Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Wayne County, Ind.) 1831-1837, 1836-01-16

Virtue is exhibited with all her at
tracing charms. to allure the audience
to follow in her train; and that vice is
depicted with all her lettering hor-
rors, to drive them from her PATH
Though this be true, III this sweeping
declaration he seems to loose sight Of
the true character, and nature of the
question; no body ever supposed that
characters represented as abandoned
to every species Of vice-those who
are sunk into the very depths of ini-
guilty, would be attended by any thing
that would allure others to follow in
their course, any more than the pub
lie execution Of criminal upon the
igallows, would tempt others to follow
him in his course; nor would the one
deter men from vice mere than the
other. But this is not the form in
which the approach Of vice is to be
dreaded, nor is it's presentation in this
form, any security against its insidu-
ously ENGRAVING itselfupon our minds.
No man was ever yet suddenly trans
formed from a virtuOus to a vicious
one. But it is by the gradual and be-
quilting approach of vice that we are
led on to ruin, and in this form and
i'm this manner. we meet it in theatre
cal exhibitions more frequently, than
from any other one sOurce.-FOr a.
mongst many Of the most admirable
characters represented on the stage
those who are exalted above their
species for some of the most noble
virtues that adorn mankind-men Of
daring courage, bountiful and gener-
Gus, intelligent and gay: but with
these attracting and commencing viz
tues we see blended some Of the most
degrading vices, such for instance as
recklessly betraying some humble but
beautiful female, and many others Of
less magnitude, which. if considered
apart from these redeeming virtues,
would consign their actor TO infamy,
but when thus unnaturally connected
with Distinguishing virtues; receive
the same garnish, and are received
by an audience, if not as virtues them
selves, as excusable foibles: and this
unnatural connection of vice and vir-
tue, by which vice is exalted or vir-
tue degraded, we find in a greater Or|
less degree in almost all the heroes or
heroines as exhibited upon the stage.
Another apology for stage exhibi-
tons, is, that by the representation of
scenes Of suffering, the tender feelings
are excited and a sensitive audience
are often melted into tears of sympa-
thy; but even this fact, rather than an
excuse for such entertainments, is,
in my estimation, an argument against
them. When we meet with objects
of commiseration by which our SYM
pathies are excited, if we administer to
their wants and relieve their distress,
we cherish the finest feelings of the
human heart, and cultivate them by
the principles that produce
not so with the pathetic
exhibitions upon the stage, by which
these tender emotions are kindled in
our hearts, while aUe remain the mac
tive observers of distress, without
to its reIief-those feel
ings are blunted in their sensitiveness,
and the principles that excited them
are neglected in practice.
From an honest conviction of the
truth of these objections to theatrical
and because thew have
not generally been taken into the es-
innate by those who have borne testi-
nony against them, l have thought
proper to suggest them.
The members of the Thespian
Corps in this place, | believe are all
men ofmoral habits and good citizens;
vet if their performances have a ten
iency to relax in any degree, the
moral principles in which they are
or that Of their audience,
i would be substantial objection to
hat kind of entertainments and that
such has been the tendency Of such
exhibitions at every period of the
world, all history proves. Greece and
Rome were famous for theatrical en-
.ertainments-and those entertain
nents became more popular as those
Nations became more degenerate.-,
The highest pitch of glory to which
he Roman stage ever arrived, was ,
when Rome herself, was sunk into the
owest depths Of moral and political
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