New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-05-11
THE THEATER DEFENDED.
From TAe cine,a..a.i Gs..tte.


the Atlantic, and when j; arrives the shores OF
Europe the steam Lungs Of the press will draw 4 IN
and the papitating monster pronounce II abroad 10
every language within the confines Qt ChrlsuendOIn
But trust few editors in Europe VIII b. found 20 do
as you have done TO give II in garbed account, with
studied perver-ion incorporating not o1y its spnt
but iis substance.
The drama and its followers forming large com
nunity, has been. for centuries, excomnunicaed, re
ved ard despised. The Christian Phar-ee has BOXED
upon us pubhcans and striking his breast he has
turned his eyes up TO Chrlst in heaven, saying
" thank God am not even as that actor.
But the hight If knowledge, being that same !ight
to which our Saviour alludes being -" kept under
bushel this light kept there by the Church untli II
burned through the bushel and got out II now dawn
ing on the souls Of men. Its not q new light It u
the same which our Saviour brought from heaven.
He called it good will amongst men, and then, for
this gift was he paid, Promeheus-lke by his eternai
agony the cross.
With this light the Rev Dr. Bellows beheld our re-
viled community, and explored the cause of our de-
graduation He found much 10 blame and he eensured
freely. He lifted up the drama, and said, Thou ar
q thing into which God has breathed his breath Gut
of thy lowly body has proceeded those men whose
enrolling thoughts have become our househoIa pre-
cepts and have made our human gospel. What OF
good is in thee proceeds from the noble form OF thine
institution what is bad is derived from thy followers
Dramatists actors, purity yourselves, and then De
patient as you have been long suffering, and let not
the aegravatDg demon freJudce, gOSd you lhIoush
Then turning about, he rebuked those fierce Phari-
sees who 90 about with pocket full of stones they
have an inexhaustible quarry in their hearts ready
for any public execution, and he said: when the
"dsy Of Judgment comes, each OF the stones ye have
east at this poor creature will be placed in the bal
" ance against you. How many souls have ye thus
stoned to death He who sheds the blood of man
atones IL here with his blood, and may be forgiven
hereafter But he who does human soul TO death,
:" sheds the blood OF Christ, and for hun there Is no
" aonenent either here OF hereafter.
Such Sir is the paraphrase of the spirit OF this
celebrated Grafton TO which you have done such m
Justice In reading It, recolected many works that
/ have written and wished them undone. have
pandered frequently TO the weaknesses and vices OF
The mass lust you have done IN your article on IT,
Bellows; and we both had the same object-to ehcit
the applause OF heartess fools. Let US oolh go anu
pass over the slang with which you salute the
minister of our Savior; but what induced you TO state
that he pronounced the theater very moral excel
lent and religious place. when you know that ne
said nothing of the kind What induced you TO make
Dr. Bellows say that before the time OF Shakespeare
&" it the fashion to act moral plays, and religious
people went but the theater was found, could not
" be supported in that way il became vulgar and
witty thus religious people stayed away and the
dram eventually declined TO what tits why dld
YOU pint this when knew that Dr. Bellows uttered
ihe very opposite Why doyoumisrepresent him ana
history?
The drama previously TO the era OF Shakespeare
was exclusively in possession of the Church. Ii was
restricted by law 10 performance In churches, or
within the sacred precincts OF consecrated ground.
The plays written by priests and acted by priests
or peophytes and those dramas of this period when
remain TO us such tissue of basphemy, vulgarty
and obscenity that of this century would con-
sent 10 act them When the drama fell into secular
hands il became purified and elevated, and its tone
has ever been stranscendental reflex OF Its time. We
may not have as great poets now a. when SNAKE
speare wrote but what is good Of them remains alive
in the drama and what is bad belonging TO their
times is buried with their bones.
You charge DIR. Bellows with apOsasy 10 the
Christian ministry in that he taught that the theaer
might be rendered tit recreation tor oil good Christ
ians You say that the Word Of God, expressed both
in the Old and New Testament, eAcommunicates the
theater. If you show Inc this text or anything
near enough TO hang such meaning upon, Will re-
lnquish the stage, withdraw my wife from 1t, and poi
lutte my pen more in its service.
do not pretend to add anything TO the GRAFTON OF
DR.. Bellows, which is not defense but exposition
of the drama h immortal institution, older than
Christianity ITSELF and productive of the greatest men
that have ever lifted the human mind to heaven,
Echylus, Sophocles, Eurpdes, AristOphanes, Menan-
der Moliere, Goethe, Schiller and Shakespeare. But
may be pardOned if broaden into assertion what
the reverend orator scarcely touched upon IN his dis
In all countries there are kept legal records
Of misdemeanOrs and crimes. Some years ago con.
suited these records in Europe and it stands there
fessed that of the whole community the theatrical
profession il the most exempt of all from delinquency
If all kinds-even more exempt tlan the clergy.
The reason may be- that the life of actor is
Of unknown toll His daily labor commences at ten
when he hunes to rehearsal. This process is no
childs play, many think it, but severe and serious
exercise trying 10 the temper and mind At two he is
released, most frequently too late for dinner for the
actor is the only laborer who will sacrifice his appe
te TO his duty. While he eats what he can get, he
studies his part and is immersed in it until six. At
that hour he returns TO the heater where, without in
ternisson of moment, he is employed until mid
night. Weary and jaded he travels home, TO sleep
no-to sit up pOring over the mOrrows performance,
fol- usually he plays two three parts nightly. His
wife sts 10y his side learning asO her parts, while she
makes her costumes, for the male wardrobe only il
furnished by the thesters. AT two or three ia the
morning they drop of to sleep beside their children
God help them What have they done during thls
long, weary, weary day of labor TO call down
the contempt of mankind, the anathemas OF
the church and your gall God help this
poor amily-and he does help them; for there Is an
angel that stands beside their coush who with her
white wings wards off the bitter blast of worldly
wrong; and the breath of that angel brings perpe-
ual smile their lips and is warmth in their heafts
If communicated by society, they clasp their own
closer to their breasts. ExavagaLt in their charity
they beggar themselves without thought to relieve
despair to their children and pareuts-a fondness
which fills up with family affections the void which
society would make in their lives.
And now, Sir, in conclusion, let me ask you why
you have called the theater "a hotbed Of harl0try
and drinking :" If you OF yours have mlsused your
free adm ssiOn TO il for such purpose you not
imagine in your more sober moments that there may
be many who seek it, influence with more decent
object ,.
Cincinnati Msyi