Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1816-09-10

antagonists 81 dralhatiC iltci "'a arg =
louired to battle with an imaginary foe.
/ when we spoke of the propriety Of re-
II forming, we might very properly have
.Isaid, Of pruning the drama; and SO ia,
from conceiving the utility of the stage
Ito be necessarily postponed until the ac.
accomplishment of the Utopian scheme Of
-tentire reform, we asserted that there was
ALREADY in existence long list OF dramas;
besides that of st. Chrystey tom & those o.
!. Miss More, altogether sufficient to de-
monstrate at once its possible and its ac,
] tual usefulness. We are not SO sanguine
yourselves of the perfectability OF man, a;
10 anticipated complete reform o. the dra
Ina, any more than of the palplt Or the
press. Instead of waiting for perfection &
! purity in these grand channels OF improve
ment. wise men will be content to select
& seize the advantages they may present
and will throw aside the weeds both Of
the one and the other, which they cannot
]hope entirely to extirpate. When there,
fore your correspondent enquiries $ until
this reform takes plase, what are we to
1 do 20 We would reply that it is as I'm,
necessary as it is vain, to wait. Let e.
1 very man select for himself, and every
parent for his child, from among the va
eious and, we confess, opposite specimens
1of dramatic art, as he does from the mul.
titude of theological works, and other
muitifarious productions of the press.
! Amor Patriae himself does not conceive
propriety and purity to be such complete
chimeras in the drama, as no, to confess
that :. there are some good plays"
When we find him indeed !" desiring
J. it to be understood, that his objection did
not lie against the drama simply IN IT.
self" we we're almost persuaded that, al
ter all cur discussions, our opinions very
nearly conceded. Convinced alike OF
tie intrinsic excellence Of the drama, and
alike regrettins its abuse, we differ, 1t
seems, only in the remedies we propose
your correspondent coDtenting himself to
sacrifice all its pleasure and advantages,
and to destroy tue patient to be nd OF the
trouble of the cure and we satisfied in
this, as in the other mingled objects OF
human concern, to take the evil with the
goad, aud to tolerate the deformity which
we find accompanied and redeemed by
many points of excellence.
When we speak of reform, we desire
to be perfectly understood. In the thou
I sand arguments which occur on the pro-
priety Of encouraging the stage, It is usual
to support il on the ground OF It's su5ser-
vience to virtue, in intoxicating moral and
religious sentiments. But it should be
remembered by the champions who uphold
/ it on this principle, that this, though Ole
legitimate obect Of the drama. is no. It's
! only nor, in our view, its chief one. IT
it we're the sole end of theatrical repre-
sensations to instruct US i'll the principles
! Of morality and honor, we shoald agree
with their enemies that this were often
more properly and efectuaiiy done by an
ethicai essay, or discourse from the pull
pit. To us, however, rs principal utl!i-
,ty is, if we may be allowed the express
! sion, the entertainment it affords. " hen,
! therefore, we speak Ola moral and excel
| lent play, we do not, we confess, mean a
dialogue on point OF theology or ethics
on the best form Of government, and thu
most ehectual mode Of becoming good
friends and neighbors. II the dramati9t,
avoiding all sentiments hostile to the es-
tabiished principles on these points, de-
, lineates with the furcible pen OF genus
the thousand notifications and caPilce'
! Of human passion II he teach Us to treln-
! bic at the violences Of ambition, or to melt
over the story OF love: # he excite our
disgust at the s5rdidEeSs OF one, or our
merriment at the absardity or iriyoiity Oh
another of his personages we really see
nothing in all thio incompatible with Ell
Their tne dignity or the vitae OF mankind.
When we remember, moreover, how ire
quently and efectually the interests OF
virtue are promoted by the interest OF the
scene how viyidiy the Judgment is Oh
ten ilumned by lhe fire OF honest pas
sion, and the flashes Of wit; We hope tor
some indulgence to the : errors" imputed
to us on the subject Of the drama /; nor
can we readily perceive why these meta
| physicians OF the heat, the Dramatlsts,
as long as they oppose nc duty, and a.saii
no virtue, are less entitled to the venera-
ton of your correspondent, than he who
scars above the Aonian mount, or wan
ders in the groves of Academus.
Before we quit this subject we would
remark the very extraordinary tarn watch
has been gwen to the argument we AID
duced from the frequent prostitution OF
the Press. Surprising the case ofan indiyi-