New-York daily tribune., 1859-02-08
ANOTHER CASE OF INFANT TORTURE.

W'cncycr &c observe from e distance decided
case of "iuslt phenoGsrou," VIC iusiiootyely avoid
tie lcca y where the youthful prodigy put through
s pvecocious PAGES with much the same feeling hat
would prompt us to recol from the sight Of a chill
with prcterua'ura case Of rheumatism, or eogt in
the st lnsch In The carly tue, Of youthful wonders,
they were few and far betEeen-a singh Master
Burke being the Only tender star in the musical ky
for tweIty yesrs--ui John Howard Payne, TIE
Young American Ro'cus," hsviog no INIT .toc5 for
many s-asors Although these two persons chas-
epeed the wotder al admiration Of tia world at that
time, by resson of tHoir finished performances AM
leir extreme youth they did not begin their public
exhibitions ul.ll they had reached time Of life az
hich our modern protgjes are discarded as bsics
uuservicesble on sceourt Of age and dapidstlon.
Master John Howard Payne first appeared in public
On tie stage as " Young Norvs,' at the ripe age Of
sixtesn aLd Master Burke, though lie ed his
Triumphant c.reer somewhat earlier in life, was still
considerably taller tsl his violin when lie fret
tranced tie public with his dulcet sounds
In these dsys the public performing infants hai not
invaded the concert room snd the theater but their
fed Of operations was crcumscribed by the curb
board Of the circus rrg and their ooly that
saw-dused spsce wherein and wlsreon the clown dis
ported hnstlfn such wonderful ways There, with their
piguy limbs encssed in tight es iogs, aud their baby
IONS grdel with spanged muslin, they were whr.sd
alot with bre ak.neck racklessuess by the Flying
AIab Of the Desert were deliberately put through
those grouud-sndOfy gymnastics, the whole end aud
aim of which TO be, ascertain how moch strain
ing and centoIs EN- the tender human frame is capsule
OF enduring abort of actual dsCcaton ant dis rem-
Leimett Bat in 1870, or thereab5uts, tie "NlsnEsse
chldlen dsnced their way itto public favor aud
though an exposure Of the cruelties 10 which
these Interesting infants subjected in prys,e
aroused great deal Of indignation sgsn-t certain in-
oivduas INJECTED s.ih the ansgemert il did not
suffice TO dssu. te public with to system Of con
penc children to perform fJr the ertsrtainmea: Of
said pub c .nd for the epoiument q horde Of mst-
ayers aDd .gens. In the same year came the ate
man Children, who were received with an equal de-
gree Of favor ard bored the public for number OF
Year.. until their 5udielces would hardly number a
hundred or any given occasion, ard who have now,
thanks to the in sbe Of nature, groTn go
old thst the mos; bassy OF managers clnno. longer
force them on uost gulbe Of audiences "chidren.
Bot though the old young wonders nave passed fron
the stage and sub-iet, most OF them, INTO tA;.r
graves ard tie es; at0 young ol1 sgs, With p.ena-
tuie wrinkles sni gray hair, we have crop every
ytar. We have proigies, not by instslmsnts Of ons
or two, bat scores, every season. We have whole
families Of infants, NJ. a solitary babe Of whom
is gifted with an thing lees than "soriefa dramatic
rower astonishing musical talent, tremendous
"eenus FOX the tght-roPe," ferfc' faculty for
"i'gs ard torpwpes." Ten yeas sgothe B.,emsn"
Children enacted "R cbsrd" and Richmond cup
potej by the regular stock company Of the thea'sr,
ana backed by armies, the TIMES. waiting-5oy in
which ooul1 have sounoiy spanked both the generals
with ons hsrd tied behind him. But nova days 81
this clarng incongruty is renedied. The eolire
dramatic conpaoy is composed OF cAil,ren-hsioe',
heloints, generals, baE5ariars, servants, pages,
erpops stabe-boys and footmeD, all chioren, not oee
Old enough TO feel above crying for ta or big enough
10 pus hm.olf TO bed without maid to tack him up
sni tskpasoy lis bedroom lsmp.
We bsye lstsly seen The German play Of "Iosonar,
corfs.s dly Gle u the IcLi difficult dramas on INA