New-York daily tribune., 1857-04-16

l.Ur
John Russcl's Chinese harangue.. The city has
had fair specimens of both orator,-the one OK.
hibed himself at the Mausion-lIousc, the other at
tic London Tavern. Both Werr bold enon, n
Ia declare IN person what they call their feelings
and sentiments; nj least, the papers announced the
performance in these terms. Ii reminds me of
" i'd man who was shown in Paris few years ago.
and whom the proprietor announced. outside by
CRYING. Come in. ladies and gentlemen; YOU viii
..e savage OF Kind which You have never seen
'.leiore; you viii hear him speak; and the best
"proof Of his existence j. the fact that he will him
" a.lf mske has o,rn eJplanation." Thus the poor
fellow had to eTptain how il came TO pass that be
WAS savage. Lord Palmerston and Lord John are
certainly no wild men, but they have nevertheless
been obliged 10 make their Orn ,Iplandiion
This explanation generally consists in whitewash.
inc ones own dear self and blsckrnng ones adver.
s,ry 70 voir hearts delight. Nothing could be- more
fearful than the picture which the members of the
Cabinet and their supporters draw Of those wretched
Chinese, those perurcrs, pOsoners murderers and
torgers. as they charitably call them According IL
the ,ical hsrangues, there never greater ras-
Gals in the world than the inhabitants ot the Celestial
Empire; and since the English have of late years
sddad forteth article to their creed-the belief in
Louis Napolcon's genus-~e do not why they
should not add to their tany prayer to be delivered
fr,m pestence and these wicked Chinese. This
W Is
10 act Ike the village priest in France who depicted
the inferior regions to his parishoners in the most
gloomy coors. He grew 50 pathetic, and found his
imsqinaton so fertile in horrible dclIneatOns, that
his hearers became amazingly terrified, and he was
himself so much moved by his own sermon and his
awful description. that be- finished his speech with
the words: Nov, You must not take all that
"haye said to be literally true for | hope | may
.have q little exaggerated" How many speakers
~. --t,.,
pie priest would have to exclam, Poier peccari and
plead guilty To the charge Of exaggerttion.
From the hustings to the theatcr the distance is
but small if there il any. Here we have again
nothing new to signalzc for the success Of Richard
III. at the Princcsss reckOns already more than a
fortnight. and will last still longer. Charles kean
was. in fact never better inspired than when he
made of that drama a kind Of medieval Photographic
picture. truly historical illustration. Colcridgr
was Of opinion that Of all the purely chronicle
plsvs Of Shakespeare, Richard III. was undoubtedly
Tie best and believe that he was right Tor two
principal reasons: the first il on account OF the
unit, If aim and Of action, which begins with the
unjust treatment of Bolngbroke and ends with the
reribution; the second depends on the character OF
Richard The great English bard excels III the pie
turr of irrcsoute personages: Hamlet Is undecided
because his understanding is too refined; Macbeth,
because his conscience is reluctant to wckcdness;
Richard H., because he il wanting i'll moral courage
II the latter does not present TO the mind such m
tercsting idea of human iaty the two former ho is
nevertheless quite affecting and pathetic The con-
tra.t between the King. who Is taught from childhood
to look upon his scepter as supreme, and who be-
G, mes a prey to detection cOntemptible as his
rcyal decisions and the energetic Bolngbroke, who
attains his lofty aim by means of an iron WILL Is
one Of the happest conceptions IN literature.
Charles kean and Ryder have admirably identified
themselves with the characters which they were
called upon to represent. The Richard ii. on the
stage was indeed that unfortunate monarch whom
history depicts. vacating and irresoute, wanting
in selfconfdence and moral strength, but still eal
Gus Of his prcrogatye, and even showing for mo-
Inent. ia his greatest abasemcnt, something very
like greatness and dignity. Mrs. kesn had only to
sprnk few lines, but these lines are pathetic
farewell which moved many hearts and moistened
many eyes.
Beside this Shakespcarian revival, the London
theatcrs have presented nothing worthy OF notice.
A. novelty, we we're presented with new trans
htion of an old French vaudeville La fHte de
P1r0rs. When the present English dramatists sue
cecd in finding Il new and somewhat original title
Grr some foreign drama, they think they have done
rn,uoh for their glory. M0leres Misrr observes
that any man can make dinner with money, and
if n prcftsscd cook cannot do without, he has his
Art for nothing. The British writers seem to be o
the same opinion i'll reference To plays: any man
/
plot: but the true art OF prorssed dramatist con
ss,s in composing comedy without any plot what
ever or in Borrowing one from foreigner.
French literature on the contrary has lately been
enriched by two original plays-two drbuts; and II
the two authors who were both altogether unknown
rs writers. have not exactly produced master pieces,
they premise for the future couple of able and
remarkable dramatsts The first is drama in
prose by NJ. II. Stupuy, entitled " Rubens, or, Inc
u n,.. Il uf.It tpr he,
first time at Brussels 1t is written in harmonious
aud elegant language, with the rapture of an enthu-
sas,ic vong poet h0 sings with I'll his heart an ode
to love and dithyramb to frendShip-who believes
in the s;ncity Of art and the holy mission of the
artist. His muse respects the purity oi the amlly-
hearth and acknowledges the religion Of gratitude
This H. in reality, the theme 0i the drama which
NAV be- too much wanting in plot and complIcdtlon
Van Dyck lves the wife Of his brnefactor ana mas
ter the great Rubens; one Of his ftlow-puplS
,Jordaens, discovers the inclination, and succeeds
by his moral speeches, III bringing about Van
Dyck departure for Italy. That Is the whole idea
oi the piece; but the verses are beautiful, ana the
character. exquisitey drawn especially that OF
Adrien BrouNer, the drunken painter, the gifted
yagabond. moral drama Is refreshing rarity,
although many will look upon the young author as
rather od-ftshioIed fault-finder because he says,
with Milton, that
Nothing loyeier an b. found
In woman than to study household good
And good works in her Husband - Perform
The second play to which / have to draw your
attention s II comedy in prose by NJ Mario Uchard,
represented st the Theatre Francois in Paris, under
the title If - La Fiammina" This work has met
with very genuine and sympathetic success; even
the intimate friends If tie young author did not ex-
pect So much. M Mario Uchard is simply stock
iobber who married, some time ago, the actress
Madel. me Brohan; but the marriage proved un-
happy as is too often, alas the case IN the artist
ical world, and had 10 he dissolved by the law
courts. This domestic misfortune was possibly the
coad Of the poets genius for his comedy retraces