The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-07-13
Tho Barnum and Batcman Troubles.
RARNUA TO. BATHuAH.
AhsRloAn MUsnun,v
Nov York NAV n 1900

Mr. Henry L. BArEMAN, Sir,-I underptsnd that
you arc writing to America Offering to engage your
children, on your return here next autumn, and
saying that Jour engagement will then have ceased
with mo-
am surprised at this inasmuch as gave you writ
ten notice Of my intention to renew our engagement
for the second year, as had right to, according to
my contract. You told my agent you accepted that
notice, and 1 believe you wrote me TO the same
effect, although the letter ia now misaid. II you
suppose that because the children have made for
each Of us few thousand pounds more than you
expected, you can therefore triAe with me, and
break an agreement, kept by me in good faith. you
are mistaken and will prosecute you for $4,000
damages, the moment you touch our SOIL unless you
upbesitatiDgly fulfil your contract with me. Pos
perity viii Try men even more than adversely, and
If you let few thousands set you crazy, and lead
you to repudiate your contract with me, you will
rue il till the day of your death.
/ ask nothing but what is right, and that will
have, if the power Of man can accomplish it,
The children can draw an average of 81. 900 per
night in America, every night from the day Of your
arrival until the end Of second year-one- half
they draw will be taken by the managers, and one
half of the remainder is mine, and must have it,
or you and the managers will get inunctions every
time they attempt to perform. Be warned in
time. Yours,
(Signed) P. T. BARNuM
BATEMAN TO BARNuM
CALEDONIA HOTEL, EDINBURG, May "a, 1852.
Mr.. =. L. BARNUM-
SIR:-The contents of your letter, dated May q,
have excited my utmost astonishment. deny
entirely your assertion that you, your agent in
London gave me tho notice required by our con-
tract previous to its renewal. Ho did not do so,
nor weuld j, under any circumstances have agreed
to your name being attached to my children, in
their dramatic career, for another year. propose,
at the termination Of their tour through the United
States, to withdraw them from the stage entirely;
but IL would be very unsatisfactory conclusion to
their triumphant success, before the most critical
audiences in the world, were they to be hereafter
associated with the speculations, &c., Sc, which
have rendered you notorious.
In this country, nothing but the real genius Of
the children could have overmastered the strong
barrier Of preudiees your name, previous to their
appearance, had upreared against them. | again
repeat, the contract was not, and shall not be re-
newed. You have this time neither child nor
woman to contend with, and managers are too we'll
aware of the law in such case to be debarred from
engaging so powerful an attraction as my daugh-
tiers, by your empty threats of prosecution. The
voice Of the people will be everywhere against you,
in every city. / shall be prepared to guarantee
managers against any loss caused by your I'M
grounded law proceedings, should you be so i'll
advised us to attempt to control my movements.
The fortune to which my childIen's talents well
entite them shall not be made the prey of an
avaricous and useless adjunct. In yoar previous
engagements you had at least the merit of aiding
your wotfges by your ansparing putting. In my
case you have done nothing. While my children
have been achieving the most brilliant trumphs
before European public, and the British press has
lavished encomiums upon them unexampled in
theatricals, you have remained inert and silent,
using no means to have this known at home, but
trusting to their merits alone for continuance of
your splendid profits.
l repeat, your agreement with me, after the 18th
of June, is null, and henceforth the Bateman
Children will be exclusively under the control of
their proper guardian. CSignod),
H. l.. BATEMAN.
THE BATEMAE CHILDREN IN EUROPE.
The success of these extraordinary children has
been SO brilliant in the United Kingdom, that we
conceived brief summary Of their triumphant
career in the various theatres in England, Ireland
and Scotland, would not be uninteresting to the
American friends Of the little artistes Before the
children had opened in London, world of prejudice
existed against the merit of precocites, and when
they were announced at the St. James's Theatre,
the play going people shrugged their shoulders, and
the press merely mentioned the fact OF Juvenile
debut without a word of encouragement. The
eventfu $ first night" arrived; the attendance was
fashionable; the critics came in early. and all was
expectation, apathy, and doubt, notwithstanding
tic undoubted prestige the children had brought
with them from the United States The curtain
rose, we have no hesitation in saying, on as impair
tlal and severe an audience could be found in
city in Europe. composed MS it Of the Hterati,
nobility, and representation from each of the Lon
don papers. The play selected was portion of
"Richard the Third which commanded the most
earnest attention. and the curtain descended amid
perfect shower Of bouquets. applause and enthusi-
asm The ''young couple" succeeded, and if it
were possible for the former excitement Of admra-
tion to besupassed it mantle sted here, after the
charming assumptions in Scribe's sparkling comedy.
Among the audience was Madame Rachael. the
great French fTogedienne. and at the end of the
performance she sought little Ellen, and kissing
her, pronounced her the most wonderful child she
bad ever seen. not excepting LeoAtne Fay. who was
the pet of the Parisians. The short season at
the St Jamess was very brilliant. the performance
I1., H. II.
of the Duchess Of Somerset and the Spanish Am
bassador, while among the habtues was the Duke of
Deyoushire, the Duke of Wellington, Lord John
Russell, b. Disraeli. Sir Edward Lytton Bulwer Sir
Henry Bulwer, Charles Dickens, Douglas Jerrold,
Abbot Lawrence, Mr.. Bale, the Duchess of Kent,
lady Byron. Mrs. Newton Crosland, Mary Hewitt,
Agnes Strickland, and others ofdistincton. No fake
Of snow exposed to the rays of torid sun could
have melted quicker than did the stod GOODNESS ofthe
London play goers in regard the existence Of great
genius in children their popularity did not by
dull scale of slow gradation but it sudden and
brilliant They had only to be heard to convince and
the triumph was most gratifying to the Americans in
London, who were delighted to find in John Bull
that commendabe willingness to respond to an APP
peal OF American genius. At the close Of the ST.
James's engagement, the children proceeded to
Scotland, and at Edinburg and Glasgow, the bonnie
paids echoed the London verdict with an ardor
quite unusual in Scotland. where the "muckle"
citizens apt to be frigid unless their fancy is
enormously tickled. At Edinburg, little Ellen was
JCt0 ana caressed with degree of attention that
told plainly the strong impression she had made by
the force of her tiny genius. From Scotland the
children again returned to London to fulfil an en-
gagement with Emperor Bum, who was just
about to open Drury lane with opera, and for seven
weeks did the children delight the largest audiences
that since the days of Edmund Kean have honored
the classic walls Of Old Drury Bum was so graft
fed at the success of their engagement, that he Of
fered them large sum to remain till the end Of
the season, an acceptance Of which impossible,
as important engagements were pending in Bath,
Bristol, and Plymouth, to which cities the children
next proceeded, creating a perfect hrore among
all classes of playgoers In Plymouth, Ellen"
was presented with u miniature gold service,
emblazoned with her name, who :. Kate re-
ceived from tho ladies work box of tortoise
shell studded with amethysts. At Bath, the nobi-
lily very attentive to the little Americans, and
Lord Clifton got up and conducted reception" in
most gorgeous style, in honor of their genius.
They were waited on by at least hundred ladies
ard nobleman of rank. The last London engage
mcnt was at the Royal Surrey Theatre, which was
highly successful They here produced new come