The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1857-05-23
Religious.
For The Cecil Wing.
Ought Religious people to Frequent
Theatres!

the affirmative side of the above question. In
recent lecture delivered in the N. Y. Acad-
envy of music, COR Opera lIousc,) DIR. b. first
admitted the present corruptncss of the stage;
the RIGHTEOUSNESS of the plays; and the inmo-
rality of actors and actresses, on which point
he gave sound lecture to the managers and
players present. that, if they would but heed,
might do them good:
ssBut he argued that the theatre might be
reformed, and then it would not be the terrible
thing that it now is. 1t is bad now because it
has been abandoned by sober, moral and reli-
gious people, who have given it up entirely to
the Devil, and he, being left sole master of the
ti.ld, cultvatcs this garden with remarkable
success. If now sober people would occa-
sonally 30 to the theatre, they would by their
presence restrain the drama from its present
IRE rulariteS, and force it to be decent and
respectable. IA school of virtue instead ofvicc.
Is it not better, therefore, to restrain and reg
ulitc what we cannot dIStroyi'
The New York Evangelist, from which we
copy the above notice, after expressly leaving
untouched the question oft probable iniu-
ellcc of the stage, supposing it to be reform
ed, proceeds as follows
eve do not believe that the Theatre can be
reformed so as to be thus innocent and safe.
In the first place, it can hardly be consider
ed as Il mere amusement. 1t is an excitement
the most intense. 1t is not a harmless pas
time, amusing IN idle hour. 1t is itself Il
tutignc and exhaustion. 1t is kept up for two,
three and four hours. 1t is continued far into
fin, night. 1t leaves the spectators in a very
unhealthy state of body and mind. SO far as
recreation is concerned the thing is overdonc.
Amusement becomes fatigue, and is followed
bv physical and mental prostration. Such
places. thus kept open night after night, will
not be sought for relief and rest, attract, not
the worn and weary, but the gay and frivolous;
and will necessary tend to dissipation, to folly
and to vice. The character OF the plays, Of
course, will be determined by the appetite of
the audience; and AS they go for excitement,
whatever is most exciting will be most eagerly
demanded; and MS simple nature is too tame,
resort will he had to artificial scenes and I'M
natural characters. Hence the almost incv-
table tendency of the stage to degradation.
The tragedies will become more horrible, and
the comedies more disgusting.
If we wanted illustration of this, we have
them near at hand The most popular play
which has been performed i'll this city for
months past, has been Camille, play taken
from the very worst French school, and which
for its gross immortality WAS banshcd from the
stage in Paris. The leading character is an
abandoned woman, who is presented on the
stage in the different steps of her career, III
the midst of her rcvelrics, and in shame, and
in want and misery, in the agony Of remorsc
and in the hour ofdcath. Some Of the scenes,
Us acted by Miss Heron, we have been told,
are exciting in the highest degree. Night al
t.r night the theatre has been crowded, and
the whole audience has been b1thed in tears
at the spectacle of these Imaginary woes. Yet
.h,t, 81 liza thp M Al effect of SIr q v
lbtion! Is it not most depravcd and per-
Iriols eXcit rmcnt! DR.. Bellows himself is
appalled, at the influence, and loudly dcclaims
against such plays. But how is he TO prevent
it! The taste of theatrc-goers Graves excite
,nent, and hence it seems as if the more horri-
BILE any tragedy could be made, the more pop
ular it would become.
We speak not of other dangers which Turk
behind the theatre, and to which it leads the
way. These are but too surely indicated by
any one who has an eye to mark the surround
ings of plny-houscs on our most crowded
Streets Every one of them is aLnkcd by rows
of drinking shops. They are haunted by inl-
proper characters. and are the direct road to
all sorts of dissipation. Nay, we will ask him.
If he were a Clergyman in the country, and
had son coming to New York, if his mind
would not be filled with anxiety, if he learned
that he was trcqucnter of the theatres, and
was thus brought within the circle Of such
temptationsf'
when the Academy of Music in Philadcl-
pha was opened, a special effort was made to
win the support the respectable and the re,
ligious part ofthe community to an enterprise
which at that time was doubtful and an cx-
rensive experiment. Religious men were
called upon to contribute both Of their means
md hair intIunnrn IN establish and fp rive
elevated and innocent character to the under
taking. There were not a few Of them who
vcnturcd to hope that now at length they were
to enjoy the highest entertainment that art
could afford to the ear and the cultivated taste
with none of the degrading associations which
had hitherto constrained them to keep aloof
Although opened at season of the year, re-
garded by many religious persons as having a
sacred character, quite incompatible with
gayety and amusement, yet persons in greater
or less number who might have been expected
to observe the season, were said to have laid
aside their scruples in order to assist in this
grand design Of purifying an important species
ofpnblic amusement, by attending upon the
first night of the Opera.
Well, the Academy was opened; and within
1t was found an establishment for the sale OF
liquor, which led to scenes of gross intcm-
perance and violence on the first night. MOI
was the bar closed, until daily paper called
the attention of the Managers to their liability
t. indictment under the License Law of the
State.
Now comes the Opera itself: "Truriata' il
was called; story of infamy, such as, in SIM
plc truthful language, could not, (and we are
glad to hear of it) be told in plain English.
Thanks to our good Saxon tongue, and to our
Christian morals, the themc-not an incidental
episodc-but the entire plot, in all its parts is
such as no man or roman pouid renture 10 reciie
in decent society. Out of France, such licen-
tiousness is perhaps unknown.
Religious people, or moral people even, may
make up their minds, at least after the failure
ofan experiment so decisive as this, that dra-
matte representations will resist, for an indef-
mite period, any efforts to make them subscr-
Went to the purposes dearest to their hearts.
Before we venture into u place of public amusc-
nent with a view to its elevation, we may