New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-04-29

,sro.s ~. tho., Of syres tAss WOO 70 Sestrue
liz n; and that eeniue ar bessty, and speDd bave
esr'yr.d, N the hester to make wee -edHe.ve, A
EDy captivating. Put submit, that IN the theory {"
tie ,isge u very different, thng, possibly RON ne
fle We have vet found nothing 70 condemn
/ es',Itialy wrong or otherwise than night in-re y
roslrg wrong in smuss men' except IN :reess; nol y
The theater The finest OF smusements. The 'hamauc
faculty. il diyinely implanted. gives fe and rcaisy
even 10 portion. Of the Scriptures The drama y
species Of literature which the worlds creates,
p'nufes have chosen for their own, gaming
for their lsbors there. The stage - the noi
o ade more real ard brought within the ea-Fr an
fuller enjoyment Of the best and the poorest loasee
TO far We are in smooth water.
But the breaker. begin TO threaten Us al NE '''J
next step.
1t alleged, and that IL the proes-ed sentiment ol
the ferrous class that practically the drama has use
a couupt and oorruptmg Kind Of literature, pu''he
into ceE'ious and depraving verse and s'ory the
ard most seductive experiences Of humanity; tha u
has pandered 10 vile and vulgar tes' ur.nI :,s
having often usually been loc,e and unpnnc'peo
charaoters and their readers the more gay ana care
ess portion Of society Doubtless there Il trtn, anu
there il also eIsggeraiion in this statement iae great
dramsi'ts, whether ancient or MODERN scphoeies'
Eunpdes, ArstophaDes CsIderon, Lope dc vega,
Coueie, Racine, Shakespeare are, with the exception
Of the coarreness which belonged to their respective
ages, not open TO such charges, although the minor
lights Internationally deserve severe chasti-euen''
But there is nothing peculiar in the abuse OF drsih"c
literature. We do not abandon and dlscountenShcs
poetry because Rochester wrote immoral verses, ana
Moore and Byron poems which nobody should reau;
We do not give up Richardson, and ecot' anu
Dickens, and Thackeray because tiding ana o'ol
lett Eugene Sue and Dumas have often abused lher
great powers. The hes: things are most open 10
abuse; and dramatic literature you will confess, has
not been Oftener or worse perverted ana aep'oFe1
than religious literature. Indeed the Church sel1eu
the drama when she was most busyln InaiipuiAiS
the human mind into superstition, and perperhleu
greater basphemies and Obscenlties IN the so-caed
Mysere- written and acted in the Middle Ages, than
the dramatic writers of England or France have ever
foisted into their most nbominable plays The drama
il kind Of literature whose permanencyls guaanteed
by the constitution Of man. Beginning with the very
origin of literature, and continuing thus far on IT. ms
tory with every promise Of ending only with its life
We must expect il to reflect and share the fortunes oil
humanity and to find itself, in the hands OF en-
nobed and Of desecrgted genius here the istru-
ment Of the interruptions there the vehicle OF TRUTH
honor and inspiration. But how many dissolute and
depravng drahatsts and dramas would not the judi
Gle and the conscientious consent Ia bear WIN, anu
guard against sooner than lose Shakespeare alone out
Of the world The mischievous jack-o lanterns ana
false lights Of land and may shine on forever, II
We can only extngush them by blowing out the stars
and quenching the We cannot oblterate wash
ngton to wipe Arnold out Of American history though
reaChery hung by his skirts alone TO the fortunes OF
the race We must let the grow to the harvest for
the sake Of the wheat The drama stands IN It's own
right and in the rgf of it, great prieets the wonder
full interpreters Of humanity and great recreators OF
the race and all the apoetates and CRIMINALS VINO
have decorated its pure and beautiful shrine cannot
make it's nature otherwise than lawful and honorable
and entitled the protection Of universal reason aud
justice. Ii is indeed deporab that the written afana
should have thrown its fascination AROUND vice
and crime as il is always terrible when genius ana
wit when art and skill enter the service OF the devil
Most sad it is that pleasure should ever DE- asSocaeo
with folly or amusement extracted from sin But Ut
erature ia not responsible for the abuses to which lev
ty and immortality turn any of its powers and II Is
not the drama, but the public and the dramatic au,
thors who are TO be censured for the production aud
epfo f lay
On this point | shall speak more fully and to better
advantage at ans,her period Of this address.
And now, il, whatever the theory may be- the drama
iteelf has been practically degraded and abused as
species Of popular literature until sober and discreet
people a. class have thoughtit wise and necessary
to dscountenance the reading OF plays-how much
ought the theater the acted DRAMA TO be dIscounte-
paiced and DESTROYED when consider how its ac-
tual practical character differs from its theoretical
one and how little what Is said in defense OF the ideal
stage applies to the real one For what has me
not been during liz modern existence II the allegations
and accusations Of the religious class uttered In
thousand tones, are to be taken without abatement
Has not been much the focus Of vice a. the CEN
ter Of pleasure! Have not incompetence aud hccn.
touspess found congenal home within its walls
Have not the eNtrnyagant fashion, the INSCRIPTIONS
wit the reckless passion Of the world, been its chief
patrons aud iound themselves IN their natural and I'M
reproyed place before or behind the footights Have
not actors and actresses o class been regarded by
the pulpit licensed snners-utter strangers 10 30
briefly and purity persons whose very occupation
condemned them 10 the abandonment Of morality and
deceucy-whose Bible was Shake speare-whose table
Of commandments the rules Of the greeu-room-their
Judgment scat the publicheir best heaven, the APP
pause of the boxes-ther only he'll the condemnation
Of tn, nit Have not the young commenced their
career Of dsobedence stealing Oh to the playhouse
and have not its exciting and passionate scenee-its
glttcring audience and bewitchng actorsits ready
bsr-rooin and a. ready couresans, softened and be-
rayed their feeble virtue, and finished IN positive wee
what began in youthful folly Have not indecent x
po4ure, 0bscenity profanity OF wit innucndo and
eyity characterized the stage Has not the theaer
been the haunt Of gamblers jockeys men OF pleasure,
women Of the world-of gil the light and careless por
ton Of the community aud it not essentially now
Moreover, have not highly immoral play:-n which
successful yillany roguery hos been appiauded-the
tents Of eome Jack Sheppard or Pau Clifford romant
cay held up TO the admiration imitation Of youth;
the betrayal of female virtue excused the Authority oil
wise parents made contemplate the rules VI morality
hold I'D TO ridculc and the habits OF piety sshnzed
and ecorned Have not the eeI1ous friends OF ORDER
nury industry and religion felt the theater to be the
ye,y essence Of worldiness, wickedness temptation
ana einan institution TO be excluded to the ste-t mo-
ment from every weu-governed couinumty-to be
avoided by all sober and pubhc-splrsed citizens, aud
placed under the special ban OF formal religion, a. tbs
devils own domain, the very gate OF he'll
Now, have Il profound though cautious reepect
for general impressions, and particularly for the IN
stiptts Of the religious community, and from a.! l
have read or learned by direct observation or special
INQUIRY believe that the ordinary verdict OF serious
minds and Of the pulpit respecting the theater has
| many painful elements OF truth IN IT, But believe
| equally that it exhibits much extravaganza, confusion
aud Illogical reasoning. More particularly, cou-
plain that tits verdict leaves entirely out OF view the
uses of the theater considering only It's abuses that
| il takes pains TO recognize ~hat Is goa 10 its
eacsuess 70 point out what Is eVi-of 70 discriminate
between what is essential and what is accidental in
th. institution that il ccniounds the evils around
With the eyis within the theater and to come directly
TO the point fails TO inquire ana explain why ana by
whose fault, and in accordance WIN ~hat law Is,
y-rk Ot pisNy IL.