The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-02-28
rails for contrast are abundant, in spite of all that

rails for contrast abundant, in spite OF all that
has been written and said to the contrary.
The new American comedy of Senior Valiente,
which has recently been written by GEORGE Ii.
MILES, Esq, of this city, though a work of unques-
tionable merit, is not so much a comedy, in the
proper acceptation of that term, as dramatised
romance of social life nterspersed here and there
with strong, melodramatic touches. Its chief hero,
VALrENTE, is sort of American MONTE CHRIsro.-
ms mysterious gentleman, young, wealthy and
lavish in his expenditures, is supposed not merely
to move in the most fashionable circles of New
York city, with Mexican Indians fancifulv dressed
for his attendants; but to hold within his grasp the
destinies of the chief personages of the comedy
The plot of the piece turns upon the secret, and
eventually, successful efforts of VAL1ENrE to battle the
ntrigues, and expose the rascalities of an elderly
Pecksniilan rogue by the name of FLINrLEiGH,
who, according to his own sta tement is President
of the Salt River Railroad Company, and Treasur
of the Cannbal Conversion Society," and who with
frankness rarely met with among men of his
class, tells his step daughter LILLE CLINTON that
'between gambling and the Gospel he has tough
"tme of it."
| The story, briefly narrated, is this: Many years
previous to the point of time at which the comedy
| opens, this man FLINTLEIGH married the wealthy
widow CLINTON. During the first year of wedlock
he induced her tosgIa will in his favor and then,
| as reward for the weakness she had displayed in
disinheriting her two children by her former hus-
band-HENRY and LILLE CLINroN-he attempts,
while travelling the Pyrenees to murder her
at a lonely posdda the Spanish coast. Believ-
| ing her to have died from the effects of the blow
struck by his hand, he returns to New York; specu
lates in stocks and religion and is regarded by the
knickerbockers as a very worthy, because very
wealthy, member of Upper-ten-dom. Mrs. CLINTON
FLINTLEGIH, however, does not die; but is re
stored to health by the watchful care of an
old family servant-a halfbreed Indian and
becomes ever after subject to periodical returns
of insanity. Brought back to the United States
by her humble guardian, she lives for the next ten
years in retirement-the fact of her existence be-
ing only known to the half-breed CLEM and to HEN
RY CLINTON her At that time, the latter, |
youth of twenty years. had already completed his
education, and had also found leisure to fall in love
with Miss CAvERLY, a New York Coquette who play
ed at fast and loose with his boyish passion and final
y rejected his suit. Stung to madness by the appar-
ent indifference of the lady, and by a knowledge of
the murderous outrage which had been committed |
on his mother HENRY CLINTON, who had obtained |
commission in the army of the UNITED STATES, |
suddenly made his appearance before his step-ather
FERROUS manner, that they should meet again. joined
Scorrs column of advance, which was then march |
ing upon the city of Mexico; fought like hero at
Chaputepec; was left for dead upon the field |
of battle; but was subsequently cured of his wounds
through the tender nursing of the repentant NELL
CAvERLY, who by of those happy strokes of for
tune which rarely occur except to heroes of ro-
nance, CHANGED to be in Mexico at the time and |
CHANGED also, by another marvellous coincidence,
to encounter her wounded lover at the house
OF the humane priest who had taken him in
charge. of course NELL CAvERLY DISCUSSES her
sell as some body else, and of course HENRY CLINT
ON remains in ignorance of the real of his
mnistering angel and when he is restored to health
hurres off to share in the golden spoils of Cafor-
mia. After the lapse of ten years. we find him back
again in New York; but so thoroughly changed in
person, that nobody recognizes, in the wealthy Sc
nor VALIENrE, the gallant army officer who was
reported to be mortay wounded at the storm
ing of Chaputepec. On his return home,
CLINTON places himself in communication with the
old family servant GLEN, and learns from the latter
the condition of affairs. He finds that old FLINT
LEIGH, true to his instincts, is still plotting the
ruin of all who confde in him; that he has en-
gagged General CAvERLY deeply in stock speculatons
for the purpose of forcing NELL CAvERLY to marry
him-FLINTLEGH-as the price of her fathers relief
from disgrace and poverty. He also learns that
the old rascal fosters some horrible design against
his step-daughter LILLE CLINTON, who had
been left under his charge, and who is en-
gagged to be married to MANFRED CAyERLY-the bro
Their of NELL, who is the object of Senior VALI-
ENrEs, (HENRY CLNToN's) romantic love. The whole
interest of the piece grows out of the nefarious
schemes concocted by FLINTLEIGH, and the counter
projects of NALIENTE. From this imperfect resume,
it will be perceived that the Comedy of Senior Va
hente is not so much comedy of manners as a
comedy of situations. 1t is full of hustle and in
cident. The dialogue is sufficiently easy, natural
and unrestrained; the plot, though a complicated
one, is gradually and artistically unraveed and in
the demouement, poetical justice is melted out to
the villain FLINTLEIGH who, if he had been
promptly committed to the charge of police Off
GER ten years before, would have saved all the per-
sonages of the comedy from some distress of mind,
and great deal of ingenious mannuvring. But
this summary mode of dealing with confirmed
scoundre. would scarcely have served the purposes
of the author; while it would certainly have de-
prived the world of clever acting play. If pro-
perly brought upon the stage, we have no doubt
that Senior Falieme would meet with more than or
binary success; for while it contains many of the
recognized elements of popularity, it is in point of
literary merit decidedly the best play, of its kind,
which has yet been written by an American author.
The exclusive right to the dramatic representation
of this play has been purchased, understand, by
Mr.. JOHN 7. FoRp, of the Holiday St. Theatre, by
whom it will shortly be produced. When it is thus
brought out, we shall take an opportunity of
speaking more particularly of its merits.