New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-11-25
CRITICISM AND EDWIN FORREST.

CRITICISM AND EDWIN FORREST.
Er. Edwin Forrest, who is Qnthe bls) {" the great.
est living tragedian," appears to find perpetual,
grim delight in making himself disagreeable in the
most undgnifed and infantile manner. His weakest
displays of lis little pecuares of temper are born
of bis vanity, which s not less exaggerated than bis
muscle. The repeated utterance Of commonplace
ruth often rriates the great minds Of the world and
whenever Mr. Forrest is told that he is not desirs
be actor for the eyes and Of persons CT taste be
naturally lies into rage at the patter oil the trusm
Mr.. Forrest in rage does not impress the beholder;
ne does not under such circumstances excite even
cofnrassion; the workings Of bs lit are carefully
noted by the bystanders and for months thereafter
clever ntators act again the scene, exciting thereby
the uproarious gle. Of the pot-house throng or the
conviyial social crew.
The latest comedy enacted by the eminent repre-
sentative of the impossible Indian has taken place
in Boston, city which has recently Suffered undera
heavy visitation o. thie cheerful Gladiator. Inc
critic of The Boston Courier, recognized by all al
gentleman. was willing, for The sake Of the Journai
he represeaed to depress his spirits by witnessing
the tri-weelly impersonations OF the great anps-
uoag. good conscience alone VIII prevent ns
sleep from being troubled by the remembrance Tor
Io,,, veors 20 come. But with a self-abnegation
,voyhv Of nraise. the critic did res0luely and Of
strong purpose, regularly visit the Boston Acad-
envy of Music'-so called because IL was once used
~ a circus-and did mortify himself by listening to
the tragedian. Returning TO his desk after these
tpes If trial lie wrote series Of notices, careful
DISCRIMINATING and candid-eanng, if leaning at all
10 The eide of too much praise II happened that the
earlier performance Of Mr.. Forrest in unfortunate
Boston were among the least Objectionable of bis
hisrrionic works: hence the notices were, on the
whcle, Mandatory. The great tragedlan was pleased,
and bought many copies of the paper. But, oy ana
by. we think it was when poor Shakespeare, In the
rerson Of Othello was made to suffer, come wei
directed censure, and perhaps little caustlc rdcue
appeared. Then the celebrated Indian delineasor
directed tie critic to be cut of from the "couTtees
of the theater-that is from the privilege OF passing
,he door without q ticket, and passing the evening
without seat. This barrier was surmounted oy
the payment OF fifty cents and still the usual notice
ap,eared tnged however, by no malice, nor Affect
ed IN any way by the small revenge OF the greatest
living" Thsreupon Mr.. Forrest-for il cannot be
that The shrewd Nixon was 80 soft-printed several
thousand bills of the play, and inserted 10 tnem
card whereof tie following is copy:
To THE PUBLIC.-In consequence Of the continued
black guardian in regard to the entertainments now being
ven a. lie Boston Thea,e BY creature calling himself
Parker aud who endesyored 10 force himself on the pub.
liz as a lmatic critic through the columns Of lac o.lsn
IT, toe Manager ia. withdrawn from him the customary
c.i OF the aser which lie is always happy to extend
10 all respectable members Of the press
On the next evening, the critic still surviving,
larger card was appended to the play bill, wherein
Mr. Forrest wrestled with the English language and
WAS sienslly overcome. One would think that the
continual repetition of passages, whole plays, even'
of surI assing beauty must after while impart even
TO a person of Mr.. Forests caliber, distant &C
quaintance with the written English tongue. Hr
sscond card dspels all this illusion. Anything
more thoroughly base cannot DO conceived oy th0se
accustomed TO cultivate pleasant relations among the
parts of speech. This card assailed the critic with
the most vulgar personal abuse, accused him OF pa
Qiarism from the files of The TRIBUNE, and insulted
the eyes of the audience by much brutal coarseness
II was 20 have been expected Of Boston that the
houses from tb, point would rapidly and greatly de-
crease such we learn 70 have been the case till, dur
ing the last part of the engagement, 1t was dincuf
TO find those who would even accept the TICKETS
thrust upon them without price.
Meanwhile, the critic brought an action against
the trsgedan Tor libel as it very natural for him
10 do. Ii viii hardly be believed, though it is in.
deed true that the tragedian, by his agent Nixon,
brought cross suit against the critic for damages
occasioaed through has articles! He has also en-
gagged the Count Palatine, George Jones' better
known by his title of the Count Joannes, as bis
counss SO that Boston has rich treat in store Tor
the lovers Of farce, if the aforementioned suit ever
comes to trial.
or course, no one will, at this late day in bis ex-
perience of Mr. Forrest expect him to show any Dig
nifty or to acknowledge the bounds set by ordinary
decency when he is in rage What he does or does
not is of itself of no importance TO the public wno
have already too much Of him. but the manager
whom the tragedian has dragged into the false po@'
ion Of TN assailant upon the rights of fair crite'
should dsolaim all personal completely in these ndV
ulou, proceedings, or forever lose the favor o.
public whom lie has insulted; and this ~.
break OF the tragedian should stand as "a war'rDs
all managers hereafter whose hard fortunes -
them 10 be, even temporarily, connected WIZ
Forrest.