New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-05-16
oo,;,v u.naI,v leads to any over. and gross

insist that the Stage rs it is tends TO the
rremature and inharmoniOus development If
certain affections and impulses, which
should be left to slumber for years. lnfan-
tile Adams and Ewes pluck and eat the fruit
Of the Tree of knowledge Of Good and
Evil before that Of the Tree Of Life. Thus
keen observer in Paris remarks that the
children at the Thcaters of that city seemed
old in feeling beyond their years-as if
with wrinkles on their souls at fifteen.
This seems to us very probable. We think
even the Opera an amusement that should
be sparingly enjoyed, and very rarely by
children.
The Mercury calls for criticism at our
hands upon the Theaters, yet asserts that
the criticisms we do give upon the Opera
are superficial and worthless. If this be
true. we think the Drama may well con-
graduate itself on our forbearance. What
our reighbor would seem to require IS crit
cism upon the Drama at the hands OF the
Editor-in-Chie of the Tribune but since
he cannot find time to attend the Opera,
which he on the whole approves, how could
he be expected to attend the Theaters which
be dislikes? And if what criticism we have
is fitly characterized by The Mercury, GER
tainly the less we have Of it the better.
Although the writer has been bat once in
side the doors of the Opera-House and has
very rarely-perhaps twice-in the lifetime
of The Tribune, attended Theatrical per-
formance, this difference between them is
very strongly impressed on his mind-that
the Theaters are generally calculated,
planned, for observation-disclosures, while the
Opera is not. We think no Opera-House
ever opened in our City had tier spe-
cialIy set apart for fallen, Outcast wo-
men and the equally degraded men who re-
sort thither to make selections from among
them, thus rendering the place the chief
mart of lewdness-the high Change of
shameless and groveling lust. 1t is other
wise with Theaters generally, as we do
know Now, any place may be abused and
desecrated-the filthy and lecherous may
resort even to Church to discover the part
ners of their vices-but calculation to ia
cilitate and make gain of their base de-
sires is the last extreme of depravity. 1t
strikes us that this should be abundant
cause of forfeiture of theatrical license, or
any other. But our Authorities probably
know their own business. Yet as The Mer-
curry deems it our duty to point out the
evil to be summed we will begin here.
Why should not the virtuOus patrons of the
Drama say at once to the Managers, You
must Danish your special facilities for
'lewd creatures, or we leave you for ever ?"
Why haven't they said this long ago? Can
any body tell?
The last time but one that we visited
theater-it was from seven to ten years
ago-we were insulted by ribald, butfoon
song. in derision of Total Abstinence from
intoxicating Liquors. During the last sea-
son we understand that Mr.. Brougham-
whom we are specially blamed by The Mer-
curry for not helping to crowded benefit
has made very nice thing of ridiculing
Socialism. We doubt whether any great
pervading reform has been effected since
there was a stage which that stage has not
ridiculed, misrepresented and held up to
popular odium 1t is in its nature the crea-
ture of the mOb-that is, Of the least en-
ightened and least earnest portion OF the
communicated fatters the prejudices,
courts the favor and yarnishes the vices of
that portion. 1t bellows Justify for Liber-
ty-meaning license to do as you please
but has small appetite for self-sacrifce,
patient industry and an unselfsh devotion
to duty. We fear that we shall not be able
to like it, even with its groggeries and as
signation-rooms shut up-but without this
we cannot even begin. Whether the Thea
ter can ever be virtuOus or not, we cannot
be unreasonable in asking it to be decent.
DISrNIoN IN TExAs.-A correspondent at
Houston writes us the following respecting
the prospects for the Nashville Convention
and Disunion in Texas:
"The Nashville Convention is dead horse here
as the saving is Not one in ten voted for IT, and
wherever poll was opened on it the votes were
as 30 to one against it.
Texas wants TO disunion and will repudiate
the man or the party who does
MAIsE-The Inauguration d John Hubbard OF
HaloweI, to the office of Governor q the State OF
Maine, took place on Saturday last he delivered
his address Monday. The vacancies in the Senate