Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Wayne County, Ind.) 1831-1837, 1836-01-30
YT& 2kL1NDIwEs



And, sir, az do not wisI, to ''blunt the
sensitivencss Of his tender feelings"
shall be very courteovs. In the onset he
says. but oEe faculty Of the mind (mcmory)
70 brought into action by tho actor. Per
haps such would be the cass il the writer
referred to were to undertake to play; but.
en- il be possible that an individual who
wiloessed the performances referred to in
my last communication. believed that
memosy enabled thD different actors to
give eject to the woods Of their author by
Ressiculation and correct reading? Does
i not require judgment to read correctly?
Does il not require research into the lOre
Of other yeau 10 know the habits, DISPOSE
tsons, and character Of the dramatis per-
so0e! Does It rot require an intimate
knowledge Of human nature to display the
passions Intended to be represented BY the
sutbos? Does memory give clcor and
distinct enunciat,on TO the actor? l. stage
eject nothingi lprcsumc not with G. for
he does not appear TO know any thing a
bout il. In fact he slys, the actor IS moth
Dng but the "showman Of another's goods"
Nov, ] opinc that the entire mind Of q.
in made up Of the same material, for not
an original idea shows itself in tine splen-
did compilation he has thrown out against
the tI,espians; ard consequently, agseably
to his own reasoning there - not any thing
in il which will immortalise him as ''great
gccius." He compares playing to singing
. song. There is no more affinity be-
tween them than there is between the Dor
Sowed light Of The moon and the gorgeous
brillancy Of the sun; yet, Mr.. Editor, !
will bet you supper Of Sloan's best oys-
ten, that G. could not learn and sing SOM.
or single tune, If all bis ''u'Oral princi-
pDcsn were staked upon the issue.
He goes on TO say that pictures Of vice,
n represented on the stage, have M more
effect ~ lettering youth from crime, than
an execution on the scaflsld. Now take
the character Of Valcntio- the audience
fius recognise him rs a nobleman, posses
sing tho confidence Of his country. and
The acknowledged sutton to the hand Of the
princess Ouana-they then see him as
the contcmptiblc wretch Who steals upon
the privacy Of lady's devotioDs, upbrai ids
hes for not loving him, and heaps contume-
" On an honorable rival-again they see
him % determined IN his purpose that he
betGay his country IN hopes Of receiving
her - his rewaEd-when Goilcd in this,
hey see the workings OF his remorse-the
winnings Of soul that feels oil the damn
ing saonics that burn traitors heart
q wretch who show, Isis esd;e.ss haii'' ID in
his beast. Not 50 with the execution
tho criminal is brought forth, he tells
those around him that he is ready to die,
that he has made his peace with hrs Godl
and he is happy. Perhaps he recaptulates
20 them some Of the trials and affections
he has suffered, and that now lie will be
released from them all and - about to taste
hspp;ness which would be cheap at any
price. The former cxcites horror, and
creates detestation Of the cLaracter-the
latter cxeites nausht but pity. leave the
reader to Judge the difference.
a dramatic sketch supplies us With a
soet Of artificial experience, and we profit
by il in the same way that We DO by re-
srospecsion Of our own conduct. Come
dy introduces US into scenes ve- dom-sti.;
life, and imperial tragedy is exalted his,o-
y put into action. We may as well ialsi-
II history ~ the drama. Ii the student
wers to eco the character Of Richard iii,
- dawn by Shakespeor, and performed
By Kean, or Booth, would he not have
better knowledge Of the disposition of
the s.hump-bsck tyrant," and the ''signs Of
the times' connected with him, than he
can possibly CLEAN from the history Of
England, by Hume. They certainly
would. They would there have the ad-
vantage Of seeing the character performed
- years # untiring study enabled such a
mind - Booth posse ssed 10 act it.
G. 10 altogether unacquainted with the
plan Of the drama. There - not a play
cxtant in which there is faulty charac-
Ter, but that there IS an opposite character
to show its deformi,y. Why do clergy
men % frequently draw pictures Of mise
~ in their ministerial duties? WHY do
they harrow up the feelings Of their au-
dlencc. with taxes Of woe. wrctchedness
and sin, lift is no, to throw = no.c lovely
and iNvitIng appearance 10 The scenes OF
virtue and righ,cousne IS that they always
draw in the close Of their addresses II
a. wc become familiar with scenes of suf-
Grisg and fallen humanity We become
CaIlous TO their effects, what good has all
such preaching done for the last thousand
years-nonc. GID forbid tina, such i. the
fact.
The unqualified warnings Of the danger
Of thespan entertainments. in which a
certain set Of moralisss have delighted TO
indulge, are bad compliment TO those
whom they are intended 10 influence.
One would suppose that the virtue Of the
rinng generation was Of a INST infirm dcs-
cSiptiOn, er that the drama was nothing