The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-12-16
THE OCTOROON

New YORK, Dec. IA.
The Winter Garden is decidedly one of the pref
test theatres in New York and DION BoURCICAULr
of the cleverest artists In all that pertains to
theatrical machinery, to the production of stage
effects, and to what may be called the literary
joiner's work of play, BoURcICAULT stands like
SAUL among his brethren, head and shoulders
above the rest of American playwrights and mana
gers. say Americ an-for although Mr.. BoURcE-
cAULr is Euglishman, he has been for seven
years domciliated among us (the seven "happiest
''years of bis liie he begs US to believe)-and is
the author of the best and most successful play
illustrative of American institutions and manners
that has yet been written. l mean the Octoroon.
which is now being performed at the Winter
Garden, and which has had the good luck to be
abused for its abolitonis tendencies in The Herald
To be well-abused in The Herald is ordinarily
enough to make the fortune of any man or woman
either, in this city, and as the Octoroon was
savagely assailed in that journal, even in advance
of its production the stage, it is not to be won
dered at that the first nights of its presentation
the theatre crowded to its utmost capacity
Since them the artistic merits of the plav have
sufced to for it succession of good houses
Tonight it is advertised for the eighth time. So
you may see-HELPERS book is not the only abol-
ZIONIST production which The Herald has contrived
to puff into notoriety. There only needs few
speeches in denuncaton of the Octoroon in either
House of Congress, and BoURCIcAULr's fortune is
made. The play, as you are aware, and its
indicates, is founded upon cei tain incidents
of the institution of slavery exceptional in
their nature, and of improbable, not to saw i'm
possible occurrence. The Octoroon is the daughter
of a deceased planter by a slave-mother.-
L
object OF the tender care and solicitude of his
widow, and of the honorable addresses of his
nephew-who, having but recently returned from
Europe, is supposed to be in ignorance of her ORR
gin, and to be free from those American preiudces
which would have treated that origin as a barrier
to lawful love. The first grand stroke of the play
is where the Octoroon, dressed in white muslin and
with just the aintest suspicion in the world of Afri
can color in her cheeks, and the least little wave
Imaginable in her black hair, reveals to her lover
the faint which is in her blood, and the obstacle
which the laws in consequence, interpose to their
union Various small physiological peculiarities
are referred to by her in calculation of this fact
one GOES not tell her lover to feel the cartilage Of
her nose-to see whether it is whole or divided
according 10 latest authorities the only nfallible
sign oil negro oood-but bids him note the blueish
tlHSe VI uer uugeT-sals, and inspect the of
her hair-which natural marks she calls-the ono
"MAsoN DIxoN's line," and the other the .sbrand
"of CAIN" "To love and love in vain" however,
is not the only or the worst misfortune which over
takes this pair of lovers. The estate of the late
Judge PEYroN-the father of the Octoroon-(othe
well-known Southern names of characters
IN the piece being PoINDExTER and THIBo-
DEAUx)-is seriously embarrassed, and is finally
levied upon and sold, to satisfy a judgment
which was entered against the Judge in his life
time, and which invaldates the act Of manumisson
oy which, previous to his DEATH be had endeavored
to secure the freedom of his daughter The Octo- |
roo" accordingly goes to the block, and is sold with
the rest OF the chattels. The incidents of the auc
tlon' and the speech of an old negro. the tvrant |
and patriarch of the plantation, in which he an
nonhces TO ms ieilow-servants that they must all
be sold and quit cold Terrebonne," and ..kind /
"good mssus, constitute by far the most effective
scenes Oh the play. The Oet0rOon is purchased at