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

pees VIC nscse Va ~ and motetuss 81 The system
sszssy ease asd sass Bosh arc necssasy 70 buAd up
Bat here sAan be me. with the suggestion that, allow
ing 40 -, amusement, falling with the tastes, the
eos7 Tho self sndagent propensiuss Of hunantybeing
M very nature easy, careless and gsytepds aiways 70
e1osss-provdes amply and extravagantly for ~ own
grancations in league with the vanity, vices and dan
geroas passions Of the human heart and instead Of coun
tenance and encouragement from the serious class needs
only s rebuke and restraint Nay, that the very object
Of religion 10 produce seriousness self denial and con
eecrasion which pleasure in every form assi and rem
ders difficult that attaches 10 the world those whom
pesy is seeking from the world-produces gdd
ness where religion would give sobriety, and promotes
ssh forge6alness and indifference 10 those whom God y
word Is seeking make thoughtful and ANXIOUS Many
good people who have the least idea Of seeing
90 of fashion, and who would confess that
what they themselves call innocent amusement is
eary ana egitnat who look at the sports Of young cha
drenthe game at ball or the skaters flight the walk In
the country, the putting party, game at chequera or
storywtth eympsthy, nevertheless think their duty
Isl the principle Of amusement less under any
sion Of lis lawfunees excess should find shelter.
There is however, greater mistake in the world than
TO imagine that taking society together the love of aus
ment IS an overweenins passion Of humanity. Doubtless
Is the ruin Of class But sefshness, the Of de-
pravity and the mother OF human evils finds It's chief
outlets and manifestations in the serious and anxious pas
sions Of menn cupdty, the love Of power, envy, al
ousy and malice Out Of the grand desire appropriate
wealth, power, place, or 10 avoid want submission and
injury spring the worst characteristics Of society False
hood fraud violence, anger cunning SANDER meanness
apathy, vice and crime, originate In selshDess which is
ordinarily unsocal, stern sober laborous and far
possible from pleasure or diversion Instead Of being
self forgetful disposed relaxation playful or gay 1t Is
susn, ntroppeciye, tightly grded, and in mood for
delight. For certainly must not confound things diff
frent and cali the grim satisfaction with which the
pursues his gains the tyrant his victims the rogue bis
prize; with which envy surveys the modification Of
petor hatred the misfortune OF enemy or jealousy
the pang OF a rval-amusement
Nor the vices Of society, drunkenness, us. and
gambling, TO be placed among the reiaxatons and
amussm.nts Of mankind They the serious and hor-
rbe outbreaks Of awess appettes which do nothing 10
recreats but only 10 destroy. II they often found
connection with the pleasures of the world thew are INST
NJ Often found In absolute separation from them In
deed the lack Of the wholesome excitement pleasure
commonly seen producing the noxious excitement Of
vice. and intemperance lust and gambling have devasta
ted communities in which public diversions have been
scrupuously forbidden Is terrible that the first
hundred years Of puranism In New England marked
alike by ascetc public and the prevalence Of
vices almost unheard OF in free and udugent
society; and il is asserted that the soberet OF
sister States contributes more than any other State IN
the Union 10 the sad catalogue Of female frailty.
There is hardly more baefui error in the world than
that which has produced the feud between morality and
amusement, pety and pleasure. BY presenting the
mark for reprobaon the recreaons instead OF the sins
societyby confouDding amusenens with vices-the
raj feeling Of the world has been wasteuly diverted from
it's opposition 10 absolute wrong and depravng affections
into opposition 70 things innocent, Indifferent hurtfu
only in excess; and thus very mischievous confusion
has been introduced into the natural and the Christian
science Of evil Consider the thick darkness absence
Of interior light and moral order which is likely reign
in soul that has been instructed to put dancing and The
Preparations of Shows specaces and balls the same
dsallowance and Reproduction in which lying SANDER ha
tired and unchaslty are kept aud 10 reckon the love OF
fun gaiety and social excitement depraved and sa-
tinc affection. What but moral confusion protest
pdious revenges, private vices, latent skepcsm and
hxiy in directions not open N observation suspicion
can result 20 many from such upwarranted and I'M
natural classi6cationsp II IL true the second genera
ton often pays the penalty Of the ascetc!sm of the first
the first usually has runous pity on itself and treats
its resolution in dark and deadly ways We cannot afford
10 waste our moral feeling sensibty 10 SIM pow
ers Of self control and Of resistance upon false issues
on artificial sins We want all the tenderness and all the
energy OF conscenceall the amenableness Of duty, all
the fear OF God, have cultivate, wberewith D.
encounter real sinsthe actual temptations of the devil
the positive wrongs 10 which human life and character arc
exposed Every artificial wrong, everything pronounced
evil which Is innocent every restraint volunteered every
sefdanal which Is unnecessary, Is positive weakening,
our moral forces-anm uniton MP in a sham fight
when the real enemy just nj our doors. II Is
mon thing, therefore, TO see asceticsm accompanied by
cruelty 10 others OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES associated with
Of heart aud separaeness from the world disgust
aud contempt for It's pleasure offset with spiritual pride,
hsrshness of Judgment and malignity Of temper.
will NOT answer, then, for the religious class % hold
amuseeRss pcure responsible for that depravity OF
they 80 justly depore. They had much better attack tho
egosm pride, cove.ousness Incidence appetite The yohc
ment passions and desires of in directions and APPOINTS
where the natural conscience and the grace Of God viii
sst and sustain their onset II Is not in the aIDusemens
but in the serious occupations OF soey-sn business do
nestle and collisions rvaries and competitions OF
interest conflicts and irifes feeg in bursts Of pssion
secret unsoca vices that reverence obedience the
Of truth and virtue and God lost Nor has morality
religion in any business to indulge its uess and
lack of discrimination, by denouncing In the gross
has mixture Of good and evil in It; 70 affect from po
cy disapprobaon OF the principle Of amusement when
only at heart condemns certain kinds and degrees o It.
Such OF ankness and truth involves the proper
puts the recreation Of the world whero unhsppiy much
Of now rs, IN open defiance Of pey or disgust for the
church.
no. here deny conceal the exposure excess
and actual lapse Of the young into excess In the love and
pursuit of pleasure The moment that becomes anything
more than a relaxation from to-the unbending of bow
k.f
the leisure Of the busy the fun OF the serious the play or
the worker the se forgeuness OF the thoughtful the
creation Of the weary and exhaustedt is In Bu.
things not 10 be abandoned because their requires
judgment and self control The best things open
"a abuse, and amusement Ike food love power money,
requires TO have the dangers Of its pursuit pointed out but
not lis avulness on liz nnocepcy, 10 III place and degree,
denied or concealed.
II being established then. that amusement Is thing
n DC afraid Of that Il good and evil necessity
and not luxury cf civilization; interest Of socioty,
which the religious class instead If regarding with hos
Utility and jealousy ought IA encourage and direct come
next 20 inquire what place the stage has among tho
mens OF society aud what titles u has 10 tie oountnanee
! suppose Il would NOT FOR q moment be denied that
IT the theatre compatible With Christian sobrety, IL
Nothing but scruJes "a conscience and fear Of
oountenapcng seductive pleasure keep the most
sober portions Of the community from AL occasional visit
10 tie play house. must except, a course, those who
by dsuse Of their sensibty 70 pleasure haye iof the
power 81 being amused, ana those whose original tempe
rament consitutonally pleasure But those,
tagss II Is much greater msfotuno no, 70 have the OF
binary TASTE for anusementthsn is not 10 have The ord
nary for masic That must be a tup6 nature thN
does no; powerfully feel the sit.cvenes 81 the stage,
when occupied by such persons Garrck Tarns and Tho
Kembles; and, purified from wha, offend the taste
or conscience a good men, The sge hlled with ncde
rstely good performers, woah allure ard crafty thousand
q sober and discreet people, nothing else could Tho in
different performances Of amateurs listened 10 with AZ
intense qualification, which, after deucng all the Interest
a personal sympathy with the volunteers, Demonstrates
the inherent charm of the stage There da
logue gpoken In q school exhibition which not ten
times a. exciting any nonoogre, and every add uousi
person added 10 the increased It's fascination IN
geonetricai ratio. II q few rags Of scenery ooe
tune were thrown around the performers, bow 70
tenty the shsrm enhancedG In short, In precise
proportion 70 On spprosch 10 tho public ssaeo wa
The Amusement complete. Hut why lnry -
plain pontf The stage Is the mos, wip.
ming d smusemene, because the ocmhitsncn and
aggregate a al others. The theatre Is itsel nasuGcep,
paoetae audience gres, party in becoming er4rc. II
there nothing behind The curisn-an elegant room,
brilliantly lighted with graceful uers Of Hnlaries fo OF
well dressed people gocd humor and seated In kroi'
acquaintance, talking, bo~ing, ~ fszng, sdrirx ana
beng edrnired-woald be fascinating 70 the coral and
u-,hetic inetncts 81 human beings. Put there mere
han A oycbs-ftr,t -