The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-01-31

y. JANUARY 81. 1857. 4
| a 1e@iniscencs sf the Aster Place Risss
The New York Express, In announcing the re
appearance of Mrs.. Coleman Pope on the stsas
has the following interesting reminiscence of H.
sFeas Assor Place riot In that city on the occaso,
OF Macrsady's appearance: 2
Ine isst time we saw her was ON the boaYds q
tne oid Asfor Place OpeIa House, under circum
s.Ances OF the most exciting and trying character
~ was ON the night of the mob and massacr
wnicn grew out OF the Forrest and Mscread,
.eau' Inc writer OF this, together with one o.
piace oy Mr VIM Niblo, behind the curtain, th1
oest place to witness the terrible tragedy that VS.
soout 70 Degin The mob were yelling and howl
ing without, oattering at the doors of the theatre
boxes, dress circle and paruuette were brimfnI n
!ns most ferocious looking rufians ever conRrees
ted Within the walls of q theatre Some of tbem
"ere hacking and cutting the luxurious cushions
ss0e w.esting with the police, and sthers makina
PREPARATIONS to drive Macready off the stage" NJ
soon % he would come on. The tragedy WA MAJ
oetn The overture began, but music for once
aao iost It's charms to sootbe the savage breast -
ne hurricane In the pit and galleries grew wilder
~. "noel .o, heeind the scenes, hookisg through
!n1 crevices OF the curtain, were Chipuen-
oaie and Niblo, and . crowd Of others flook I.
ing unutterable things" Macready was there
Ioo' pale as death, and quivering like An
a.spenIout calmly avowing his determination to
s'Ano nus trial. he could be assured of the
protection of the autborities when the overt act
was committed ~ 1t was . terrible crisis for anv
man-put he did not shrink from IT, The overtime
cesses.fhe little bell rings-the crowd falls back
~ .ne sue scenes,-and the curtain goes up,-dis-
covering the waired sisters shriekine with fear-
Anelr siDoeIish was but little needed. The audi.
ence that night did not come TO listen tn Shat.
sPeare. The distant drum announced the approach
.. banquo and the Thane OF Cawdor TIE mob
~ cue Ano sprang a. II with one accord, to
s .se., 70 JOIN IN the "All Hail." Clenched fists,
kn orows, scowling faces aud the most ho rid i'm.
p.eeahons, were seen and heard on ali banda Mr..
Macready, in coming from his room for moment.
.s.;re. II 1or oreath,-on the little narrow
staircase leading from bis dressing room-yvbi his.
pered VOID to Mir. Chippandale-an then strode
ooldfy forward with proud and erect form. to the
very loot lights, at the same time dotiur his nod.
osng piumes, and bowling to the audience. ami 1
ne wnIiowiLd Ct passion and indignation which
seemed to shake the house to its centre The play
went on in dumb show. Nothing could be heard
put the Impreeatiohs of the mob and the occaajon-
ataiing on the stage of some missile intended for
MAcready's head In this way the first scene or
49, PASSED on,-and 1t was at this part of the
performance that we first saw Mrs. Coleman Pope.
was her turn to face the music,-varied. now,
Wild an occasional volley of stones from the
s'ree', shrieks of terror Fl ON from the witches
s1o us snpernumeraries, under the stage.-and cries
from the terrOIl5tD in the
Auoisorlum. Ihelady was nervous and pale-but
genuenen were assuring her that 'the mob
would respect q lady "aud lit was only Mr. Macrea.
dy that excited their fury"
Inc storm went on. The scene changed to the
chamber in the Castle of Inverness, but the Ladv
Macbeth, reading the letter from her lord was not
yet tnere The stage was vacant. The storm
without and within grew hoarser and hoarser and
some OF the rufhaus were attempting to mount the
stase 10 seek tor Macread5, behind the curtain It
n finn 20 -ste
now would give the mob the advantage, by Greats
tng the impression that there was panic behind
tne scenes. Mrs Pope Quilted the ANXIOUS group
with which she was surrounded, aud appeared be.
Tore the curtain, reading the letter from Macbeth
We learned more of the philosophy of mobs in that
moment, from hole through chamber of 'Inver
ness Castle, than we ever learned since. The
storn, all OF . sudden was hushed The 'fercs
denocracie," in the presence Of q woman, were as
gentle rs lambs The maddest Of them muttered
no insu INDUCED even In that hour of free
speech. of unbridled license. that could offend a
mother or q sister. 1t was as if an enchantress
mad suddenly come upon troubled sea- to still .
tempest. 1t was Orpheus among the Furies And
Il showed that men, in their wickedest moment are
never wholly bereft of the better instincts of hu,
manity. Thus encouraged, and no longer atfrigh
ted, Mrs. Pope went through her part in that trag.
'dy In Real Life,-without blenching or fstering,
70 the end,-remaining on the stage even, after
she Scottish army and "brave Siward with ten
the air from the scene.
7 The effect Of this fine description is marred by
the criticism upon the philosophy of mobs." We
were not aware before that there was any phiIoso.
ply in mobs, especially the mob so graphically de-
seribed in previous paragraph As "the most fero-
eious looking ruffans ever congregated within the
walls Of theatre" That such a congregation of
uumitigated blackguards respected Mrs. Pope be,
cause she was woman, is preposterous Mrs
Pope was not Macready, nor any of his kith or kr.
II she had been, we should have seen how much
respect . mob has for q woman Napoleon was
the best critic of mobs. He mastered their 'philo
sophy" with wonderful readiness He fathomed
It with . volley of grape and twelve inches Of
steel New York may yet become the scene Of
other mobs, and its journals will help the cause of
law and order by keeping before the people the
stern truth that the best philosophy for mobs Is
bayonet and ball.
POSTAL AFFAIRS The Washington Star says:
We are requested to state, for the inform aton Of
the public we'll as of postmasters that neither the
act Of August 30 1852, nor that of January g 1887
regards newspapers or periodicals. regularly maile
to bona fde subscribers, ''ty0nsient printed Il At
ter" Agents as well as publishers may, therefore,
regularly mail them to such subscribers without pay
ent Of postsge, provided the sgent makes and Giles
IN the msiliE 9 Gffice statement, signed by him,
II A.