Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1859-11-13

them excellent actresses in their line have played
last week to houses scarcely good their merits
deserved. Perhaps our play-goers not atOgeth-
er to blame for this the unaccounable selection Of
piles of lugubrious pomposty Is Adelgiha and Jane
Sore being enough to account for any falling
ofin the audiences. An engagement that commences
with such uphill work as that hope for little;
Jane Shore especially would be beyond our patience
to sit out if SDDOSs and O'NEH could be called from
their graves to take the two leading parts.
Lucretia Borgia is BETTER being part in which
Mrs FARREN's acting is something quite apart from
any other achievements in dramatic art that can be
witnessed in the present day. Nor do we share in
the prejudice that exists against the play as com
position. 1t is true, that Lucrstia Borgia was an
awfuly wicked woman, nor does the play disguise
the fact, but the main feature of the piece is the
redeeming influence which her natural affection for
her for a while exercises on her character, and
the struggle between the purifying influences of this
affection, and the fearful passions which had gained
irresistible strength through lifetimes indulgence
eff Them has always seemed to US an interesting and
instructive phase of human nature.
The other theatrical events of the week have been
her benefit Friday night when the united attrac-
tions of the WTec6er'S Daughter, and Masks and
Faces, drew the only frstrae house they have had,
aad the production of GriSecla, in which theme
previously handled by BOCCAcIo, PETRABCH, and
CHAUCER, Is ingenousy adapted to dramatic repre-
sentation. We propose to give a separate anal ss
of this play in a future issue, together with the
strange literary history of the variety of forms in
which this ancient legend has from time to time re-
appeared. At present we will only say, that Mrs
FARREN's acting in it beyond all praise, the
tears of the audience yielding her homage more
hattering than the most favorable criticism.
Miss FARRES has gained upon our favor every night
she has played with the one exception of that on
which she played LetitiG Hardy. This being a spe-
eimen of the highly articfcIal comedy, of the last
eensury, is not well adapted to the exquisitely ma
tural style of Miss FARRENs acting. All other parts
she has appeared in were rendered with delicate
unaffected sepslbAlty and simple child-ike nairets
as rare on the stage as # ia captivating. Her Ger
trads in the Loan Of LOrer Is q piece Of demure
pleasantly which-well never mind, people should
have gone to see it, and they would have aeknowl-
edged it a thing of beauty, which is jOyJoTeCer
THE InsuRRECrIoN CASE IN MEMPHIS FEELING
IN ME CoNxUSTY-PETIuoN FOR WRIT OF HABEAs
CoRPus-The Memphis Ardlancbe says: The publ
cation of the testimony adduced in the examination
of Palmer has created deep and feeling sensation
Throughout the entiPe community. The appearance
of truth which THATCHER's letter CARRIES upon its
face and the startling disclosures which it contains
are surely sufficient to awaken the most serious
doubts in the minds of all tFue-heaTted men to the
character OF some of our citizens. Who are the
svpathizers with and the aders and abetors Of the
old traitor BROwN living in midst! Who are the
prominent merchants that are with the abolition
lists heart and handY We, in common with others,
are most anxious to know and it is to be regretted
that THATCHER did not mention the names Of some of
these traitors in order that if proven guilty they
might receive the just reward Of their treacherous
conduct We are well aware that there are said to
be come here who dislike to see negroes exposed for
sale on the streets and to whom various other Gus
toms pertaining to Southern cities are considered
shocking TO the moral sense Of community, but
we were not prepared to believe that there was an
individual in our midst who would plot for the ruin
and murder of his friends and neighbors IN con1ec
ton with such men as BRowN, SMITH and GDDNGS
If there be any such here the developments IN the
case now very properly in a shape to be brought
before a competent judicial tribunal may show who
and what they are, and if such be the case the
prompt efforts of the sptoFites in the present IN
stance will have been of some avail"
The Appeal says that tie application of PALNER's
counsel fora writ of hdbeGs corpus was granted and
he was to have hesFing before Judge MckKRNAN
on the 10th inst.