The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-04-24

THE RELIGIOUS Pass ON Dr.. BELLows-
AS was expected, several csligisos newspapers
have seized the occasion Of falling foul of DR..
Bellows. On account Of bis presence at the ORA
matte Fund dinner and his desire to see the stage
and tas pulpit reconciled Prominent among
these arc the New York Observer aud the New
York Evaryclia; both organs Of the Presbyterian
denomination, and seemingly agreed on the i'm
propIiety Of Getting up" the aotors on any
terms. "-t
The Etunyelis is mild and Christian; 1t "gives
DR.. Bellows credi: for sincerity" and deplores
his "erraic notions" but remembering that Gan
infce and q Frenchman," namely, the crazy
Rousseau, had protested against the theatre"
diclainling "bigotry and nsrrowness Of mind"
and departing OF purify Ing the drama" 1t takes
ground against theatrical representations" al
together, because the lighter stage is "an exhibit
ton of vice" while "th, acting of tragedies leads
to many deed Of ee,f murder"
Not 70 the Obsor~. THIS bowling print grins
IN q ghastly manner at the idea Of Fanny Kenble
teaching DR.. Bellows HE duties, aud OF Manager
Barry offending him "a New York clergy
man" II sbrieks, 'Tebuked by an actress" Aud
why cot, Master O5s~xT' Think you there ore
no actresses who could rtbuke you Tor
your neanness AID your snobblshness, to the
possible advantage Of Jour manners aud your
heart. The Observer las seen Il stated that
Macready would not allow his children 10 20 TO
The theatre" any one but the Obs-ver would
have known that the statement was false. The
Ojseier's knowledge Of history Ia such that 1t Is
enabled to pronounce /" the drama, from the days
Of the Grecian dramatists 10 The present time,
nursery Of vice and corruption of moralsr
We do not precisely know what our ootemporary
means by calling the drama "a corruption ~
but il any one has hoaxed The Ob~rvr by lead
ing Il 10 believe Thai the Greek trsgedisns were
vicious or immoral, or tina. the plays Of Seneca
we're unfit for public hearing or that the long
winded performances which amused the audiences
Of The middle ages we're debasing. or that the
plays Of Racine, Leasing or Shakspere are calcu-
lated 10 corrupt the heart, CO endanger the
morals, we think II a great shame, and We would
like TO see 80 thoughtless q person exposed.
Every shoolboy learns Greek In Sophocles and
Euripides; Terence Il q standard Latin text
book and though we do not impose upon our
boys The duty Of listening 10 the religious plays
which were composed by the predecessors of the
editors Of the OBSERVE, q few Centuries since.
they study French in Racine aud MoIierc, and
their own tongue In The IMMORTAL verse of
Shakspere. Yet this eort Of reading ia which
our youth are trained from the cradle "a
pronounced by the Observer 10 be o nursery Of
vice and corruption"
We say it with pain and sorow-there IL no
help for anything liberal or manly or generous to
be expected from the religious press Some rell- |
gious newspapers will be candid and gentle like |
the E,uneolis; and some will be coarse and LIMO
rant, like The Obsr-r; but each, after his kind,
will oppose to Che death, the progress Of the |
great, the good, and The new
There was an opportunity here for some bold |
journal 10 say true and just word In favor of |
Dr. Bellows, and In favor Of the rights Of COM
mon sense and humanity. But the word will |
bave TO be said by The secular press; and when |
we carry The day and win the battle the crsvens
Of the religious pres will wheel into line, and
shuttle, and make believe that they were all
along on our side
There Is no reason why the present breach be-
tween church and stage should exist or
why the stage should be 70 shamefully
depraved at thls particular day Of enlightenment;
or why the church, in this day Of tolerance,
should still adhere TO fanatic hatred of the |
stage. The thing Is absurd, and only requires to
be sgitaied 10 come 10 an end The initiation Il
all that u wanted; that has been received; the
reg, will follow. The clergy will be compelled
TO relax their japanese rule Of exclusion; the
scsors will try TO improve their plays and their
FacTsls. 81 ~ to m~e' them half way aui when