Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-12-20
Con- MUNiC ATED.
The 0ctoroon.'

THE Octoroon.
The mind of the nineteenth century
has lost an attribute. Ii is incapable
Of being astonished. Xeno holds the rib
bous We do not apply our thumbs to our
ears we do not imagine that the final trump
Of Gabriel is L. sound its awful blast, when
at one o'clock. 4. NJ, our Town clock, disre
gardng all precedent. strikes thrte en-. We
are not wunder-strutk, that Alexandria
should be y small town: yet, she has three
Kailroads-one, connecting her directly with
the Crescent City, one bearing to her commo-
dious storehouses the 'Dounteous fruits OF
the Valley ore, on the way To Hampshire,
where the "black diamonds" are found; u ga
nal, with dam No. ,; Il grand river, which
the Prov OF the Mt Vernon maicstically
piou.hs and upon which that monument OF
Art, the Light House on Jones point, sheds
IL cnul gent brillancy. 1t does not appear
strange, that whilst the inhabitants Of al
most every city and town throughout the
l'nited States are imbbing, and will con-
tnue 10 imbibe during the winter, intel
lectual draughts yoded by distinguished
Lecturers. Tue cNiLehe vi i.leAalurla
one an Atlas. every nerve IN action every
muscle tense, solely intent upon supporting
his immense burdcn-hayc failed Us yet "a
iniAea single appointment iof y Lecture. ~
Affects Us nor 10 near the teachers u
'noh ueU' "I''i'S a. sI"o"'' y III a''
",''''ua' We "e'''e '"'n"' ~ tio'h au'"'i''
''aSS''"' S,"'ee'' d wei a. rom 'ouiIos
WIN "h'c" we are more '"''i''iar' anu w
"h'h We entertain greater respect Tor say
M tiat wneh rieh'it ihanaSeu' 'hey are
schools "i morals.
Drown '"W', ms NAp"ie"nie polcy o'
hGnt'nS i'r an idea Ills temporary elevation,
an" Us h'iai ENJOY hiehls VI 'he oiess,i - VI
Tue sra'", ''rn>'""S no surprise NC iof'
.'"'''i u ''''nr '""i'' W" 10 49,
'' '''''''"'iS WIZ i''e'''u IN nv.
-" CIV -
""' "'"' S""'Nei '"'ee i''Sn''ne"
M"'nr", anu '"icc curious men ii'in the
Nal boat wharf To- the o''itherh pe-
pot does not seem astonishing. he pen
ultimate resolve OF The Citizens Meeting,
tah,oIng "a II does both Southern friends
and N"rt!'erh foes, Is not ut all odd. Nor.
llnaliy, are We III The least rallied, Wien
We read IN the newspapers, that while tie
call Tor = rublir meeting 10 endorse conser-
NatNe ana Union sentiments III the City OF
Ne" York, meets with but m atomic ana
iistless response the production. NJ the VIM
ter Gurlrn, Broadway theatre, oi the "Oc-
t"roon, five act play. the effect OF which
Is 10 traducr Witty, and mlSrtpresent the
South. gross libel upon Southern society,
has created u perfect ttTore, and has been
greeted since The mig Ll ~ its first represen-
tation. by morbid, rubid. gaping crowds,
and by a mercenary. tnenGac,ou,, and mur-
ierou. press, with an unparalleled en-
tausasm"
The writer Of this play, Dion Bourci
cauit is m .ugi,hman, ., the Broughar
co.rrr. an author. OF the Exeter Hall school,
IL titte,utuey, ot the Bohemian stamp-his
best peire. London Assurance, only medic
.ral: n theatrical manager, whilom uusuc
ces,.ui. now crawling from beneath the .uu
dow Of Li, evil star. MS depru,el taste his
yeual nature. hny. formed An alliance for
once With Fortuna. IN. winding. crooked,
broken line ia the palm Of his hand-the
crease Of bad luck extending from the
Mountain OF Mars to the wrist" il becom-
ing straight, the crooks nrc vanishing, the
hiati are closing the crease Oi good luck Is
there IL. ha, hit The epoch: he has cuppered
ana won on the turn: he ignores sympathy
for the slave he excilrs antipathy tor the
master The "Octoroon" with few yaria-
lions i the revivi!ied skeleton of the same
old ,tury. The scene i, laid upon the Tere-
bonnie plantation in the Delta Of the Missis-
spni. The Landscapes upon the scene
boards Of the Winter Garden stage, abound
in Palm trees, and immense rocks 81 tal'.
nut. for Palm trees and granite rocks
are rs foreign I" Louisiana, Us the semti-
ment OF the piuy il to truth.
McCloskey. the leading male character,
hail owner 81 TIE liahthti"h oilers 10 marry
IJc, the Octoroon, bat beng rejected ny
series 81 'ilabo!cal plots aud actirns-anihng
which Is his murder Oi The HJdW fr'ttcts
OF the play, III" boy VINO took correct pc
ture oi ms own death by means vi the
camera, y fan1-he manages " orihS ,'ie
estate 10 hammer, ana al 'he Saic puys "'c
Tor fabulous sum: ~ 'hiS punt no i'ui
der vi Iaui u discovered nc Is a!Icstcu hc
makes ms escape. Is pur,uei ny "dnho'te'
an lndlan OF the l.ePan tribe the last IN
dIan- IN that section .. country according
IL the history OF louisiana were tie iiu-
nas and they werceXteTminated more than
hundred ahd hity years ago, stiii the events
u thi- play occur III Tue winter oi 1J--ahd
killed. Ioe III" heroine, Is represented ~ "a
beautiful sentimental giri, with whom, not
"hif h'N'"SHey' out "t't5e ieytoh' ms