Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1829-02-21

others. The. CONDUCT OF tnese i"ot''ouA'S'
therefore, is, in every respect, highly 'ih"us
and immoral; and they viii De found TO 'xis',
invariably, in every association, PreeiSeiy !"
nropor,ion 10 lis numbers There are some
few exceptions, ii is true; but IL must be rec"''
lec,e6 tina, we are reasoning from genera! prln
ciples.
The next example we shall adduce, in pur>
suing the thread OF our reasoning, VIII be that
Of a large evening entertai"ment-say u you
please, dancing party. There are many who
cheerfully frequrn, ,hese, which no earthly con-
sidera,ion would induce to see he Inside oil
| Theatre. Here, then, we are presence WIN
| large association of individuals, aud Il is OBJ
ser, able that the facI mentioned above, l, IN
ralhbly confirmed in this case also. There Is.
as in the preceding example, an ohJeei IN view.
II is not, however, The Improvement oi ne
mind, unless such improve cement can De expect
ed to flow from the stiff formal,'ies ot.such al
en,ei iainment. The objec', then, seems to TIE,
simply, pleasure. Now the writer himself Is,
by no mr. ans, opposed to par''es ct any des'
crip,ion, provided they are conducted win
! moderate degree of propriety and discretion
| He would, however, say this much; that those
| who look upon Theatre, as exer'lng more
immo, al tendency than large dancing enter
tainment. or an entertainment Of any sort have,
| in his humble opinion, never examined The SUD-
iect a, all; or, if they have, certainly no, i'm
no ri prod S f,p
only possible object in view; aud, beyond 1t, mo-
l,hing is 10 be gained. The impression made
upon those who frequent such entertainments,
| is also q thousand times more apt to cause =
re petition, and thus, eventually, habit. ihaD
any Theatrical exhibition whateyer-.And there
is this difference-thai should you be eniicrd
to brcome votary u The stage. some benefi'
may be, and is, in fact always experienced: not
so where pleasere is the only object. But
these remarks arefather irrelevant 10 our de-
sign. Assuming the fact with which we set
out, il is evident that there may be at these en-
iertainmen,s also, land we do not wonder, VII, n
,ho only pursuit is ,pleasure) proportional
number Of hose in'~hom the natural propensi-
~ 10 vice exists; and who make them their re
sort, merely 10 rid themselve sfrequen'ly Of du-
ties, which they opgh', in justice or honor, TO
discharge n, home. This fact is confirmed by
daily observation.
we will nexl proceed to larger association
still: for example a camp-meet'ng. In this
may be arrived at precisely as in ,he preceding,
Here, il is true, there is moral object in view;
yet no one will deny that vice exists, and
that, TOO, in proportion 10 the magnitude Of the
assembly. We could not produce an example
more corroborative Of our theory;-one with
which all are familiar, and whose general cha
racter no one can possibly mistake. The pro-
peasity 10 vice is hire uncontrolled; and il is
found e1erting an inh ,ence more ex ensve han
else here--hol because the OBJECT is vi,ious
one-but simply because the association is
larger, and 1t is always found to command
proportional sway.
Il app. ars from this view, that in all asso
Citations, NJ matter what may be their object,
some few individuals IF dis,ipa,ed habits, will
invariably be me, with Lei US now enquire
whether TIE dissipation OF Theatre, i, no, as
limited in proportion TO the number, assembled
as in any other assemhIage Of individuals, and
whether il is not 10 be accounted for on the
same principles precisely? We hardly think
that any one will urge, after VIVA has been SAID
before, that the induce nents TO vice are greater
a, Theatre than in similar associs,i0ns.-
That the Object is not only harmless, but highly
moral, we hope has been deter mined to In
satisfaction Of every one. As it is impossible
not to grant this, we deem il suffit ienI, in all
conscience, for the conviction Of every Impair
,iai mind The object with those who attend
Theatres, is two fold They not only expect
improvement, in regard to morals; bu, they go
also for the purpose of instruction in mos,
extensive and useful depar'men Of elegant lit
era,ure. Besides they have an opportunity al
these exhibitions of seeing represented the vari-
Gus peouliarities in The language and customs
Il, ,L H.;