The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-11-23

The Theatrical Emeute IN PhiiadslpAsa- |
hlacready and Forrest.
From the Philsdelphs Times, Nov. a.
We cannot say that we think Macready was
at the Arch street on Monday night. The noise
end confusion were, IN fact, disgraceful and,
although we are satisfied that he had great deal
to do with the influence which was exercised
against MIR. Forrest IN London, because Mr.. +.
was an American actor, still we conceive that, as
Americans, we ought TO be magnanimous, and can
afford to pass over such petty feelings as beneath
retaliation. Mr.. Macready is very great actor
II is useless to deny il. So is Mr.. Forrest. Genius
is of no country and il Mr.. Macready could de-
scend, at home, to such conduct as Is attributed to
him, II furnishes us no reason why we should,
here, follow his example
Iron the Philadelphia Enquirer Nov. 22l
We are sorry to be compelled to state that few
persons disgraced themselves on Monday evening
last, at the Arch Street Theatre, by hlsslng Yell
ing, and making other dsagreeab,e noises, during
the performance of Mr. Macready The house
was crowded from pit TO dome, and nineteen
twentieths of the audience were disposed to act
with the most liberal courtesy towards the emf
nent tragedian. Thus. whenever 1t became neces-
sary, the shouts of applause were so Overwhelm-
ing, that the Kissing could not be heard and it
was only during the pauses that the disturbers
could make themselves IN any degree conspicu-
Gus: True, Trey managed to annoy the audience
thsy discovered that they were in miserable mi
notify, and paused In their operations TO very
great extent. Between the first and second acts,
for example, six rounds OF cheers were gwen
the object OF the majority being to show their
hesltiness of feeling towards gifted and accom-.
plshed stranger. Some rufiians, not satisfied with
oral demonstrations, threw pennies and an egg
upon the stage but Macready bore himself
throughout with dignity and proprlety, and treated
the authors OF the outrage with merlted con-
tempt. AT the close Of the piece call was made,
and the tragedian came forward and made few
remarks, which were listened to, and applauded
H. tInt rNGs L.
We will only repeat the statement, that the great
majority of the audience were evidently and de-
cidedly opposed to the outrageous conduct OF the
few. The personatlon of Macbeth was, despite
these difficulties, masterpiece.
[Frcm the Phila delphia Ledger, Nov 81
Mr.. Macready appeared last night at the Arch,
and the fnn ouncement drew a very crowded audi
ence. The house inside was packed, and outside
there was gathering large enough for a town
meeting. Curiosity had drawn these " outsiders"
in expectation of row, and we are sorry to say
that the conduct of portion of the audience inside
justified their expectations tor they did all they
could by Kissing and noisesto destroy all the effect
of the play. In this, however, they were only
partially successful; very large portion of the
audience were respectable people, and their pau-
dts sieDced every attempt at interruption, though
these were so frequent as to mar the beauty of the
performance. During the play cheers were several
times made for Forrest, and drowned by louder
ones for Macready. Pennies were thrown upon
the stage amid calls and cries of the most disgrace
1ul character, ana In last act, Wnle MT. M.
on the stage, an egg was thrown, and falling near
his feet broke Still he needed not the insult, but
proceeded on through the piece. AT the fall OF the
curtain there was the usual call, and Mr. Macready
came before the curtain amid an almost universal
waving Of hats, and the most tumultuous applause
ever heard in theatre. 1t was several minutes
before he attempted to speak, so loud and general
was the noise of friends and toes.
MACREADYs SPEECH.
He at length said -
d" He had understood, at New York and Boston, that
he was to be met BY organized opposition, but he
had abiding confidence in the justice Of the America
people. lTIere the noise and confusion completely
drowned his voice, and three cheers attemp
Macresdy He resumed by saying it va. the Gus US.
tom in mis- country never to condemn man unheard
ICheers and cas in which Forests heard.
Mr. NJ said that It had been said that he
hostile feelings towards actor In this country and
that he had evinced feeling Of opposition towards
gate he declared wholly and entirely unfounded The
actor alluded to had done that towards him what he
lieved no other American actor would do-he had
openly Kissed him. Great noise asd confusion. Kisses
and hurras That up to the time Of that act he had
never entertained towards that actor feeling Of
Kindness nor had he ever shown my since. collision
In boxes and great uproar all the house, When
opposition in his country had been against
French company. he actively interested himself to
allsy it. Here he ssid something Of the Gsrepu table
smd 5 IN
he fully appreciated the character and feelings of the
audience and as to his engagement If it their will
he willing to give 1t up at once (no, no-cheei 8
and hss but that he should retain In his memory the
liveliet recollection of the and general senti-
ments of regard shown him. and should speak Of the
| An erican people, whom he had known and studied
for the last twenty years with the kind feelings
| that he ever had done. >
| Throughout the closing scenes as indeed he did
throughout the entire play. Mr.. Macready bore up
under the many vexatious annoyances of small
part OF the audience with great apparent good
humor, but once, so far we saw, showing any
warmth of feeling, and then but for moment
The movement of the whole evening was the
most diseracefu that we ever saw IN theatre, and
It was gratifying to hear the object of assault so
brutal and uncaled for, attribute it to the proper
| source-to few i'll bred, rIOtous persons, to be
found In every community-in every nation.
From the Pennsylvanisnl
We received the following card late last evening.
II Is a reply to the speech of Mr.. Macready at the
Arch Street Theatre, on Monday evening"
| CARD.
Mr.. Macresdy, in his speech last night to the au-
dience assenb ed at the Arch Street Theatre, made
alusion, understand, to an American actor who
had the temerjty, one occasion, openly to hiss
p 'ns tns
scope of his address But why say " An American
actor 2, Why not openly charge me with the ac.' for
did 1t, and publicly svowed It in the Times news
paper Of London, and at the same time asserted my
| right to do so.
duoed fancy dance into his performance Of Hamlet
which ! designated as pas de mouchoir, and which
hissed for thought desecration Of the scene, and
the audien thought so too, for in few nights after
wards when Mr. Mscready repeated the part Hsmlet
with the "tomfoolery," the Intelligent audience
Of Edinburgh greeted 1t with universal hiss.
Mr. Mscready is stated to have said last night that
up to the time Of this act part, he had
entertained towards me feeling Of unkinduess"
unhestatngIy pronounce this to be wful and un
blushipg falsehood. most solemny aver and do be-
lieve that MIR. Macresdy, instigated by his narrow.
envious mind, and his selfish fears, did secretlyne
openly suborn several writer's for the English press
| to write me down Among them was Foster a
"toady" Of the eminent tragedan-one who is ever
ready to do his dirty work; and this Foster, at the
bidding OF his patron, attacked me In print even
before ! had appeared upon the London boards, and
continued his abuse Of me at every opportunity after
| wards.
assert aso, and solemly believe that Mr. Macready
connived when his friends went the theatre in Lon
don. to hiss and did hiss with the purpose OF
driving me from the stage-and all this happen ned
many months before the affair at Edinburgh to which
Mr. Macresdy refers and In relation to which he Jeu