemian 'l%ti‘ined
by Miss Susan Pyne, as the Gipsey ; —r. 11141,03
the Count; and the remaining characters by 11,"
Ise
Hiles, Mr. George Perrin, Mr. St. Albyny and Ntr,
Cirri. The song," I dreamt that I dwelt in marble ,
Lane," was very decisively encored, and Jr. Weiss
obtained abundant applause in the old favourite,
"The heart bowed down," which was delivered
with much firmness and vigour. Miss Susan pyne's
singing throughout was much admired for its clear-
ness and purity.
This was followed, after an interval of delay
very trying to juvenile patience, by the grand comi-
cal, &c., pantomime of" St. George and the Dragon;
or, the Seven Champions and the Beautiful Prin-
cess," by Mr. 11. J. Byron ; an old story, no doubt,
but none the worse for that, considering the pur-
Pose to which it was adapted. The opening scene
is the Palace of Kaly ba, a " detestable old enchan.
who, by some marvellous arrangement, has
confided to her charge the " Seven Champions of
orn in the shape, of as zany little green
slid glossy imp, who are sporting about in front of
awci,:iBethieeng:_ts.
tg u,ardtd by the ugliest of dragons,
sin t,
ot
ItLt,!tbir jAws and wive their wings at the
r4l')d.". wann. The cue ,antrtss enters
aut.ooritv a hireti"4o with that impornnt erribltm of
1, t„ f,vourite nu_l:l_, and presently is introduced
FA TLI-,..,111'eL1,11,the person of S . a-orge ot
t!-,e m 4 s°ll4 K'iiyn.l (Mr. C.
srY '
p,:•::, I:::Lvt,,cr by 1.;,..45,114,6-
11,:klui.t muSt. unex--
g a matrimonial
PrOpOSal to her ,young char
George (Mr. IV
who, in reter charge St'
hold of her
payne), - getting
infr
free
et we
oomr akinpant 0
wan d, manages to shut up the g
witch amongst her
" spoons and forkssecs
her treasure
house, and then the other
hqmpions. Here also enters
c!-,:.r*;pions. Kiclorab
P .z,:y
et d m tz. r. F,r_ 3e
-a', u"
i b liveliness
of the earlier portion of the piece. This Wow_
is sniiiro to Ft. Gsorry :-2 r,: tir"'rf-• zmu,.l7s.

shaving scene between the valet and his master,
carried through with great fun and spirit. Then
comes a mock-heroic procession of the champions,
on sham horeback, round the stage ; the dresses
very rich and well arranged. Here, again Kicka-
raboo, mounted like Sancho Panza on an obstre-
perous asinine quadruped, makes great play. The
third scene opens with the " banks of the Nile," a
beautifully-painted moonlit landscape, crowded
with Egyptian symbols and architecture, and here
enters " the dragon," a gentleman in top boots and
striped jacket, with long curly teeth and tail of ap-
propriate magnitude. King Ritollollemy makes his
appearance in the " Nile" scene, with the usual
amount of attendants, and is supposed to be a "fero-
cious tyrant" with a lovely daughter, the Princess
Sabra (Miss Annie Collinson), who is to be betrothed
to a prince of Ethiopia, when the Dragon makes his
unexpected appearance, and carries her off in his
" dragon-fly." Before all this, however, occurs a
grand ballet, danced by alternate parties of ()dales-
ques and Amazons on the banks of the Nile, and
this is certainly one of the most successful portions
of the pantomime. The dancing is unusually good,
the performers perhaps more than ordinarily attrac-
tive—certainly the costumes have been studied with
historical and even antiquarian research—and the
dresses are particularly rich. On the Whole, the
appointments attending this third scene are perhaps
the leading feature, if we except the absurd, but
unquestionably effective " fight" between the dra-
gon and St. George, which comes off in the last
scene, and is followed by the usual transformation.
The Dragon is now no longer a walking gentleman
in top-boots, but what heralds call a " wyvern,"
with scaly legs, huge leathery wings, nostrils which
breathe actual unmistakable fire, and a head which,
when assailed by St. George's faulchicn, fires off
into successive squibs and crackers, and nearly
stifles the redoubtable champion. Meanwhile,
the Princess, pending the combat, stands in
the rear, chained to a stake in a dark
cavern, her figure lighted with great effect from
the side, and, in the end, of course, gives her hand
to the victorious St. George. The transformation
scene abounds as usual in splendours, architectural
and luminous, the centre being occupied by a large
group of St. George and the Dragon. Here Mr.
Grieve was vociferously called for, and made his
appearance amid the plaudits of the house. The
pantomime that followed was of the usual rough-
and-tumble character, with many old and some new
and cleverly managed pieces of " comic business,
especially a photographic artist's studio, a scene in
a French market-place, and some others, The co-
lumbine was played by Madlle Esther, a young
lady who made her first appearance, and danced
with much elegance, She might indeed with ad-
vantage have entered oftener, and taken a larger
share in the action. Mr. Frederick Payne, as Har-
lequin, was remarkable active and indefatigable ;
Mr. Paul Herring played pantaloon ; and Mr. Harry
Payne the clown, and kept up the fun and laughter
of the audience till the end. They were eceempa-
nied by the brothers Stenette, who as two sprites
in red and spangles astonished the assemblage by
their flexibility and activity. We have no doubt
that the pantomime will prove as successful as any
which has appeared under the present popular
management.