Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-04-28

had had Of attending the theatre he had rolled It q.
sweet mur.el under his tongue ever since. He had
never been TO the theatre in New York b2t had been
- the cpera-making distinction without d'iitr-
euce. The theatre WAS not considered exactly the
thing; he Welded 60 far tn the suggestions OF pru-
deace anu discretion. He begged to say, however,
here. that in avowing these sentiments, he made
much smaller sacrifice than they would suppose De.
cause they grew naturally out of that philosophy and
religion which, he blessed God, it his privilege
from his youth to receive aud entertain. lie had
| never been able 10 think vIiely Of human nature
He had never been able to think that God had en-
do~ed human beings with any faculties or talents tor
which he had rot somewhere made Il stage. lie had
never beloved that wonderful gift Is the dra-
matte faculty was made 20 be bid in q rapan.-
Laughter
He had believed that the commission which the
possession Of that extraordinary power gave TO hu
man being was as genuine commission TO 20 aud
fulfil on errand, and delight the world, hs The posses
sion of any other faculty talent which the Aim sn'
" had conferred. But be must say-O refer back 10
one point to which he had slready refrred-that be
never could regard oth-ru lac than with regret that
person go seemingly endowed at every point for the
promotion Of human happiness on a vast scale as
Mrs. kemble herself. had under any circumstances
permitted herself retire from the field which her
earliest and greatest hono-s were won and Tor "ch
her endowinens eminently fit her. He belisved there
WAS n class Of persons who were made 10 be actors
and actresses and that their natural endownents ana
proclvea formed of Themselves right aud duty,
and that these wonderful gifts should not be- looked
upon BY any who possessed them as an arbitrary or
capricious endowment which they had right TO
abuse. He believed that If gentlemen of the dra.
matte profession would regard their own calling M
high vocation, not merely in any worldly senee bur
in the high in IS hch any other commission OF
the Almighty regarded, they would elevate incl.
profession, only in their eyes but in the eyes OF
the world and they would soon prove TO the world,
no. only they sometimes said rather tippantiy tha'
they artists in technical sense. but mat 'hey
artists in high sense the sculptor, the poet
or the painter, and deserving OF the same sort OF con
slderation which belonged to the other esthec rep
reseniatives of humanity
lie never could see why the dramatic profession and
his own should be at such serious loggerheads ne
never could why the friends of morality ana reii-
gion should not be the friends OF innocent enjoyment.
OF high art. Of dramatic and mimetic talent He saw
no proper grounds for this Immense antipathy be-
tween Them and he believed that actors had Yet IN do
Justice TO clergynen well 40 clergymen 10 actors.
He assured them that i! tbs clerical profession IN all
orders and classes were only more unembarrassed by
their position ward the laty they would find more
liberal and larger and freer justice done TO the pro
tessun by tina; class Of men than perhaps by any
other class Of men in the whole community lCheersl
They knew what II was TO labor with the BRAN aud
with the voice. they knew too, a little what it WAS
to act. Laughter He said il in no invidlou- way,
but he Recognized tao: that they all belonged 10
the talking professions, aud tina, they derived their
livings from the swinging o that very little but
very free member, the tongue. he believed, too,
that from their artistic and e,thcc culture they must
know that the dramatic profession could not be the
light and frivolous thing which 1t was commonly
thought. He had learned that IL wasa very laborous
professionalism il required great care q; ones per.
son and of once whole discipline, which ough, to
free ii from that light estimate in which II held
by many unihlnking people. In these aspects II
seemed 10 him that they who lived by their brains,
and obliged TO live hy their hearts in some
part were fitted 10 do Justice Ia ih- dramasls.