New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-05-27
YOUNG MEMS CHRISTIAN UNION


held last evening a, their rooms Clinton Hall Aston
place the President, RICHARD WARRES, esq, in the
chair. The meeting was small and about one-third
was composed of ladies'
The usual preliminary business having been gone
through the Secretary announced the subject for dis
cusson as follows: " Can the Drama be made en-
trely worthy of the Christian support - The Pres
dert said the discussion would be free to all, but the
Union would not commit itself to anything that men,
bers might say.
Mr.. WooDMAs opened the discussion by stating that
we might with the same proprlety ask II the churches
were worthy Of Christian support. All human things
were imperfect-the churches, the drama, ana the
ants and sCiepces-but they might be made better aud
he believed the drama was entirely worthy oil Chrls
tan support Our best ministers are actors and excel
lent ones There are Beecher Chaplin and several 9th
ers who are great actors and excellent preachers
Many things can be learned at the theater which can
not be learned at church, many go to the heater out
of sheer necessity and indeed the drama has become
fixed fact since the time of Shakespeare who, finding
the drama in bad state, set 70 work to esenerate H.
ard transform the language OF plays so that they
should be hit for representation. The speaker theh
referred &c the appearance OF one whom ne called one
of our best olervymen, and in doing 40 paid high
compliment to the moral courage of DIR: Bellows IN
coming forward in behalf of the oppressed lie took
the same ground Christ did when he came into the
world by setting an example TO others to speak in
behalf of those who had hitherto been aSsaled by all
religions. He concluded by quoting some lines from
Hallett in behalf of the stage.
Mr. LEACH also paid tribute to the Rev. Dr. Bel
lows for the noble stand he had taken. There were
many cergymen who held the same opinions but who
had not the courage TO speak them out. He cid not
blame these cergymen, they had families 10 support
ard did not wish to speak unpaatable truths to those
on whom they dependent for bread. But the
Union had no such plea, and should speak out. lie
believed that those who were more nearly allied to
Chris; would stand on the same platform with Dr.
Bellows Christ was no theologian. He appealed
not 10 the head hut to the heart, and the basis OF
Christianity love- Surprising the influences OF tho
Theater were bad what was to be done with them
There they stand and there they will stand as long a.
the Churches do. He considered there was less inn
morality surrounding the Theser than there Is around
a mercantile life, for il is almost impossible Tor a
young man 10 become a good salesman without
being hsbitua liar. He had seen worse things in a
church often than he had behind the scenes of a
theater and he considered the actor bad uo Chris
tian heart for if of them poor and sent his
petition into theater from the highest 10 the lowest
would assist him Lot the theaters be well conducted
and respectable people will patronze them but IN
theater this city there Is manager VINO 80 iaDlt
ually vulgar that those who are respectable WIZ not
visit him. lie related an anecd0te Of salOr VINO
called ont 10 his the speakers brother while perform
ing Iago il low theater in England who called out,
"Oh you back-hearted villain, would mt Ike toteM
your heart out! This showed that even people OF
lower grade detested what wrong. He therefore
considered that the theater would do as much good as
churches.
Mr.. DUsN took the negative side of the question.
He had never witnessed theatrical representation,
but be knew what thief was without seeing him. IL
was true all things imperfect, but the question
was not whether thing was imperfect, OUT whether
it was demoralzing or not. lie considered that 10
Christian should support the theater' Tor II GER
ainly originated with gentleman who was not to be
named 10 ears polite. He honestly believed, however,
that many churches were more denoralizng than
heats for those who did not speak out 20 the wrong
doer were not proper churches The theater origna-
ted in the drunken reyelies of Bacchus and therefore
was bad From authority, he woud, show that the
theater was condemned by the Episcopal and No
nan churches and James the First, that plous KING
allowed reveires Of this kind on the SaDDah. urine
two churches who countenanced these things, the
Fpscoual was the worst. He believed she would
soon 90 over to Rome; but all the other branches OF
the Church of Christ opposed to theatrical repre-
sentations He characterized James i. rs a prince
oi lies Charles H. and all other heads Of the English
Church az great rasca and then went on TO say hat
the nature of the employment itself was lie, ana the
actors bypecres ,,
worthy of Christian support. The prejudices against
II had been generally well founded, and the principal
arguments against it that the worst men OF 'he
community were connected with It, aud that per %
there was nothing good connected with Ii: f0r ages
the Christian Church one of the most God'dciyng
and Misunderstanding institutions on earth, anu II tue
same arguu ent were applied to theaters, no doao'
they would be considered unworthy OF CHRISTIAN sup,
mort He considered the same reasons sS were ufgei
aosnst the drama might be urged with equal prOprl-
rtv against the church and institutions OF government
for both had at timer done grievous wrong Mr' new
man continued in support Of the drama during the
teen minutes allowed taking the ground that 1od
made an actor a. much a. He made painter OF
poet lie concluded that this Wa natural glit' ana
bould be encouraged az much any other branch OF
art. ,. l.
Mr.. CusHIyG differed from those who seemed to be
The nonular marty He considered that from the re-
.ul,s which have followed the Introduction OF the
drama il could never be made worthy OF Christian
supuort He was sorry to see the church c0npared
viii the beater for the effect Of the one had Deen ao
a general thing for good while the eject OF lhe ohet
had been as general thing, for bad An actor Is ou'
an autuatoB and has to take parts written D! OtheS'
bcrras man in mercantile life, II he choose 10 De
bryobl and nnrqht can certainly avoid those annoy
a,ces referred to by the speaker, MI OOnnan great
deal had been said about the courage OF Dr; bellows;
Weu IL he believed the opinions he put iotn ne R"d
couraee vet be thought the clergymen VINO hau PEE
n.iy g,ne ON the stage 10 denOuDce the dram shops
bsd even till greater courage than DIR. Bellows The
sneaker continued 10 speak against dramatic repre-
aptatious rs INJURIOUS and indeed the vulgar places
were the only that paid. He concluded D a.
sertng that attendance at the theeter "as no.
able nor beneficial in general, and tnsi VIZ lPoss
bic to bring anything out OF such hass oi
that would elevate the public mind .en
Mr.. OLNsryAD took the ground N reply, that II the
draua could do good il you'd be worthy ~ Christian
support; and if a. much money hsd been nld out on
thrster as thsre had been on ehurcher, IL may 90
more good than any church III ne community.
Ue in ,anced the punoer Of cleygymen who had gone
20 witness Uncle Toms Cabin" 10 show that If
proper plays were performed they weAid no doabt 90
good. .u,.n
Nj. HOWE and Dsr. BEsT0s followed in tbs afhrma-
tiy,. after which TIE meeting adjourned.
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