The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-04-29

population and vast dominion SURROUNDED HEM
but now out the line of the commerce, the and
the interests Of the world the gigantic toDbs Of forgotten
kings and priests II becomes them ~ TAKE Tier invited
place at the head Of the real concerns OF society aYng
partners the business and pleasures OF the world
guides friends, sympathzers and helpers Of the race IN
all i,s efforts instruct and save itself am
OF religion but Of the church and no
TO live and die in this service but there Is 10 be sreas
gulf axed between the church and the world As bews.n
heaven and bell, minister Of Christ "a am would
sooner take my place and part with the world than with
the church with common humanity than With any elect
portion Of II; with confessed sinners than sefassumsd
saintsfor believe that Christ who Is the light IL tho
world and not Of the church alone Ia permanently
resident with the heart and fortunes and feelings
OF mankind ut large, than OF any fraction OF humanity
however select or s,faPproprauye OF his zane and
patronage,
IT. then, the theatre bad the place from which
the hapess, crring came, who play such efc-
tive part IN our sayours minsryand often has that
special claim on our mingled pity and heip-f should
not account Christian 10 abandon the stage % itself,
or 10 permit any seH savng scruples 20 make in
terest Of society which Christians not bound TO
tinze and oversee desire u speak With forbearnDce
Of the mistakes and preudces Of the piousfor know
how honest and real many OF them Blu. mwt bs
faithful TO my own light and TO the race Those who,
under that strange but utter blindness their
frame of mind which truly good liable, arc
willing separate themselves from the fortunes If their
race 10 save their own souls without much dmnuson OF
their JOY that millions OF their fellow creatures losing
theirs "a regard the ordinary and common life Of tho
world Iroiane and no, under the blessing Of God OF
the grace ct Lord and Saviour, consistently on
In Remuneration of in general and the thsore
in particular. But as by Gods grace, belong not 10
sive hopes and prospects depart In degree from my
principles minister Of Christ teacher Of rDora8
and religion IN including the theory and the practice OF
amusemens in the scheme &c pulpit Instructions and
my social responsibilities, in counenancing tho princi
Pile and so far as examination may justify e. the nsta
ton Of the theatre.
Assuming then, that the theatre great and AportapA
fac--an institution vita, and popular that tho
serious evils connected with it, II; assuming
it as already proved that foundations lie deep tho
wants of human nature and municipal society; assuming
that the course hitherto pursued by the church and TIA
,Ip ,fy.n in nard IN hao hol
little good effect, would now inquire what Course duty
policy and pety prescribe ia regard 70 the theatre To
this question, must recall and classify the eYi5
already referred to, which good citizens and Christians
depore aud then ask ourselves in view OF the consera
tons already produced how they arise, and bow they
may be nbated. These evils fall under four heads:
The identification al the theatre with frivoty, world
lness moral Indifference and spiritual apathy, and ia
general tendency to reproduce them.
q IT. direct covert association with and encourage
ment of, .Dtemperance and Heentiousness.
3 The immortality of plays either in their general spirit
and drift or in their details With the OF manners,
costumes, language, insnuaton, Intentionally shocking 70
modesty, and destructive oi reverence.
1. The bad effect of theatrical live upon actors and
actrossesn word, the unworthy personal character u
the dramatic profession.
These evils have have been immense and
still confessedy great They have some of them been
much greater than they ar. and little thanks 70
thu church the custodans Of public morals, that they
have been The first perhaps nearly yreaa
ever second has decidedly essened the third has
recently increased the fourth Is hopefully diminished
From what does these evils mainly arisey Who Is
sponsibe for them, and who can abate themY
believe from my very soul-and to what Other conciu
sion has the whole evidence tendsd that the church and
the eocalled gravity and moral worth Of society,
really though Indirectly ana unntentonay, the authors
md ro,apaors of the malignant disorders and peril.
Gus influences of the theatres, leaving both the dramatic
profession and the public n, large comparatively basess,
and answerable only for it, more venaI SINS
The Catholic Church IN medieval times in the prosecu
tou Of It's selfish design control the human mind had
resusciatei the heather drana-whch in former ages had
refined elevated the morals Of Greece and &s0uen
the shape odious sterss and morates. Tue
inherent instincts Of human nature speedily reverted ~
the ancient standard and gave birth ~ secular pysorm
anccs more genaly and truly depicting the hopes and
passions Jealous OF such riyal-is coTpe
ttor both in and popular Influences. forthwith
communicated actors and denied them Christian burial
Thus commenced that wicked selfish and narrow policy
which, adopted and reinforced by Puritan preudic, was
continued and strengthened by the Protestant Church and
now largely possesses the serious class that the thea
trcihe most popular and inevitable 81 public amass
fents has been mainly abandoned 70 the upbessed and
reckless 81 those willing te defy both church and mo-
raty What s " BE- expected ~ community from which
good taught 10 hoe-of All institution ayowedly
mad. 20 the devil aud his chidrenY What coaId Tia
theatre nc expected 10 hscop",n 'eH ia inn1snce iv9
ecorsnder such curse but barren Of figs and prolific
oniy Ia thorns and brarsf
In sober truth, rebound 10 the credit or human
ture and 10 The essential purity ~ art 70 tho who'll
someness of public arusemens and tho seiEekyst!ng
character 81 The theatre that under this terrible rsput
ton and moral ecpeedeseron by the good and cherish
Ing by the eviltle drama has maintained decepey
exorcd mn influence and produced class not nd,c,s
ble by the ordinary standards Of society, bot
only by the special class who seek 10 maintain dog
matte standard The vices Of the theatre have uniformly
been those of the tneno more no worse The theatre
has serious vices Of IL own like trade, with it fraud
and perjury; like the church, with hypocrisy and
gance. The mirror az bad times u has reflected tbs vices
that passed before II, moi thos. orgi<ted Drunkenness
hns carried it, victims and hcntousness 10 vcusrs into
it, precincts. Profanity and from the pit and
boxes have required profanity and coarseness from The
stage, while yugary and ignorance have demanded rant
and fstan What Is the theatre, that we should expct
"a be wise and moral and pure, and reysrsnta
dlence that by the theory of the csss address IT.
Tie these qualities and when has character loso
ny any fandcrng may practice 10 the degraded tastes q
III. rabbc reckiess Were thu church itself freuent-
only by the ignorant the wicked how long do you
Imagine tie pastors wouid ~ pur. the sound9
No interest, class, bear the withdrawal of ths viz
portion q society. Tho theatre has borne quite
well a. the church would the state Of religion in Mexi
IN France, even In portions OF Protestant Germany
mlgbtssty.
The loyNy excess, association with vice, and general
lack OF moderation III thu theatre; it opposition ded
Of religion ~ lax morals and bad ts be they moro
less due, mainly, IN my Judgment 20 The unhappy
separation between the church and the wordthe guides
and examples In morals and virtue and hs pubic AZ
barge; and ~ the special emphasis which s separation
has had In the case OF tns theatre. VIVA. are va
20 look for, in general, when the young aud tho
old 10 longer mngle in tho same society
when tie grave and the gay keep themselves syssratsca
y aart md society Is divided Jarsks and
enjoy AMUSEMENT and tos. who abstain from and decry
III Will Il not necessarily occur that ono class WI ruin
itself ny ia pleasures. while the other seriously
injured and narrowed by the lack Of hemf u not Clear
in American society, that The TOO The grave
too grave the young too Eighty, the old too sad THAI
places cf public exclusively, and W tho
great injury of their hahtusl frcqueners attended by
e-csi class, when the lnlerungng OF the css who
ufriy sfuu Them would al once twofod
namely, make general society, home, and Intercourse
with the sober lees uniDeres;ng and repusvs and The
paccs a not NO exclusively attractive ny being
adsJasd higher purer and los superficial stssf In ad-
don Us other ofces the theatre eort of bind
protest against the sad reriousne Of trade and the hard
gravity az rety. says, "there Is fun, grotc
sense beauty leisure still LETT IN the world" when do
III. and the religious life shall both learn how 70 IN
v,4, Ier with the charms Of art aud the mid and
pleasing grsccs q sympathy, we may anticipate some
dnutiou u the excessive taste which The young people
o day have for the theatre Hot until the
o,,iseas ard religious reopls allow themselves
generous participation IN the pleasures and n
the world, they will neither know what ART IA,
what he powers and Vaccinations Brought up
hard dit o. duty they have earped 10 live IN q
q their wide md complex nature, and cannot under
stand thu v~tbrosk Of their children into the 6ses 10
romance, Ysssion and @shetcs. is insaryeccn q
natnrc tor her rights, and nsurrecon which will rp~s
into revolution becomes by timely CONCESSION 20
wee that something better than anarchy follows.
charge then the vices and ole OF the theatre, Of
cher nuseens and of general society 10 ths
withdrawal the seKseps ration of the moral and re- s.o
portion q the community class from The pleasure
iovfre f1 ne all