New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-07-25
OUR THEATRES.

Whether the Theater ia school Of depravy through
constitutional necessity or through vicious direction,
We have not vet been able to determine The fact that
IL is school Of RIGHTEOUSNESS and immortality IS plan
enough Good men as class avoid it, while the lewd
ard corrupt are its reliable patrons and admirers IL
habtually lsmpooDs Temperance, sneers at Chastity,
outraees Modesty aud cartstures Religion whenever
t cndescends patronze toe latter 1t plays upon or
over the verge Of bsspbemy diutng the unaing and
grateful obedience due from finite creatures TO their H.
finite Creator into vague and dreamy sentimentasm,
while constantly holding up to detestaon those VINO
live TO serve God hypocrtes fools aud fanatics Sucn
i, the Theatef of our day but whether need or need
NOT be such, we seriously doubt. Certainly, there
would seem to be no necessary relation between drama
tic representation and moral corruption While many
popular dramas elevated in sentiment and healthy IN
moral tone. Yet, cOnsiderng what is the notorious
moral character Of large majority OF the men
and wemen attached TO the Modern Stage-hoW
il has fallen in public estimation since Add
son ard DR. johnson we're among It's patrons
and serytors-hOw rogshops, gaming houses and dar'
ker haunts of sin cluster and intertwine themselves
within the shadow Of its walswe led TO suspect
the existence of some subtle element of corruption In
its very nature We suspect that dramatic representa-
lions even when not obviously licentiOus tend to IN
duce prematurity of development in those passions
which emnenty require the control Of stern principle
and ripened udgment-that thus even the legitimate
and literally faultless drama is hurtfu TO children This
hypothesis is not yet settled conviction; we may see
reason to abandon it but it is present impression
that no place now devoid of Theater can fail 70 su-
fer morally by having one.
But whatever the Theater may or might be- there Is
no question among dsnterested, intelligent people as
to the moral influence Of the Theater as it is That
is this day the most potent and shameless school OF
RIGHTEOUSNESS and pronigacy in ChrstendOm, No one
who soberly considers doubt On this point, the
testimony of Mr.. James Redpath embodied in two re-
cent essays in columns corrobOrates that OF thou
sands who preceded him in exposing the systematic
indecency OF our less reputable Theaers. IL is the
common answer to those who, like us, pretend to
very little personal acquaintance with these houses,
that we talk of matter which do not and cannot
understand because have wllfully aud systemsti-
caly avoided the only practical source Of information
the Theater itself Against Mr. Redpath, this cavil has
no force. He speaks whereof he does know. Circum-
stances have constrained him to spend most OF the
evenings of several months past in one or another OF
the Theaters of Ciy he reports what he has seen
and heard, without prejudice, bgotry or scrimony
And if Our Plebean Theaters justly depicted by
him, they ought TO be renovated or shut up forthwith
Messrs. Mayor, Common Council, and Chief OF PO-
lice look to your duty in the premises The Theaters
in our City are licensed they pay you for the privilege
Of enacting dramas and you stand virtually pledged
TO this community to take that the intellectual
aliment they furnish is wholesome and nutritious.
Either do your duty by purifying them or pronounce
them incuraby vicious and withdraw your licenses
If they must exist as moral pesthouses, let the City
cease to be the bribed accomplice Of their gigantic
and desolating iniquty.