The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1851-01-01

The Dramas;
It's Moral Character, Tone and Tendency considered
BY COLBY CIBBER,


1.-THE corruption of the Theatre dispOOf of its nn.t, and
TIE drama, in age, but more particularly in tba,
winch gave II local habaion and NAME has ALVIN,
been looked being The connecting link between In.
sister arts. poetry and painting, may justly claim to be
part and portion of counys literature The stage sh lud
be The standard for correct pronuucaton, affects 10 be
icho0 Tor MORALS and the improvement of mind 1t can
with propety be placed either category for we never vet
witnessed leg innate play, bat hch we have learned
onethng and felt ourf exalted in scale of humanity
ny assmans some act OF our with those ably ard
not uniiequenty gowngy, ented to Us. The stage
the great world emitted men, manners and cnsons ,rs
there given with tfuhuness and colorng cb aets uno
the mind an charm, and for the lime being CONVEYS III, tn
the place, and anld the various ented Tbeiu
sion not. therefore, merely optical and pleasing bu inter
esflng ana instructive from association and our
of the suhJea thu, esed The decline of the drama in r
midst ana the necessity compelling change the
"hoe character anu nature of their perurnal ce s,ns
from this decadency, have esseed that nts,es
ahu iaste 'Of dramatic which was wont IA,
throw around it and the drama a charm in which po,try
painting aud pture bore conspcuou. part The .s.n
ing as 1t were the dignity of the drama. by succumbinx to
the vicious many the whole face of the became cha
its moral sckened by the touch OF vice and all to,e
ms of the oden tins destroyed at one blow bv
the introduction OF the Jakeys and the zei of low rocie
on the stage.
These remarks apply particularly to our Northern
the tres, ard it W reuctar are compeed to add
tha thee vile specimens OF the dramatic literature of oar
country made up OF vulgar slang and The low xpsys OF
The ol
theatre than ever did the beautiful production. of
or Knowles. Indeed for while Shakpear, wa. !, id no
the Shelf while thu Sc poisonous pas OF the ge four
Cline and al the vices OF man. ensendsrng their Kind a.
their display was apparent. for viii filed the theatres
thus the moral epro'y of city esered on The ,t.ge in
the full and undimmed shine of pubic favor Youth
thus Initiated into the vices the town, md The
or me exposed Ia their won and appalling feaure,
while the ssds thus sown taking in the minds Mt
The young thus the stas fearful picture without
one tedeemlng tr,it man by the name of CbanIr,u
New York, hi. way south elaine Ia be the orir
atlr Of these vie scums of the EARTH which float as were
down the stream OF lite, uppeEmost when the pubic
smiles
II IS That very ,n,ehs iA.lHh 4 Af isr ,1as c,s,,s,
reptiles. which have eaten into the v,ty
heart oil the drama, aad Jpou whose SGaao foundation la,
srsn supenuuc us OF evil VIII Will take ysars ard
Yeas 10 remove Protect the from pieces a.
in New York, 4" "Jakey 10 Phsdelphia' - Jack sbr,
pard AID sill suc give ,yor, phases Of poy
human nature rendered pleasing 10 youth for their novelty
the novelty OF crime, then shall have 10 speak OF it,
ties, not Its heousness While the first of tsss piece,
created in midst class of manhe Jskev. of an
ce the counterpars OF which found in the Izs, IN,
latter Jack Sheppard, has tld prisons and House,
OF Refuge with his followers aud imi ators.
Ia The city OF Phad pha alone, was estimated that the
performance of the drama Of Jack Sheppad'' WA, III
Of urn shng at least five hundred amateur robbers Ia
the public notice, AID ending Tor the time being lsr career
IN the Psnenary Let our managers their theatres
from th'se vie aboTons and then may still bride ony
selves OF having had, the bcs reg Mated thea.
in he world! These remarks des will observe ar
applied more particularly to the Norhrn theatres where
criticism is confined the opinions Of the shifting nj, and
cater Tor tue taste OF those whose estimate of
matte itera m7ds up from their own nohi5 and d
PRAYED appettes. OF there
tons to this rule as ii hoped they are to be found
| where.
The history of drama, from it. earliest data, ,71e !.
of much interest," and more particularly from tho fac,
mat IRON Inc 81 III It's Introduction, legitimate pays,
from the hest Eng h auth rs were universally sell oed and
pafo 'sd Dramatic epreenaton', if they do interfere
with The re * on, observance, of people, are at all
beneficial, useful aud Necessary. Upon NH, subec, l., No.
quote the language OF an old and valued friend Of ours Ard
alsehe friend OF science and of says: "Tbsr. ans
people the face OF the earth who have advanced a.,
ea, step towards civilization who have not hsd their nnb
lie amusements. These may be purely for reaxa,ion -
weghner employ men or for instruction conveyed IN
such neaus tend TO de light, tie moment they g, al
improve. Mankind whsn cOngregatd for the pu,n,,s. nj
hnocet pleasure or the higher OF eving e,or,
life morals, religion, are, by the sympathy of ncb M
socatio more firmly bound and K together in the HI
er feelings OF our common NATURE The merely uee,,y To
ge her for the same purpose if that purpose n not evil
| to good.'' ~ ~
How ar these remarks will tend su1 ain thearc, renr
sehthuo' On SiDbal VIII he con'd red hereafter a. VS.
10 examine INTO the morality and the propre,y o
such M Infringement on Gods holy daya day se anr, e.
The no Ter purposes OF man, and I'VE to Him VIVA
is above all III is earthly the Iii hest of the Mos, Ub ~
hehtlest OF the mighty We are not byoted nor ave- ve
any OF the new tangled notions of Sosrn fanatics. bpt 80
| we shnd
cuss the question OF lis morality aud fairly examine int, h
question: whether Sunday performances are esent,I y, ,h
dramas interest; and if they rot injurious IN rnb,r
morNs anu the cause OF religion AS stage representation
under The head of amusemenis for the peone III
ton natural arises, how lar such exhibition. tend h, b in
Juy or the character of public moras1 If wa oot bl
upon the history OF nations find the am easement. or b
people marx invariably the progress of civilization and
whenever their eroyments were i'm erl.red win o'
movement into darkness and iarbarsm was the
he amnsenent-no matter of what dascrptiou-mp., vii
lis ums ana place to those observance and ceemoni & n
| the worship, The praise, and glory of our Maker
| Tn se