New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-04-29
,o,hce % the respectabiy Of the general body an

gared mo inducenpeut 10 the moral efforts OF lhe
Not worth, but beauty and genius have r pxou,
Te victory and these are neither moral nor ~ ~
,sTv Indeed the exceptional manner 10 VIZ 49,
Jrsm,,ic profession has been treated toe Id
and arbitrary mode in which indVluuH soc;otv
bring brlliancy. beauty, OF WI insS nrct@nded re-
ia' G - ,vor4h hut really of se:ish de5re Tor
t&cir Germany the occasional W on o.
trns. with a noblemsn, the aaoPeou auI pot'.us VI
favortes all this geneI ~ The injury and the rerils
VI 81 o. What your profession needs and
i;ms + % be recognized as legitimate and honest
calling Of Christian CIVILIZATION, no' ,nnrIsn,y OF es
-; one among the other respectable and responsible
.ot;ans in which every member Is to stand or iall
~ b;s Individual merits his character 70 be scanned
and scrutnized az much "a other mems and no more,
80 his worth and claims az character distinguished
from bis worth and claims as an actor, precisely a.
IL is in every profession beside good man Ii not
always good lawyer, nor good lawyer good man
A good man 10 not always good actor noi soou
actor good man.
nresume Won would not deny thu. yours was a
dangerous profe.sion-dsngerous, g. shan present.!
show 10 the moral natureand you, o, course, uo %
expect and have right to expect thaL aIy ~ has
moral and stains, which this perious .,aJ n
actually put upon YOU, the world shaH oN e!i a;,
YOU claim a. in proper aelt-respect you nu9 '
the ordinary projection of Christian socleI vi II
establishment your social position on te ss,o
with other crafts, you do at the saioo .'. ~ 90,
vonr amensbleness 10 the moral obligations ana yuo8-
yoents which thew consent or are coinpeleu 70 pe
tried by Unbappily urjusty your iaultS anu loi
lies your vices ard vanlle' are MOI e and women
for the decradipg- asOn that you arr considered 10
have abandoned the morai ground OF hic IN lhe very
adoption of your calling If IN actor or actress nap
Ueps from natural reciitude, purity and force, or Tar
better from settled principle to be spotlcss charac-
ter il spoken Of in tone oil surprl wnich u more
insulting and injurious TO the profession than were
not recognized at all. What demand for you, IN
r lr.f md tl nm Nn raH
morality, is q complete restoration to The commol
rights and the common protection oi society feur
calling is lawful calling lawful, in shat It il the
exercise Of p,ovdential gifts and talents for the
qualification and wellbeing OF society-itseh q
divine order; lawful in that it, highest ana
best fufllment involves necessarily not the
least infringement of one OF Gods laws or Christ
preeepts lawful in that it il recognized by
The law of the land Nor only so; it Is an intellectual
and artistic calling, demanding somewhat rare organ
izatiopphysical and mentalfOr It's pursuit, ana re-
curing for high success degree OF general hiorma-
ton culture and self-discpline, which should elevate
II 10 the rank of the liberal professions your duty
therefore to claim, and our duty to concede TO you,
precisely the same kind of justice and charity inc
same kind of severity and censure whlch inc o'her
boDorabe pursuts OF life are visited with You nave
duty and Alright to demand that your private character
shall be held sacred rs that OF other puDc persons
y,ur virtues and discretion as readily admitted your
weaknesses as truly deplored, and your quit rs feSo
lutsly punished The license of the world winch would
throw the scarf of its selfindulgence over tne
ministers its pleasure, in place OF the mantle VI
Christian charity, can give you only degang CYL
There Is poison in tho vail; it Is Medcas gift to Cre
uss No! away with the fOrbearance OF the word 10
actors and actresses Away with its CLOSES Tor thel
vices its hypocritical ignoring OF their wickednese
its betraying tenderness toward the SINS OF us laV1r
ties and welcome back the evenhanded justice, the
discriminating judgment, the fair righteous 'eraict
due TO all on the single merits OF character, tired
in the uniform scales of Christian and social morality
have spoken of your life az peculiarly perllous
ieperiouS to the moral nature; ana oeiore eNpaIa
particularly why il is 49, let ms say that the post OF
moral danger may be the post OF moral honor IL by
DO means follows that because line OF lie IL hazard
Gus to virtue, il il life forbidden to a moral being
There may be reasons for adopting (which are mper-
atYe--such as a strong constitutional procDvlty, max
ing any OhoT exceedingly dfhcut al early cdu-
cation fitting for nothing else; powerful combination
OF provdcntal circumstances shutting up to that path
or parental will which had shaped that course before
responsibility began. If the theater be social me-
cessity, the profession of the actor IL laval one
and its moral pers, while they should make 10 call
ing slowly ana reluctantly adopted by those who nave
choice ere not such To excuse any want OF virtue,
probty or the strctcst decorum in any OF It's profess
sors Ifthey SUCH the calling would be- seltcon-
denned. Perils and temptations are not OF the nature
VI compulye forces, aud are, none of us, having
adopted morally perous vocation, to claim on that
sccOunt any larger charity than other men vi other
Cangs. Only we are to put forth creator aud more
constant effort to countcract these dangers The lie OF
PLAYER is morally pcrlous chiefly because 1t il a
public life; and public hfo in every form IL trying TO
the character The actor shares with the politician, the
clergyman the dangers OF a career In which he IL
continually appealing TO Masses where he l. an object
Of interest to masses where strong tumptat Ons exist
to substitute immediate reputation for sefrcspect;
and to make fine words and skillfu maneuvers do the
work Of sound principles and patient performance OF
duty. Public life in all ts forms, Is surrounded with
fat.ere and fawners and tempted to the bargain and
exchange of its opportunities for the opportunities OF
others. All men who hive by the tongue, whether it
be in the utterance of their thoughts or those of
Others, whose reputation and livelihood IA in the ear
of the public, greatly exposed men; and 1t would
be long step in selfknowledge II the members of the
clerical proe sson recognized the fact that the serious
Of their subject does less than they think to save
them from the dangers which essentially belong to the
talking vacations. The Of misaking the glow of
composition for the tamo of faith; or the pleasure of
utterng generous sentiments for the honor Of holding
them; or natural sympathy with eloquent passion, tor
the courage and resolution of good heart and hc;
this is danger which rostr1m, pulpit and stage may
equally share and the consciousness of which, con-
tss increases my of fraternity with your calling
And yet it remains soemny true that your profession
IL a dangerous profession, however lawful and neceS-
gary il may be, and sharing in respects its pors
with others. IL is peculiarly open TO vanity levity and
sensuay-mOre dangerous than itneed be, on account
of the present state OF public opinion necessarily
dangerous in any state of public sentiment. Aiming
10 please and finding its chief incentive in the applause
il nightly excites; peculiarly exposed to jealousy; re-
qured 10 affect sentiments and perSonate characters
not its own; usually in contact only with its own class
feeling deeply the need of animal spirits and physical
energies. most conveniently supplied by artificial
stmulants; working chiefly in the night; Facilitating
between long seasons of leisure and short periods OF
excessive labor: at the mercy of caprcious public
here very kind and there very cruel; overpad in its
favorites and underpad in all who not splendid
for its stars, but dun for its stee&s-wha clements arc
wanting to make your profession of very singular
moral trial Ii must not however, b. forgotten that
ii has its own advantages. IL is not addicted 10
cupidity, welded 10 mean and sordid habits. IL
does not breed hardness OF heart and hypocrisy Of
from the vices calm ,o ,be noce or tbn n;ison. r.
ehOuld be better knnMn than il il TINT actors,