The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-11-19

Gus, for . reformed and moral stare. adon.ed an
analogous plan, and found himself instantly obliged
either 10 aDaneon hrs theatre, or abandon his
efert to improve it The same results have fol-
lowed the most strenuous efforts to disconnect the
tipping and the gambling departments from tho
theatre la Boston, in New York. and in other Cities
attempts OF this kind have been total and hopeless
failures Nor have efforts been wanting to accom- mo-
date superficial land gratifying romantic REFORM
ers and under their suggestions to renovate the de-
bauched character OF stage actors to bring anon the
boards MODEL persons and model plays; TO recover
and re produce dramas that az honor to liters.
ture aud study for the chaste, But no such re-
forms have ever yet done more than to deceive their
sanguine inventors and then fall powerless to the,
ground Mt the first assault The character OF stage
players is so VIGOROUSLY and so universally de-
bauched. that Macready has publicly declared
"None OF my children shall ever, any pretence
whatever, enter theatre, or have any visiting
quaintapces with actors aud actresses" And
Gs to improving the character Of tho plays
to be performed, that is equally hopeless.
Not long since, journal devoted to the interests
Of the stage informed its readers that Mr..
Hamblin had, "during the past week, presented
regular succession of Shaksperean plays, to regu-
lar succession Of empty boxes, but last night he
brought out new ballet, aud the Park was crowd
ed.'' The National Int,H,gencer says-"We are
obliged to confess thai the stage has for the most part
degenerated, because the audiences have ceased to
be governed by good taste" Another journal, OF
the same character, eays-"Those audiences which
alone can preserve the taste of theatrical amuse-
ments, and check its tendencies to vice which the
theatre is apt to afford driven in disgust from at
tendance upon it, and it becomes the resort OF the
dissolute, the vicious, and the vulgar" In the
nature OF things q reformed stage is impossible
as is reformed tipping house, or a reformed
brothel. They are dreamers, who imagine that in >
community where the most virtuous and Intelligent
half of the people AVOID the theatre and condemn it
for its insepay1ble corruptone, and where great num-
bers Of those who have religious scruples to deter
their attendance will heless stay away for rea
sons Of taste and chastity, theatre can be sustained
whose attractions shall solicit only the virtuous and
classic mind Experience has demonstrated that .
reformed and irreproachabe theatre cannot live even
under the smiles of royalty Neither Boston, nor
Philadelphia. nor New York, has, or can have snch
theatre. Experience has demonstrates, also, that
in a small city, like Hartford, mono but most
corrupt and pernicious stage can possibly support
itself 60 long majority Of the people remain yir-
tuous and Christian. A theatre may corrupt moral
trate the healthful flesh. But avirtuous community
has never yet reformed 6 corrupt theatre It is a
demonstrated and irrefrsg proposition that the
the atre must be what it has been. To anticipate,
tendom, q theatre with chaste and classic
plays, with pure and temperate actors, with
out its three inseparahle satellites, the brothel,
the drinking saloon, and the gamesers table, is to
overlook the history of centuries and believe what
one desires or dreams Having traced the annals
and witnessed the character of the stage since its
origin among the Bacchanal rites of Psg anism, and
having the testimony OF all ages, countries and eli
MATES W Ito uHii0TM uuu uhCudukuS cHcctS, tuO
undersigned deprecate in tho most serious terms,
and dread with the most profound apprehension, tho
introduction among Of this mother Of the three
destroying vices. And they implore the members
Of the Common Council as intelligent students of
history, as the parents of who are to grow up,
amorg Hartford institutions and Hartford seductions
as the conservators Of puolic morality trustees Of
the best interests, and guardians of the highest
destinies Of the city, to say, what many heather
Legislatures have seen in their light to say
before, that corrupt irresponsible and incorrgblo
institute like the theatre institute that has led
in its train for twenty centuries, and has led round
tho world the three vices that have ravaged society
wherever they have gone-shau have NO welcome
and no lie snse in Hartford.