Litchfield enquirer., 1845-05-01
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lF1 ff# From Sluiss on sks Ikeafne
 Ia ~Cuuld summon into ono infe7niing group ske venerable mcn who hsEes in eyefF age. ID,
 slrtcted and nstonished the world by tleir wisdom
 ion on the character and moral influence ot the
 stage, the decision were it uniforms would de-
 mand some consideration; and from t itpresump' 1 ton ilselfwould moi venture to appeal: But thls
 s not practicable, nor is tt necessary; thet ses-
 ments on this subject are upon record, There Is
 scarcely distinguished name among the phllnsc-
 phers, Ieeislators, and mcfaisis of the world but
 is hostile 10 the theatre; and they have left, hy their hisi0rians, or in their wrilings nn impapsh
 able monument inscribed with their protest against
 as It is ah inysriable fact in the history of all nations,' says Clement, a fact which has been carefully recorded by historians, that the refine ment and increase of public spectacles has essen- tialy contributed to that universal depFavation of public and private morality, which has almost al- ways been either the secret or obvious cause ofthe fall of empires.'-s What caused the ruin of the fourishing republic of Greeces Ask the wisest of her philosophers the most eloquent of her or ators-the games, the theatres; these excited fondness for the magnificent and marvellous, and a disgust for simplicity and propriety. It was com- plained that the magistrates and people neglected the care of public affairs; the young men aban- doned their salgtary exertion to frequent the the
 atres the incidence and eheminacy of one sex produced delicacy and morbid insensibility in the other, and the dssoluteness of Greece became a proverb in history sla4i g.
 :. Rome was long virtuous and she remained SO while the theatre was unknown. Augustine heauti- fully remarks, that Theatricas artes virtus Roma na non noverat' : Butt observes Roman author, swhen conquered Greece taught her this fatal art, she taught her, at the same, all her vices. The yysest of the Romans foFesaw this: he had stfenu- ousy opposed the establishment of regular thea Ire, asserting, that it would be to Rome more dangerous Carthage than that which they had just destroyed He then succeeded in his Opposi- tion, but unfortunately he succeeded but for a short time and the event showed that Cato was not deceived? AyNA teNAS NJ sMsa !" Livy unites his testimony with that of Justin, and condemns the theatre. Philosophers follow in the same train :-s Plays,' says Plato, raise the passions, and pervert the use of them, and are of course dangerous to morality Again. The die versions of the stage are dangerous to temper and snbriety; they swell anger and desire too much.-- Tragedy is apt to make men boisterous, and come- dy buffoons. Those passions are cherished which ought to be checked: virtue loses ground, and rea- son grows precarious vice makes an insensible ap proach and steals upon us in the disguise of pleas nre.'@ 'gs 9ts E39iss89s AF
 ssIegisators have joined their protest to histori ans and philosophers. The wisest Legislators of Greece and Rome did their utmost to damp tne- atrical spirit but inyair. Thespis, the first impro- yer of the dramatic art lived in the time of Solon That wise legislator says Rolln. supon seeing hispeces performed, expressed his dislike by str- king his staff against the ground f lss might fatigue the reader with quotations from names of the most distinguished eminence: 1t would be tedious--t would be useless. It is enough to remark, that Plato, ,xenophon, Aristotle. Cicero, Livy, Valerius, Maximus, Solon and Cato, Seneca and Tacitus the most venerable men of antiquity aconstelaton of talents and virtues, the greatest thateyer shone--haye all condemned the stage.--
 We may addto these, the fathersof the church.
 iassl Augustine confesses, with noble frankness
 worthy of aitrue penitent. that at the theatre he imbbed all the venom which corrupted his heart.
 Yes,' said Tertulian.s will grant that your the- atfical representations are smpe fascinating, and even respectable; but does he who prepares apoi- sonous draught mix gall and wormwood in the bowl No; he conceals its deadly qualities by in- fusing sweet and aromatic ingredients | Even,' observes St.. Augustine, if there were no other ob-
 ection to the theatre, than the intercourse of the sexes not to speak of the criminal behaviour of women utterly destitute of modesty. who seek, by
 their lnngushing gestures, their penetrating voices, their empoisoned action, enfame, to consume you with fhe tierceness of desire.,"h4 9liHH stsit l4
 Miss Battle, anodern writer of most admirable talents though she does not absolutely condemn the stage, is constrained, as nioralst, to enter herprotest against Busy, that is fashionable conn edy:--s The moral tendency ofit she observes is thority, so constantly held forth, has very bad effect upon the younger part Of the audience. and
 that continual lying and deceit in the first charac ters of the piece, which is necessary for conduct ing the plot, has amost pernicious one.'" sagu la According to Livy, 6, vii. professed players were degraded from their tribes, and were not al- lowed to serve in the army tAg as'
 .sx,l. ral- r bits in strong point of view the odium which was attached to the profession ofan actor among the Romans. Compelled lg Cesar, at an advanced pe- riod of lite 10 appear the stage to recite some of his own works, he felt his character as a Roman citizen nsulted and disgraced; and in some affec-l ting verses, spoken on the occasion, he incensed the audience against the tyrant, by whose mandate he was obliged to appear before them. After having lived.' said he. sixty years with honor, leitmy house this morning Roman knight. but shall return to it this evening i'Jansoss stGge piayer. Alas !s have lived day too long '"
 M <. DONATION TO MIR. WEBSTER.
 The Broadway Journal gives the following state- ment in relation to the fund said 10 have been re- cehtly raised by voluntary subscription for the Hon. Daniel Webster. It says that certain gentlemen, feeling that the welfare of the country demanded the presence oi Mr. Webster in the Senate, and Knowing that his private aiiars were not in con sliton which would admit of his return to public life, without making greater sacrifice than his duty to his family would permit, opened sub- scription, among very limited number of course, with the object of raising hundred thousand dol- lars, to De invested for his benefit About sixty thousand dollars were subscribed in Boston, and the remainder in New York. This has been or will be invested so as to produce seven per cent The income to be given to Mr. Webster during his lie, and continued to Mrs Webster during hers, aer which the principal is to revert to the orgi- nal donors or their heirs, We believe this trib-