The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-08-25

Home Of InduSiry-Hopefd Indications Of
The Times
New YORK, august 2Oth, 1853
To the Editor Of the National Era.
In your editorial call of attention to my last
letter, you speak pleasedly, as we'll you might,
Of Uncle Tom among the Bowery boys" Soon
you may add, "he Era among The Bowery
boys My description Of the performance of
the drama at the National Theatre will have
had the effect, probably, of introducing the Ma
tiondl Era to the attention of "a new class of
readers, some Of whom did net even know OF
its existence before On Thursday, az soon rs
got my copy, ! carried it to Mr.. Purdy, the
manager He read it with deep interest, when
informed him that the paper in which it up
peared was the me which first introduced I'm
Gle Tom and Eva" to the millions who are
now being stirred by their pathos; and that the
fact that he was powerfully though perhaps
unintentiOnally, aiding the tl-Slayery reform
was, through it, made known 10 twenty-eight
thousand subscribers and at least to hundred
thousand readers. He expressed himself high
ly delighted, and avowed his purpose to give
an extract from my letter in some OF his future
bills. He insisted upon my coming again that
very evening. ! did So taking my position in
one OF the private boxes, where could see ey-
cry part of the house, and thus study the effect
of the play upon the various classes OF persons
who were cr0wding it from third tier to pit
There had hoped to remain sufficiently com
posed to also study certain of the characters
particularly that of ST. Clare which interested
me deeply in the book, AZ it does in the drama.
But was altogether disappointed of my pur-
pose. Narrowing agony of soul, alternating
with fearful JOY and irrepressble laughter, over
whelmed me almost as before, rendering criti-
csm impossible
OF the effect on the audience, shall have
some observations to make in future letter !;
and will meanwhile prepare myself therefor,
by paying my third visit to New York thea
tire. At present will only say that lust seems
to find but poor mart in the third tier. Tho
attendance of the abandoned is evidently be-
coming thinner, while that of the virtuous, and
even the refined" is rapidly increasing. OF
the harl0ts, a part were bathed in tears and
oblivious to all baser purposes; while others,
who could manage to throw off the moral in
fluence of the piece, seemed to find but few men
sufficiently free from sympathy with the per-
Torrance to appreciate their attractions.
Perhaps could not cite any other fact which
would give, in so few words, 40 just u concep-
ton of the morale of this marvellous perform
ance as the weeping of these harlots, for whom
it has a deep lesson in Cassy's confession to
Evaline, and in Uncle Toms protestation, that
being Oieked was the thing which was to be
considered, the how or why Of which will not
avail for the securement of the heavenly state I;
for however debateable Mrs Stoves philoso-
ophy may be ~ to the poor, forced slave whose
very soul, as Legroe truly says, the master
owns to all intents and purposes, they can see
! that their excuses for continuing in life Of
sensuality are not as plausible as Cassys, how:
sOeyer proper to be taken into account in our
too often harsh judgments upon their life of sin
and shame | should for this reason, regret
to find this class of the audience missing from
the National, only to flock to other places of
mere amusement, where there are no such SOL
emn lessons for them to learn from reflections
of their own bitter experiences
cannot pass from the train of thought
which now calls for an audience, without sug-
costing that those whose official and postional
opportunities to do something for the class of
fallen ones just referred to, are 80 culpably ne.
elected ought to catch lesson from the his
tory of Topsy, in whose career is 30 forcibly
portrayed the power Of o living and active sym
pathy towards one who formerly thought Of
herself rs an uncared for, and despised, and
hopeless nothing"
have been betrayed 30 much farther in my
reflections upon the effect Of this drama THAI
designed, or had room for that shall barrel,
be able to state the outline of its history. IL II
the production of George l.. Aiken resident
Of Boston believe, young man and young
writer 1t was fret produced at Troy, New
York, in a museum, of which Mr.. Howard, the
st. Glare" Of the piece and the father of its
| L. lt.1o q Too &c iafS
There it was performed one hundred times
Next it had a run of thrtysix nights at Alba
ny, and already has been played the same
number of times in this city, where it bids fair
| to absorb the entire season. And here, | will
make the prediction, that you shall yet have a
chance TO take your turn at weeping over and
encoring it in Washington, after it shall have
been played in the slavehoding city Of Balti-
more. Give it half an hour to strike the pretty
seven balance which it does between South
ern despotism and Northern Inconsistency, aid.
ed by interspersings Of its inimitable and ire
sstibe drollcries and will agree to take the
rick of the malice of the most pro-slavery au-
dience it could attract there, for the rest of the
three and half sultry hours which its thrill
ing scenes appear to condense into one. Verify,
say unto you Uncle TOMS heavenly mission
It is curious 10 observe how the public mind
gets into paroxism of sympathy with suffer
ing and wrong every now and then, only, alas!
to subside, in most Instances, into cold indffer-
ence, after ftful promise of practical benevo-
lence. We have an example in this city at the
present time: The Rev. l.. M. Pease, Ia prac-
tical preacher of righteousness Of a class far
too rare in our day has been for some time
past conducting Home Of Industry in that
sink Of filthy iniquity, the Five Points whese
he gathers together the despsed outcasts Of the
community, Of all ages, and feeds, and clothes,
and teaches them in day .schools and Sunday
schools, amid exhortations and prayers and
bymniDgs, which they feel to mean something,
because he gives them leave to tot" as well
as 10 pray, and thus the immediate means Of
self sustainment and direct aids to the rccOv-
cry of that wlj-respect without which reforma-
ton is an impossibility, and its pretence
mookery.
The Mammon- getting crowd have seemed
to rush along AZ if unaware Of either the terri
BILE need or the actual supply Of such an inst.
tuition, until but a few days ago. How, think
you, did they find it out then! Why, simply
thus An article appeared in the TribuN<,
among its Getty items" with the Short side
heading of "HOt Corn.D It described poor
little, worse than orphan girl crying hot
corn in the street at the midnight hour. She
was advised to 80 home from her exposed
condition, in wicked city" but who was afraid
to 90 home till all her roasting ears were sold,
q beating" being her sure fate il she did. The
writer discovers from her expressions that she
has been a pupil Of Mr. Pease, from whom she
has learned lessons Of duty, Of which she pratt
ties gratefully and fervcnty. He buys the
remnant Of her "hot corn" and thus enables
her to 90 home, out Of the way of temptation,
and from the pcstilential night air. But an
other chapter appears in day or two, de-
scribing the death .of "littlo Katy" from the
effects Of her bcatings and exposures The
good missionary, Mr.. Pease, is sent for to pray
Tor her, at her own request, in remembrance Of
his lessons Of truth and Of love- He arrives