Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1816-09-06

known to produce IN tndt state. let It Oe
understood thensthat our objection does
rot lie against the drama, simply ia it.
self, since it is allowed that there are
| ZONE good ones, and it is possible to con.
struct one OF as serious a nature as an,
sermon that was ever printed (; nor a.
gainst the simple exhibition CT it 81
boards by the Dramatis perone; not a.
gainst good drama exhibited under Cir
|cumstances which could be prescribed
but against the theatre, as it has always
been, not only in that proaiSate reign
when,
I'LL the muses. acre debauched at Court,
but in every age and as it now exists in
this country and in this town with all its
adventurous, but necessary appendages
IF a thing become criminal when it Is al
ways abused, then the stage is always
criminal since it is always abused. II
appears to be one of those anomalous
monsters, or usus nature, which, thougs
lit sprung from regular species, has oh
Itained radical NAL conformation. 1t il
impossible to reduce it to shape, since its
very obliquities are essential to its exist
ence. 1t has the art however to conceal
its defo,mities under splendid disguises
With Gathering speech it begniles man '
of their time and money. 1t is now cool
! feeding upon the necessities Of ou'
town, deyouring every night its hundreds.
and what is most to be regarded, is de-
|bauching the principles Of our sons, and
|corrapti.g the modesty OF our daughters
Possessing as it does these inherent ant!
immutaole features of character, which
defy all the powers Of the pruning art.
there appears to US no other remedy, than
its total extirpation. 1t went do to scotch
you must kill the snake.
These circumstances will serve to
shew, in how small a degree, the paral-
lelism which Phiio Dramaticus has at
tempted to'institute between the theatl q
and the press, and the arguments derived
from tbs abuse Of the one and the other.
will hold. Whether the abuses of the
press authorize the inter position Of law
10y sautary checks, is a question to be
determined by legislators. 1t is not dit
fcult, however, for US to conceive a case.
in which we, as individuals, would be un-
der moral obligation, to give our 8. to-
tai iiscountenance" to press incorrigib'y
wicked. Suppose Tor moment, sir.
your Gazette, instead Of supplying us dali
ly as it does, with useful information.
should become the vehicle OF principles
tending to disorganize &undermine the go,
vernment, to inAame seditious, lascivious
and obscene rassions-would not every
friend to good order and morals instantly
Withdraw his patronage ? Should it be
said to all this. s' these facts serve to shew
us the necessity of reform, not the pro-
pricty OF its total discountenance," that
we're TO Dive us to the trite principle,
that the abuse of things is no argument a
.ainst their use. Would not these be We
ry peyel, not 10 say absurd reasons FOX
countenancing this fragrant printer and
press =? Yet these are the arguments Of
Philo Dramaticas, upon the superstition
that he stage is as corrupt as he himself
Nor are the other attempted points of
his parallel more fortunate, because, il
the second place, there is nothing IL theI
occupation Of printer Or author which
has a tendency per Sc - corrupt their
minds whereas in that OF 4 player, ac-
conling to Rousseau, there IS an Fnherent|
source of corruption. 1t IS an allowed
principle among critics, that No human
passion or char cter can be well repre-
unless it be felt +: this they cal
entering into the spirit of the act. No"
it is agreeable to the laws ST physioloe VI
that every human passion, especially
when st ongly felt, gives certain media
cation to the blood and spirits, and makes
the whole frame more susceptible of its
return. So that they who have justly
acted human passions, will be prone tot
the same passions, IN consequence oil thisI
habitual mechanical flow of the blood and
spirits, and with respect to their whole
character, they will soon be in reality,
what they have so often seemed to be,
aud from personatins every variety OIL
character, come at last to have none OF
their own. That there are exceptions to-
this as to every general rule, we are rca
DIV to own but this does not affect the
rsIe itself, which can be best tested by
the general fact. We would rot pursue
this view of the subject further. We have
no personal motives for making reference
to it: but while we are upon it. we would
raise a warning Il no untriendly voice to