Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1856-04-14

DAILY VIRGlNIAN.
ATertifvins Blasphemy.

,v.s on,n,,.;,.sa .r m. p,oadwav th..tre. Of ex-
b;h;,no Tho .yon;e, ~ The cruc;6xion Of Jesus
n. !, theatrical entertainment and .taoe exbbi.
ton, Incrsd;h,e ma Il NAV seem. in complienoe,
With , snec;al invitation from the management
of ,hat ..,obl;sh,nen,. We Witnessed in common
..;,h on;,. . crowd oe persons tho arehearsal.',
IS iii. iira.ae.,l hl..nhemv No intimation was
, - :: 80 o.rd ~ Invitation as to tho ma
.'' 2 49, :. '.,;..a axh;h;,;op other than that
!, ~ 49, ~, ..,r;v.t. aav rcbearsnl,, by tho
M,loi Ar,;s..s there az certain "Great Scriptu-
r.l n ,hlo,nYu Onr .sionishmeDt may be i'm
a'.;.aI ,ham ,.h.n ,ro.r.nmmo was mt in our
hsnd. within tho iheatre' giving The following or
dor NJ roheay.nl which wns nccordipply duly en-.
.n,.1 ETrs, came !. cey,sin original gronp of
..E.mn. ), /, which . l;via and starved repre-
..n,ntion of , man ia exhibited in the act and
nroceJnr, of numbering al, old man for crust Of
h,aa1 I, wa. .xeoutea with the most horrible
.nn,,ro,ior 10 ocs,nrs. sat
After this shocking and morbid monstrosity
,f ,,,ao,n French stage nrt. came the nstound.
;,, a,r,n;,, or mo-, .ona,;ng tho ogones of the
ornoi6, dion
When ,he curtain rose, Mons. Keller French
,,n,, 900 holieyo who bas made n fortune in Po-
n;sh countrios hv this dssccration, was discov-
e,.J snsn.nded mon thu cross in the centre of u
,t,onn;ng of i;gn,es nr,er tho manner Of Sir Peter
2ani R,b.n,s n;ctn,e of tho elevation Of the
rras. +" NJ. ac,or ,,as annoreptIv nttached by
10 ill., IA , ,orro vn,aen cross held at an OBJ
l;oue nngle bv cord. Xe.. ma II in the act of be-
;ng ,lovn,ed His knees, fcot and extended
hands wore stained. ma IL were, with blood, the
hndv .nnoo,;n, na,ted except the loins the arm.
n;,s oYnn e,hI6,t,ng tho nnpearnnce Of the nate
rrai hoir o,,b,uyh ,he motor was in reality. COW
.,,J with N sLan ar other close fitting fabric Of
aasb color Tho bend was dressed with wig and
haar1 ond GROWN of tborns tho blood appearing
IN reek upon tho brow and face Of the wretch
non,ed and knit into mookery of tho aeo eonsed
~.
IN Ia motionlessness and nudacity struck chill
of terror through the astoundcd spectators, but
,.han !, r,ol,n1ly moved turning upon a mecha-
n;sm Cnr xbihitine the back side of IT, burst Of
nnnlnuse was volunteered by a ciaqne. Of those
nresent in tho nit The clipping and applause
,yas rnnewcI with moro confidence upon its COM
nlo,;,g ,he c;rcnit. md again when the prosceni-
nm nprnnoomcnt closed upon il, and still more
vobmnnn,lS renewed for an "encore," and so
,hrn,mh ~ r.ne,;,on
The nay, unsnenk able outrage on the',bill"was
tho nersonntion Of The last Moment" and, ac-
oordinplv the last diving gusp of Jesus the
Cross. tho Sncreo mystery by which tho God,
head according to ali Christian faith, accomplish
ed the edempton Of man, was mimiced, ,grimaced
in nil its living horrors bv tho frigtful actor
The scene disclosed the cross with the figure
suspended on it, and with a "cast' OF the hoiy
ne,sons of tho gospel scene the cxecutioners, 30.
orouped nt ts foot in tho manner OF another OF
Rubcns' mixtures, IL was greeted with Il round
of applnu ,royolved as in tho previous instance,
the features and muscles of the figure enacting
,,a acnnv of Cbyst. so ns TO conclude by IA final
nnd grodnal draining of the head upon its breast
,rho ,nnicyv was terribly effective and the fig
uro accurate in it's detail to the most shocking
yiyifcetion of the terrible scence. The hair,
the beard the thorns. the trickng blood,
IN. ava of tho mnn in its EXPIRE ssion until il seem
| cd 10 ,,laye in death, and his whole figure until
/, seemed to Weld to annihilatior, all realized the
most thrilling horrors conceivable in tho diabol-
! icnl blasphemv. T lE tfii
! The final tablcau, the descent from the Cross
personal ed tho body of Christ held suspended by
droperes. and grouping of figures. in the pro-
| cess of taking him down from the Cross,-after
the manner Of the celebrated picture of the above
title. bv Rubens The figure bad the appearance
Of the streaming blood from the side, as also from
the other wounds. whilst the draperies were
stoined with gouts of blood The horror of this
scene even did not awe the cidque, though all
| who wore not preembarked in the resolve to make
tho friphtful exhibition succeed must have
trembed lest the Just and sudden wrath of Heav-
on should cause the earth to open and swallow up
tho entire assemblage 4Ht tm
VIZ left the house with such feeling as the
dav of Judgment may again beget for US, but
nothing short of that. 5H. 4r
How shall we speak of this desecraton OF the
sacred mysteries nf the Christian faith How
will CHRISTIANS Protes stunts -Americans--re
| ceive the project Ut exposing IN the mockefy OF
| n French posture master, mimicry OF Christs
| holy aponios upon the cross--tor the diversion
of the third tier at the broadway WIN our peo-
| ple endure this Will they gather IKE anoIher
ruilian rabbe of Judea. and shout. and clap and
! encore it tool VIII they applaud. and cry hi!
! hi to see enacted over again the horrible tor