The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-03-19

I'VE Tendency Of The Auserican Dranaa.
Some few months since, under considerable
pressure from this city, the United States Con-
eress passed an act comforting upon dramatic
authors such copyright in their pieces as en-
abled them to prevent their being played with
out their consent. The propriety Of the measure
was urged upon the ground that dramatic au.
tbors, like other citizens, deserved to be pro.
tected from robbery and also, because it was
supposed that with a copyright, the dramatic &C.
MUS Of America, which had hitherto lain dor.
mant, would suddenly burst forth and shed lustre
upon the nation.
The experience which we have lately had of
the efforts Of the dramatic genius Of America,
does not promise that this expectation is likely
10 be fulfilled yet awhile. Two of the most
ondly pulled original pieces that have been pro.
duced during the past season have been play
allied Fascination" at Burton's. and tragic
play" called " Leonore" at Wallack's theatre
The author Of the one was an American gentle
man named Mr.. Goodrich; the author of the
other was an American lady, Mrs Howe. They
are evidently the sort of pieces which the &C. Of
Congress was intended to encourage. Yet-shall
We say it, neither the one nor the other are fit
for the hearing or the reading Of a chaste girl
or an ingenious boy. The scenes, the situations
the characters, the plo'- are all borrowed frem
localities which decent society ignores
and which are only supposed to be known IN the
dissolute and the police From first to last, both
pieces reek with jmpurity. A modest woman
cannot begin to understand them A girl,
brought up as American girls used to be when
American women became the mothers of
manly race of men, would not form the
least conception of the story they repre-
cent OF if she did, the bare horror of finding
herself in possession of such knowledge would
send thrill Of shame through her bosom
We say this with conjunction; not knowing Nc.
Goodrich or Mis-. Howe, and not seeking to fasten
on them any graver charge than that of bad taste
aid bad Judgment They have but copied, in a
poor weak way, dramatic STYLE which shocked
the ParisaDs when the Dome au1 Camelias' was
first introduced and of which the author of the
"Question dar9at' is now thor oughly ashamed
They copied the French filth, as We Americans
copy everything toreign-by exaggerating it.
They saw that crowds went to see the wretched
girl who had become a modern Magdalen, and
revived Manon Lescaut in a nineteenth century
dress; and straightway they went to work to
cover the stage with prostitutes and adulterers
If griSete pleased, they thought an entire
brotbel must prove a card; and the bestalties
Of Pericles, Prince of Tyre were thrown into the
shade. In word, they exhausted their ingenu
lily TO stretch indecency to its utmost length
without coming within reach of the laws
II this is to be the fruit Of the dramatic genius
Of America, we had rather see that genius en-
poyed in turning up the sod or making boots |
It would be not only more use full, but more ho- |
norable also. This dirt is disgracing us all.
1.-THE members Of that unhappy profession call |
I'd the stage ever possessed the least flash Of com
mon sense, they would be the first to denounce
the danger Of plays of this character, and would
refuse to prostitute their talent by appearing in
them. For, it is plays of this character which
ioim the tasis of all the arguments of the clergy
against the theatre. When q clergyman wants
to abuse the stage and prove to his congregation
that they had best not 60 to the theatre he seizes
plays OF this kind, and without the least difficult
~ frds plenty Of material for his purpose. Aud
really, what answer can be made to his reason
ing? We have always been ready 10 controvert
Tie faDaticism OF such people as the citizens of
Hartford, who until quite recently refused to al
low theatre to be licensed in then city; but
after all If theatres are TO play pieces which will
'amliarize our girls with the lives of prostitutes
and kept mistesses, AID lure our young men to
the lowest hsunts of vice, il becomes quite doubt
full whether the Connecticut clergy have not the
beet side Of the argument II were certainly
better to be bigoted than to be depraved.
One might have supposed reasoning on this
matter according TO the ordinary rulcsthst &C
tors and actresses, feeling the humiliation of
their social position, and smarting under the un-
Just ban that lie laid upon them, would do what
thty could TO prove that the public impression is
erroneous, and that they are not all necessarily
IMMORAL, or lewd, Or unprincipled or gross ia
their manner Of living. But it appears that the
rule would be at fault in this instance The men,
bers OF the dramatic procession, il seems do not
ind that they are low enough yet, and |
xert their humble eDdeavors in their peculiar |
Ire TO attract still more Of the scorn and the die
Ike and the dread Of all honest people.