Literary cadet and Rhode-Island statesman. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1827-1829, 1827-11-07
PKOVI,rEM cy.

! The following very liberal, and christian
like remarks Oh the sage. are copied from he
Writings Of Doctor Akin the poet, and the
catcher Of butterflies fss TIE ladies'.
| "Remarks on the 7heatre.-The business
| of play-sctor was disgraosfu at pagan Rome:
| there lie was Ssniea the right OF citizenship.
| On this pont, Rousseau. who. il is we'll know II. .
| was sufficiently immoral and anti-chrislian to
be exempt from tie charge of pref dice
against the theatre. He observes. that the
situation of an ACTOR is a state of hcsntiousness
aud bad morals; that the aen ars abandoned
TO disorder, that tie women lead q scandaious
Lie; that the one and the other, at once AVA
ricous and proiuse. ever oysrwkelmed with
debt, and ever prodioal are as unrestra;ned in
their dss'patinn, as they are void of scrupie &c
feSpec' 10 the means of providing for It. In all
coun'rIcs. their profession is dl.honorabie; /;
those WHO exercise It are every whore CON
temned; even a. Paris, where they are treat
-d with more consideration and where their
conduct is better than at any other place. u
sober citizen would fear to be upon terms of
ntlnacy with the same actors WHO may b8
seen every day At the tables Of the great. This
contempt IS strongest wherever tho manners
re the most pure; and there are countries of
innocence and simplicity, where the trade OF
lays tins celebrated philosopher, " are incon-
esiib!e facts. You Will say they rosul, only
iron prejudcos-i agree to it but these pre-
Ices beng universal, we must seek for
nIiyersgl cause-and do not see where We
can find it, except IN the profession itself"
REMARKS. The splenetic writings Of Rous-
seau. man who was secuted by the church,
re thus adjueed. 10 prove that actors, are Of
all people. the most Infamous and diabolical,
and his writings are thus made Use Of by men,
WHO profcssed to hold him in adherence, and
70 look upon him, as living curse 10 chris
tianity. Sach sentiments. as are here imputed
20 Rousseau. were never entertained by him.
but were written in moment of Indignation,
and issucd1o revenge himself at the hands Of
famous Parisan actor, who had treated
him discour,eously aud carelessly.
But whether they were his sentiments or
not they are not just. or liberal, they are
founded on false promises, and are untrue
With actions, as with all other classes Of socl-
its and bad princi: les, but they arc not more
numerous in that profession, than in any 9TH
er. There are thousands of actors, who in all
the relations of LIFE, deport themselves With
great propriety. and are as exemplary in their
habits and walks in life, as other persons, and
n the discharge Of all the duties due to the
world and in the performance Of the noble
charities, are not eclipscd by those who con
tenn them for their profession, and would pro-
woke them, because they labor for their living
on the stage.
Such weeping denunciatons, as those con-
tanned in the extract from Doctor Akin,
should moi he coun.cnanced or received by the
world, for they are disreputab!e TO all who en-
terrain them, and are destitute of all the NOR
nj and clrs' ian charities We do not mean TO
deny that there are vile persons who tread The
stage, and who are not only dsgrac co 10 So
cety, but 10 the professions; bat TO the asser-
ton that shoy are all so, we oppose an unc-
quivocal denial and for ourselves can say, that
we have found among the disciples of the dra-
ma, as many exemplary characters, as we have
among those, who behold in Theatre, the
vely hot bed and focus Of crime