New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-06-01

The plot, though bare OF stirring incidents, 10 III
terestng and describes in feeling manner many
familiar events Of almost daily occurrence. one
perceiyes instantly that the author is acquainted
with the world and the weakness OF the heart, and
is entitled 10 say with Terence that he IL man aud
believes nothing human to be unknown TO him
Homo sum, ct Ill sguAni NE alien-m Puto'
Tie p,Ay ia moreover founded on a real drama, a
fam " tragedy, the actual characters oil Whlch were
tie wife Of Russian refugee and distinguished v-
ing German poet The poet, who takes 10 Tor granted
that relying upon bis genius, ne may win IMMUNITY
indulge in every kind Of reyelng, Is found oy bis
own partner in life aud some friends in company
with MGdelon, low iOrete Of Paris. lie excuses
himself by decaiming against " save-ioye, ana as
serting that, true socialist, i Is Ills duty ana MS
tendency 10 act with the parahs Of society and 10 e1-
pertinent upon his theories. His speech makes
deep impression on the friend of bis betrayed wife,
who is herself the wife of his own friend (the Rus
san J. and becoming aware Of his triumph, he re-
solves 90 seduce the poor creature. lie hnds lie"
implements in his way, because the latter, on ac'
count OF the weak state Of her health. Is treated IAe
s child by her husband who guards her purposey
against every Kind IF excitement, treatment when
she takes for insult and neglect. She is sent from
Paris 20 the healthy island of Hyeres on the eve OF
the Revolution Of las: but the poet overtakes her
after the oath Of February, that glorious day IN
which be has played a prominent part; be brings
her flag, which be gained in the Tulierles, and
conyinces her easily that he must in future be her
husband. The man who is legally entitled to that
name arrives suddenly accompanied by the other
injured woman, and this apparition Kills the untortu-
nate consumptve who dies tortured by remorse,
amid the heart-rending embraces OF her children,
and blessed with the pardon of him whom she las
so cruelty injured The sOphistical scducer remains
faithful to the last 10 the predominant passion OF MS
lie, pride and Kills himself.
We feel very happy, indeed in the thought that 1t
is European Republican who opposes thus, with
an honest holiness, the mystical rcelOye theories
Of George Sand, and The cynical sarc1s SINS OF Henry
Heine. which have become the fashion IN modern
literature. How many dramas and novels are
founded on the sentence put forward III the :. New
World by julius: without liberty, love Is no longer
| love; il becomes crime, Il shame, and disgrace
| But alas how many guilty wives aud mothers
| could e1caim with Adele, Il believed in thatman;
| saw my God in him, and allowed in my ilius0ry
| dreams, this demon to destroy my paradise. We
must not forget to state that the classical form OF tne
drama is most remarkable, and that the characters
are logically and psy cholOgicay blameless. Old Warm
hagen ven Fuse, certainly good judge said that II
| recalls TO his mind G0thes TOrquato Tasso; and
however fattering the compliment may be, we must
state that there is much truth in this opinion with
| the difference that the characters IN the New
| World have more TO DO with actual life. Blair
once said Of Shaftesbury, that he laughed Like al
| suthor-nOt like n man." We, reversing the apho-
rism are inclined Ia say Of DIR. Arnold Ruge, that
| he feels like man, and not like an author.
In prologue, called "Gothe's Arrival in Wal
halla, written with a pungency and humor APP
preaching - Faust" the masterpiece of German
poetry. our dramatist introduces Schiller, Hege,
Scheling CORES, Pluten, and Hene the latter un-
| der the name of Heinrich Mephlson Che was not
| vet dead when the drama was composed The I'M
| mortal Gothic provoked by the bad use made of
bis great name by ceIt eus lterati, hurls the light
nngs of condemnation against them eXcalmlng that
| even just reprOoch cannot pollute hlm, because
man was his aim and his standard This prologue isa
| most eloquent protest against the romantic par
tissns of material enjoyment.
| The reaction is, moreover, not confined to Ger
many; and even the country which has given birth
10 the first and most idOlatrOus worshlpers at the
adulteress France, assumes more healthy tone IN
| her dramatic literature have already spoken. IN
| preceding letter. of Mario Uchards d" tlammi-
| Ma" where the guilty woman is chastised with
merciless and unforgving severity. The same stern
| hess is shown in new vaudeville by Leon Gozlan
| "La Fsmile Lambert" Like all other reactions,
| this one goes beyond it, aim. Since MoIeres
time. the deceived husband has been a George Dan
din a Sesnarelle, whose most natural grief IL but
laughing. stock for the spectators. But here he
put upon pedestal from the top of which he Judges
and Furnishes the erring WIFE, even before the eyes
| Of her children. There is odious scene i'll Coz
ans play, Yhcre the guilty mother Is dragged by the
husband at the knees of their common Daughter.
is better thsu the dedication OF adultery patronzed
by maudln sentimentaists and put in vogue by lit
erary sham reformers, who declam against mar
rage because they are ignorant of its sweet sanctty.
We are in hope that the true mean Will be found
in life and on the stage, and that human
society will at last reach the happy point where no
protection, no essential right will be- denied to
woman while the world will be without pity tor the
mother who destroys the happiness OF family IN
order TO crafty Wild inordlnate and Vicious pas
sion.
Resides. are not those dramas the most successful
in the long rum in which woman plays that angelic
IA oedness which heaven has assigned Ia her
Tie Autigone Of SOph0cles has, IN all ages, found
more partsans than the Medea OF Eunp.des. One
of these successes has Just been Won al Paris by
noble Italian refugee, Giuseppe Montanel, who has
written a beautiful tragedy, Gamma, for the great
RistOri Plutarch, III his candid chapter on the
yirtuous deeds Of women relates, among Others the
story Of q handsome Galatian lady, Gamma the de-
voted wife of Sinatus; her husband is killed by a
trrschercus rival, SinOrix, who courts the young
widow in the belief that his crime IS hidden IN
obscurty Gamma has her doubts, and III order 10
ascertain the truth she has recourse 10 strdtagem
which 10 the best of our knowledge, has never
before been employed OH the stage, account Of its
strange bodness. The confessions of Phsdra and
MyrTha are nothing in comparison. DISSEMINATING
her real feelings she says 10 Snorx that sac Will not
take A second husband, unless he be covered with
the blood Of the first: she vows her person 70 the
unknown murderer she calls him. and her most
fervent desire is 10 hear word Of love falling from
his Ips Tie vain assassin falls into the snaIe and
sy.Ws the crime The day for the nuptlas is APP
pointed ami the betrothed couple drink at the altar
fIom the saline cup, In which Gamma has mixed a
deadly poison She drinks first. and when she sees
that The Cdious foe has emptied the cup she autes