New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-05-16

fy and ernobe the Drama have failed even to arrest
it's downward course but whether better sus-
tanned ard more wisely directed effort might or might
not succeed We viii leave to tine for solution Let US
have the Maine Law for base of operations aud posi-
bIy we nav have Reform Of the Drama which shall
be real and enduring Meantime We cannot advise
consderate conscientious people regard the Stage
IS aordiDg wholesome and commebdsble recreation for
the masses who need it, and they would heed US if
we should.
As to Games they are not necessarily evil bu, they
are general, perilous The family whist party. hOEev-
or innocent in ITSELF has often nurtured the appetite
which found its natural goal in the gamblers utter ruin
moral Intellectual and pecuniay. The passion for
hazard and adventure lies dormant in all who have not
vet aroused IT, Never until Man realizes that he cannot
be benefited by wealth that be has not fairly earned
that undeseryed gold is snare and an Ilusioncan he
firly subdue and e1tnguish this passion. But most
games are here liable to the farther objection that they
.e papaby unsuted to and variance with the popular
needs Of recreation Our clerks, bOOkkeePers, once
attendants &C. emineny need active exercises in their
hours Of Observation-Disclosures that expand the chest,
stretch and contract the muscles and quicken the ccu
Iation of the blood Our Artisans. even those whose
work is sufficiently abOrous have usually had their men
ta and muscular energies taxed by the fixed attention re-
qnred by their daily tasks and need recreaons which
shall refresh mind well IS body The sedenay games
are al exactly opposite in character to ths-a demand
mental concentration and fixed attention. tendo drive
the blood to the head and impede the erculaon-and 50
should BE- avoided Billiards are little better Bowling
much better but these too often played amid foul at
mosphere ard under constant indictments TO drinking,
smoking and gambling They than useless in
their general effects. If There were in different quar-
tiers of our City squares Of ground set apart enclosed
and properly prepared for such games of Ball and other
athletic exercises as tend developed and strengthen the
muscular system-gOOd hours being enforced, and gam
bling and LIQUORS excuded-they would do great good and
might be selfsupporting but it is probably too
late 10 hope for anything Of the sort
We should have more Squares, more Parks, more Gal
leres and Works Of Art accessible low to the
whole People There should be larger and better ex-
hibion of Sculpture, Paintings, &c. than ever
yet seen in America, to which poor man could take
his whole family at a cost of twenty-five cents Con-
sderiDe the real cheapness of works of Art which
sumo nothing never have colds aud never strike for
higher wages il is shame that wealthy citizens
do not spend az least half as much TO popuarze the
love and enjoyment Of the Fine Arts they have done
to naturalize and sustain that most expensive luxury
the italian Opera. Our National Academy and other
Galleries are well in their way; but this City is
old enough and rich enough have something better,
cheaper and more permanent and rich men should
establish IT, If they would even lend their private
treasures of works of Art for three months when they
are mainly out Of the City, to form Gallery which
those who cannot take summer excursion might
JOY for the bare Of fitting up rent aad proper at
tendance, they would be doing great good How
many Of them if properly solicited, would refuse to
do this IL certainly would be cheap way OF earn
unpopular gratitude.
We look with much favor on the evening entertain
ments SO lately rendered popular under the title OF
Cosmoramas Doramas, sc. Admit that the works so
exhibited do not belong the highest walks OF Art,
they nevertheless exceedingly interesting co most
observers and instructive 30 all There doubtless
living artists who paint better than Binvard, and
yet We doubt that any masterpiece could bring Jeru-
salem, the Dead Sea, Bethlehem, Tyre, Baalbec &c.
so windy TO our mind does his Holy Land now ex-
hbitiDg in our City OF our Twenty five Millions,
probably less than thousand will ever Jerusalem
bodily bur hundreds of thousands may il here most
inpressvely depicted, as 10 imprint il far more
deeply and wildly on their minds than it otherwise
could have been We had LAST before met Mr.. Banyard
in London (sbere his Mississippi had an unpre-
cedented success having been put up in Windsor Castle
BY invitation of the Queen for the enjoyment OF the
Court) aud il seemed like revival Of our own too
brief and busy days Of foreign travel TO find him in
New York on the platform, explaining and illustrating
those views of places of sacred interest with which he
was returning from the Holy Land when we last met
ard parted with him. How thiscompares in merit With
other works of like character, not well qualified
TO Judge but the hill country of Judea Is very
present to our eyes while he is planning the localities
on his moving canvass, and water shim-
mer and sparkle naturally than does his jordan
Then there is Frankensten, who is now finishing his
Panorama of Niagara 70 which be has given many
years of arduous labor and which is intended TO repre-
sent every aspect ard phase Of the Great Cataract
with conscientious fidelity and 1--WE judge remarkable
artistic power 1t is not exactly Niagara after all;
but for the hundreds Of thousands who never saw that
natural wonder IL must be worth days work aud
iourney-Sarler's COsmOramas, near Union-square in
Broadway are admirable in somewhat different style,
and are richly worth an evenings attention
All these aud others like them multiplying around
US are exhibited az higher charge than they should
be 10 Justify and insure the attendance Of the poorest
of our steadily employed Lsboring Class. We need
exhibitions Of equal merit which the poorest families
not absolutely destitute may attend schools Of taste
Of history Of geography &C. without feeling that they
are deprying themselves of neediu food or cheating
the landlord BY so doing. II hundred Of citizens Of
wealth leisure and generous spirit, would take hold o.
The natter on system resolved 70 cheaper and POPl-
hene6esur Bubiir entertainments.