The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-03-14
Theatrical Entertainments.

Rev. DR.. Hatfield, last evening" delivered very abb
Sermon in his chapel at the of Broome and Rdg
Streets the subject Of theatrical entertainments Th
edfce crowded to by large and highly res
pectabe audience. The reverend gentleman took fol
his text the seventh chapter of Proverbs 24th 25th
28th and 9th verses.
The god of pleasure said he, must not want for wor
shippers. I to with you in relation tc
Of the fashionable specaces of the day. and
before you the and tendency of those Theatrical
entertainments that nightly solicit your patronage ant
give promise of deeply interesting and greatly delighnl
all who can be persuaded, and who can avail themselves
of this tempting opportunity Of seeking large amount
Of lsement and pleasure in the discussion to which
/ now invite you you viii understand that it forms nc
part Of purpose to pronounce upon the kind
character Of the publications with which you are
wont to entertain your solitary hours What you may
read at home, and what you may witness abroad,
very different matters and to be treated each
their peculiar merits. am not to pronounce
upon the works Of Shakespeare specimen of Ntera
ture, upon the dramas of Addison, Hannah Moore
Colerdge and Others have chosen to convey nsruc
ton in dramatic form. The performers at theatre
must make it their sole business to act well their part
in the entertainments; occupying small portion
Of their time their thought and their exertions in qualify
ing themselves for their profession and then have the
paygting audience by whom the propretos and actors
to be remuneraed Should you and encourage and
support such system should lend it the counte
the crowds that nightly throng these halls oausement
eve" say Ii it Is right and proper for you it for
me. # your merchan. may CO. surely you will not deny
BY perusng many theatrical compositions, the mind is
filled with the most indecent pictures and the ma ynaon
with the grosses RIGHTEOUSNESS but how feeble il the
impression compared with that produced by the spread
ing these things upon the stage, for then
every character of the nove play has living en-
bodment, every sign Of corruption is before the eye
Such amusements must exert a prodigious power over
the uniformed minds of the rising generation As minis.
mister Of the Gospel Of Christ, then to whom
the youth Of my congregation may look TO for nstruc
ton and counsel though to Il father and
place and in the of my Cod and Saviour press
clearly and fully my conviction to the influence Of
these entertainments. If the press is silent upon this
subject the pulpit must speak, and where the press lifts
up its in depreciation Of prevailing inuity, the
pulpit must not fail 10 sanction the formidable under
taking To warn i Just as necessary as to teach Our
doctrine will be in vain unless also show the evil Of
those practices which blind the eye and harden the
heart, must not now be understood inveghing
against the noble art Of eiocuon for my profession
much to that art and myself have always been
too much enamoured with its Beauties ever to speak
word against it. The public uphold the system Of theatres
by the immense amount of patronage which they bestow
upon them. What has been the effect Of theatroals in
this city, The stone Of the Bowery theatre
laid the 18th of June 1926 and vas the state Of
public opinion at the time that the Honorable Mayor Of
this city delivered address upon the OCCASION in which
he said theatrical entertainments we're a rational enjoy
ment, which served to improve the taste correct the
morals and soften the manners Of the people Now the
first play performed in the Bowery theatre the
Road to Ruin, which must be regarded exceedingly
approx rac TO the place and the occasion Whose genius
has that theatre raised Whose heart has IL ever
luended and whom has il made bold in the
seriousness of yirtue2 Not one--Dot Could its his
tory be written what bloody dork and dreadful his.
tory il would be in the history Of ma6knd Whatever 1t
might be made, under proper regulations, thing Is
certain that one individual, or company Of indyi
duals built structure Of the kind for the i'm
proyement Of either the morals the Of the
community No manager conducts a course OF
thestr cal entertainments 10 improve the Intellect aud TO
mend the heart The church is built for the Worship OF
Cod the State house for legislation, the college for edu
cation the pcntentiary for the correction of mna'
and the theatre also is built for definite purpose IT.
immediate and main end Is 10 please amue, anu enter
tain the multitude The players art Is demorazing,
from the nature OF their perform before the public.
sometn e. bcis thief sometimes rowdy sometime d
gambler. and sometimes, rerchance Top. But the
public in fault for supporting such immoral exhibit
lions, by their money and coNntenaIee.