The Sierra citizen., 1854-07-29
Conservators of the Drama.

8
VIZ find in the Alta California, paper
published in San Francisco. a review Of a
theatrical notice which appeared in the
Cui-en, in which the writer manifests
great concern, lest the drama should SUI
fer from the indiscriminate praise Of un-
known actors by the mountain papers,
particularly in the case of the company
recently playing in Downieville. This
literary Cerberus animadverts with great
bitterness on the favorable opinion ex-
pressed by the Citizen, and after circling
about in a very threatening manner, he
at aast makes descent on the professional
reputation of one of the ladies of the
company, and puts an extinguishcr over
all her pretentions. Had the critic con-
fined himself Co the alleged ''verdancy'' of
the Citizen, we should have let it pass,
perhaps unnoticed, but as he has seen fit
to assail defenceiess person, we are COM
the obnoxious article was predicated on
remarks OF ours.
With regard to our ''pilng on notices
ofher entrancing performances" we have
no explanation to make to the Alfd. We
beg to assure that paper that we can
afford to write whatever may suit our con-
venience, without any regard to the COM
monplace criticism displayed in news
paper which is great only in its superficial
area; nor are we aware that the 4itta is
the MGcenas Of mountain papers, or the
literary midwife that is to wrap the Ct,-
zen in swaddling clothes and introduce it
to the world
The following are among the editorial
coruscations the AAa:
"The bulk of our friends admiration
appears to have been reserved for Miss
Sophie Edwin, little girl that used to
sell pies and cakes in saloon in Sacra-
mento. Not content with 'piling it OF"
in the way of notices Of her enhancing
performances, our friend devotes about
half a column Of loaded matter, with a
side head, to this young lady generally
In the following, we venture upoE bold
surmlse, and one in which we can inform
him he is incorrect, as Miss Edwin was so
young when she made her debut, that he
must account for her ease and selfposses-
sion in some other manner.
"We cannot but wonder that so much
beauty and histrionic talent should be
suffered to remain hid from the world
among the pine trees of Sierra County,
where are our enterprisng managers,
that they do not transfer these astounding
professionals to the boards of the metro
polis?"
II we mistake not, the curious may find
among the files of the Alta, sundry pufs
OF these "obscure" actors, in which the
names Of Burke aud Kent figure conspicu-
ously. That, however. may have been in
the days when those gentlemen attended
to the sensible advice of Iago, to put
money in their purse" With regard
to the ease and seltpossession of Miss
Edwin, the Altd valorously ventures on
bold surmise." What that surmise car
be We do not clearly understand. Per
haps it might be elucidated by thai
ponderous vehicle.
1t matters not to US whether the article
in question Was too laudatory or not
Better to err in generosity. than to hawk
at the reputation ofan humble adventurer
who is honorably striving to climb tht
eminence from which so many have beer
hurled down by jealous mediocrity, which
digs cut lis den at the base of the hill
where it snarls at timorous genius which
would climb higher. The hooting of tht
obscene owl in the grey twilight of morn
ing, deters the young eagle from spreading
his untried wings in his course to meet ths
sun, and yet the other tribes of the wood
do not consider the noisy creature a bird
remarkable for either courage or wisdom.
With regard to our critical verlancy.
the Alta is welcome to its opinion. How
ever nauseating The snobbish affectat;o,.
ef certain of the San Francisco press NAV
be, in arrUsating to themselves the cen
sorship Of mountain papers, we can endure
1t in homeopathic doses but when we ar,
required to swallow the same infusion
with which every country editor has beer
arcnched ever since the days of Faustus
by his overgrown city eotemporasies, W,
must necessarily make wry faces. And