New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-06-30
FIGHTER.
iY,ion s soul.

A remarkable dramatic success has been made IN
London this year. II has been sIcosss for Tie actors
ar 20 he noted with pleasure wherever its bright me-
MORALS are cherished and It's nevcrdyiug Charm iei
il has asserted the dignity and wo III of the actors
profession sid he'd up the aht The Standards under
which all true drsrsnc tIiumpls have been won; 1t
has been and H. grand movement against all tLat If
false ard injurious IN tie prsctce Of tie ar however
strongly f,rtiod by radiiionsi it hss ADDED another
name to TIE roll Of ilostious actors, whose yvacious
genius il at once d delightful meuory ard high hope.
Ii the performance If Hamlet by Mr. Fechter at TIE
Royal Princess Thea,er. had put 10 money in his
or the managers pure while tie drowning .eene of
Mr.. Bcuc.cants Colleen Bawn" Pr duoei u pie.
fora in the treasury Of tie Adeli, there would sil
lie en- inestmaJe difference in favor of the former. II
in;e esl in Mr. Fecher Lad been couEed TO the small
ct crcse of scholarly minds, the great public would
sui be under lasting obligation to the actor Chang
es in art that are real ana thorough, worked us
slowly changes of character. Tic ,eed-sowins and
tue harvest are separated by long Of disregard
ed growth a change radical rs that introduced
iuto the Engli.h school Of acting by Fechtef-noiig
less than bold aud unsparug crusade against one aud
all Of the supeIstilious aud technical MODES of the
ply pa,ural ways-wil be felt only in remote future,
and will scarcely be associated with lis name. The
advance-guad Of every great reform do lot set the
glory Of the fgls. Those who rush III through tie
gap they have opened bear away the trophies. Many
others will have credit that belongs to Mr. Fecer
for believe that his acting this season has instituted
vital reform in favoite an, ard opened an era
Of progress for the English stage.
The work would seem 10 be bis rightful privilege.
Engsh by birth--so it is generally 6elieved-and
French by resdence, Nth no slgh Infusion OF German
blood in Lis veins less than genius you'd bnt edu
cation 10 form in Fech beet artc stock. Ills pro-
fessona life has teen speni in Paris. He is there
very great favoie. This more than the words
mean either in England or America. With the bright
advent of Rachel imperial actress tie perfect day Of
the art began in France. Her rising dispeled tie lew
nis,s OF prejudice that sill hurg thet marvellous
stage She has paced away but the chord OF natural.
ncss aud intensity she sIuCk v6ales in every OF
those enchaTpg rel resenietions which beguile the
stranger away from the grnder works Of the French
capital In the most important Of modern pnys-per
haJs the only grea, of them all nasmuch az full
of tie spr OF the sge and takes pattern, either Of
form color, from the past-"Ld Dane aaT Caiaeias"
--Fechter played tue leading male part The run Of
the piece was az event even Tor Paris and bis impas
stoned performance sustained it, and tie theme Of
unbounded admiration,
a'hose nigbIs the Royal rriuUe,op Tbee,or
very pleasant, even exciting, in cur memory.
Wien the tbeater does exert its full sway over the
misd and the heart life bas few sentaioDs, Joyous or
sorrowful that compare with it's strange thrli! Even
the recollection Of certain or solitary ELECTS
lives on when keen realities are dead and buried.
THUS lives the memory Of Fechiers Hamlet. lie had
been playing the part nightly for two weeks when we
saw il first. The sensation in LONDON was perhaps at
its hight but he is playing Hamlet yet. The Stage
was the same on which Charles Kean had gained many
of his most brilliant successes, but different audience
was gathered about it for the intellectual Effort Of
the French actor from that which witnessed EeaIs
expensive Shakespearean REVEALS in which the brush
OF IRE painter and the hammer Of the srnorer flByed
as much Of part the mind OF tie actor perhspe
much os the mind of the author. While Fechter was
getting ready TO play Hamlet TO the British public, this
mr. Kean bad made bis temperance III Drury Lane,
and with his wife, bad presented ~ unthnkng Lrongs
his machlees travestes OF the grea; dramatic heroes,
and The Times bad Numbered ont ito well-wom
honors TO his superlatIvc and lasting fame.
This must be observed: Charles Kean has done IS
much as any living actor TO keep dramatic natursDess
aud vitality the other eide Of the Channel. He has
set his ioot down upon every feeble innoy aton. lie
has rigdly enforced the traditions OF period whose
spirit departed with its great people, ard has won that
stubborn regard Of his countrymen which only vol
canic shocks eau shake. Keep it in mind that ar,
Feehter was to act Hamlet and illustrate the English
man great poet in tie great poets and the English
mans Gear language; that be was inevitably TO be
contrasted with Mr.. Kean, who had just been pro.
nouneed by the leader OF general opinion the only
living representative Of the part be had chosen that be
was ask for recognition IN the face Of national
conoeit the most obdurate, and a Jealousy which
toward bis adopted nation is scarcely limited ia bitter
nets He had already been successful, and bad at
tracted attenhon-entering London modesty Of d time
when lheatricals were much depressed. But bis
nert successes were in "Riy Bias" and few other
pieces OF purely French extraction. II he succeeded
in Che most Saxon of Saxon plays and the most subtle
of all Shakespeare conceptions in spite of all the OBJ
sacles we have indicated, which, as an intelligent
man. be have clearly seen, how great tho achieve
menti How marked the success OF EngGshusI.
who should be accepted by PARIS audience in Racine
or Eoiore
The audience at The Royal Prncesss quite filed the
bouse, without at all crowding It, and its appearance
was in marked contrast with that Of the masses hang
ing the stage Of the Adelphi These were moved
by u brief, but inteoso and passionate excitement.
The "Colleen Bawn" gave them that The exhibit
ton Of Hamlet must be viewed If at all seriousy,
an intricate intellectual problem. II was notable that
In tho assembage at the Princesss there was that
same indeinsble sympathy which overfues the cioque
Of the best French thesterS. Dariog the whole per-
Torrance 10 NANTES, stions Of delight were patiently
tolerated. Applause, Of most striking points,