Literary cadet, and Saturday evening bulletin. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1826-1827, 1826-04-22
Dramatic

day night and made her last courtesy 10 an al
miring multitude, who have long bestowed upon
her unbounded patronage, Asa vocalist, and as an
actress in light and gentsel comedy, she has not
many (f any, rivals in Europe, and certainly none
in America. Her Miss Hardcastle Letitia Hardy,
Rossina, Beatrice, &c. have Gained for her univer-
sal admiration aud applause wherever she has de-
lineated them, and as our theatre will soon be
opened, we cannot but regret her departure for
England, for we had INDUCED a hope that she would
have been engaged by our Managers. Bat inter
est, and perhaps duty, calls her away, and we,
who have often been delighted by her performances,
among others, wish her a pleasant voyage across
the Atlantic, and every success at the metropolitan
theatres. CooPER and CONWAY have us: closed
in that place and New-York will be closed during
a part of the summer season, we hope these distin-
guished disciples Of the sock and buskin will be en-
gagged for a short time u, the Providence Theatre.
The last accounts from KEAs represent him as
successfully performing at Charleston, to crowded
houses, and to a people who are not disposed to
pursue an offender to the ends Of the earth, after
he has expiated the offence committed by him
against the laws ofhi. country. There is a magnsn-
Unity in the department Of the South Carolinians
towards this long pursued and prosecuted man,
which is as creditable to their feelings. as il is to
their Understandings.
We are far from being n~polosists for the
crimes Of Mr.. KEAN-we are not about to advo-
cate his moral character, or attempt TO prove that
he has not merited the indignant frowns Of an en-
l~ightened and discriminating public, but we shall
be permitted to say that he has been most wanton-
ly pursued and abused by a portion of the Ameri-
can public. whC, if they are not insensible to all the
obligations due from them to humanity and liberal
lily, must reflect upon their conduct with feelings
of regret. Mr.. KEAN has been an offender against
the laws Of his own country, he has not innovated
upon ours, and as he has been tried by his peers
and made to pay heavy damages, been driven from
his native land to seek an asylum in ours, we know
not upon what principle ofjustice or Of right he
should be pursued and pelted to death in this free
country-this boosted resting place Of the unfortu-
nate, the prosecuted and the unhappy. 1t is true,
there is an enormity attached to the offences of the
man, from which we recoil with disgust, but Mr..
Kean is not the only guilty sinner, in this way (and
although the fact does not at all palliate his guilt
yet, five were to punish all,-if we were to visit
all whe have been guilty Of insra.itude and incon-
tinency with our undivided Indignation and snaths-
mas, hoy many would there not be who would fall
beneath the lash Of public opinion! Mr.. KKAN i,
an unfortunate man-his elevated situation as a
representative Of Shakespeare heroes" has elicit
ed the envy, the spite and the spleen Of the whole
corps dramaiigue, who would gladly take any step,
no matter how dishonGrable, to blast his hopes and
blight his reputation. The opposition to him in
England has been oflong standing; and the M'Crea-
dy., and the Youngs, with their host of powerful
friends, took advantage of the disgrace he incurred
by reason of his private affairs to put him down,
and themselves up; and in doing this they resorted
to the most infamous arts and practices. The affair
at Boston is Too disgraceful to be alluded 10, and
we should not ever hint to it, were it not that we
are disposed to place facts in their true light. When
Mr.. kEAS went to that city, he was in possession
ofthe fullest assurance, from individuals who affect
ed to be acquainted with the public will, that ne
would be received with kindness after making a
suitable apology, and that the patronage extended
10 him on a former occasion, by the Bostonians,
would be renewed. He did apologize-he made to
the citizens of that city every reparation in his power
for former indiscretions, and he would have been
received with an indulgence becoming the proven.
bal hospitality of the Literary Emporium, )" had
not a mob, composed Of the dregs Of creation, been
bought up, to drive him from the stage. The get
ters-up of this infamous affair are we'll known to
the Boston public, and the time may come when
they will receive, in the execration Of the more en-
lightened and liberal portion Of the citizens, the
contempt they merit. We can only add, that the
feelings ola vast majority of the Boston people were
favorable to Mr.. KEAS-that they were ready to
hear him and receive his apology,-and that we
hope the managers Of the Providence theatre will,
sometime during the approaching season, (having
first learnt the wishes of the audience) introduce to
our Theatre, MIR. KnAN-a man who, as a TRACE
dian, stands unrivalled in the history Of the drama.
Mr.. PELBY, was at last dates in London, expect
ing an engagement at Drury Lane, where he had
subsequently appeared with signal success in the
character Of Hamlet. Mr.. PELBY, we hope will
meet with the same success that has attended him
in his native country, and soon return to US CROWN