The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-09-29

race of active men, either in business or aottics
How this influence can be traced 10 mead
stream, we know not, but we shall endeavor to
try. We rather think that VIM II. Seward has
pretty large finger in the pie and we shall endeavor
TO pull that finger out at leisure and dissec 1t
for exhibition to the world Mr.. Meredith, also,
has finger there.
EXCITEMENT AND HIssNG AT THE BROADWAY
THEATRE-THE RIGHT WRoNo OF THE MAT
rKR-A series of incidents have just occurred
at the Broadway theatre, which have been
since growing into Importance SO rapidly, that IT
the excitement continues much longer, Hudsoa
will awake some fine morning, and find himself
famous. Il is by incidents 1--WE have duly recorded
Them every morning, IN our theatrical coumn,) he
qua lines Of all great are developed. IL was by
an incdt mt, he meteor Napoleon, who dazzled the
world first attracted notice, and but for winch he
might have lived and died in obscurlty As mat
tiers look at present. Hudson has every chance OF
becoming the Napoleon Of the Irish drama, casting
the memory Of Power himself into the shade, and
that by means so simple, as not to be above the
capability of well known aquatic fowl, OF the
genus anser, doinestlcated among us. Rome was
saved by the cackling Of geese-wil Hudson be
elevated 10 the pinnacle of fame an Irish actor,
by the Kissing Of geese We do not mean to com
pare with cease the intelligent gentlemen who
Missed him, but what they did, was really so
harmless, and so easily performed, that any goose
could do it,
Yet, this kissing has been very ancient custom
among men, TO give expression TO their criticism,
We find 1t mentioned in the Bible, (Book OF Eze-
kiel) The merchants among the people shall
hiss at thee" In the theatres Of ancient Rome, il
was considered so much right, that the Kissing
Of actors, and even actresses, off the stage, was
common occurrence Take an instance from the
| tenth satire Of the first book Of Horace -
| "Nsm satis est equitem mihi plsudere. ut audax,
Contem pits sliis exp!osa Arbuscula dixt."
Here, we see that the actress Arbuscula was
Missed off the stage" (erpiosa) by the people,
and conie nted herself with the applause of the
arstocra,ic few. We have the authority of no less
than Shak speare himself, for saying the custom
prevailed in his time. "Thaf, Of an hours age,
doth hiss the speaker" and again, in the Merry
Wives Of WINDSOR
Mrs FoRD-Go tell thy master am alone. Mrs
Pace remember YOU your
MRS PA.E-I warrant thee; II do not act It, hiss me
The usage has been continued down to the pre-
| sent time, in all civilized countries, including
France and England Perhaps this country is
| about to make long stride IN the march o. sup
Der ten" refinement, and abolish the plebeIan Gus
tom But in European nations it has been hlher-
to regarded as a prescriptive right OF the people
| The que slion was raised shorr tine ago III Eng
| land when il was settled by the decision Of court
of law in favor of the sbilants, and the man who
attempted to put another out OF the theatre tor hiss
ing, was declared guilty of an assault. In that
country the fate OF play, or OF an actor, 10 decided
by Kissing, and both are frequently driven OIL the
stage by this species Of popular criticism. !, is
not very long since saw the pr-ama donna OF
the Grand Opera at Paris served IN the same way,
and The police joined in the explosion The ~xer-
else Of the right by Mr.. Forrest in the Of Mr..
Mscready, when acting Hamlet at Edinburgh, is
too fresh in the minds Of our readers, TO be for
gotten. Rad taste as it might be in rival actor,
yet il was h, Id be his right, and he was not ar
rested by the police, nor elected from the theatre,
though national pride was involved. Macready be-
ing the great tragic actor Of the county Is there
less free dom of opinion IN the great metropolis Of
the United Ststes, par excellence the land Of the
freeW
There are, however, two sides to the question,
and the right must be exercised under far lim,ts-
nons II must not be perverted to the wanton
purpose of interruption and giving annoyance to
those who have paid their money to hear a play.
Ii is Illegal TO form II combination to hiss actor,
right or wrong, with the malicious intention OF m
jurins him, damaging the lessee, or gratifying the
wishes Of some rival. But TO hiss spontaneously
and from con vicuon, is Just as much the right OF
any spectator il is TO applaud, and has been rs
tabhshed from time Inmsmorlal. To interfere
with ii by violence, rs something very like tyrsn-
ny, and the tyranny is the greater if the criticism
-.
stance. We presume Mr. Molouy did no, want to
find fault with the acting OF MIR Hudson, but only
to express opinion upon the exaggerated cha
racter ola scene in the play OF "O'Flano,gan and
the Faircs." Il has been long subject of complaint
with those who best know Ireland aud the Irish aud
have no interest Ia incorporating them, that
nearly all The Irish plays tb,t have been written
are either csrcatures or gross misrepresentation
They ale composed like most Of the histories OF
Ir land, for the cookery market, and anything Is
swallowed greedy by John Bull that makes poor
Paddy ridieul~us, IrIshmen, too, ct talent, are
found who pander 10 this depraved taste. and reap
their reward IN the applause of the London au-
di,nces and newspaper critics, and IN. what is Tar
more substantial, pounds sterling. These dram,s
having had succeseful run in London, are next
Introduced here aud II an Insh gentleman or an
American, who has seen Ireland as II Is, fad
fault with any portion Of these representations,
sur,y he has a right to give uttrrance to his SEN
nmeuta without being exposed to violence. Wh-n
Mir Molony going out Of the theatre, he
ssid, ~ the most impassIoned manner, that II was
false dcl,nestion, for he wac born On the spot
laid ~ the scene. aud knew it well But whether
he was correct not IN h,s oplaion. matters not.
Ills right to HES was undoub.ed; tor see what a
denial of the rig ht would lead TO. " twenty
nsoptc men, Of the sime opinions with MIR.
MuluB,, he'd stood by ham, he could not have
BEEN erected without bloodsbed, perhaps Ices a
lite, and that IN the presspcs oi very large NUN
10. ~ ,..,Ih