New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-12-05
THE OCTOROOM

To ~ Editor Of The London rimss:
SlR In your criticism of nay drama, THE Octo-
room" il is stated that the reception OF the nth acs,
in which the slave girl commits suicide ia order TO
escape the embraces Of hey purchaser, contrasts
strongly with the enthusiastic applause which had
accompanied the first four acts OF the plsy.
The question involved in these few words is not
one of merely the craft of the playwright. cam
dioly admit that your estimate OF public sympathy,
AS expressed last night, is as just rs IL Is mex
plicable Since the Uncle Tom mania, the sentt-
msnts of the English public on the su92cs of slavery
have seemed 10 be undergoing great change; but
confess was not prepared 10 find that change so
radical as II appeared 10 be when the experiment WAS
tried upon the feelings Of miscellaneous audience.
May claim your attention TO this view Of subject
frsught with much serious interest!
long residence in the southern States OF America
had convinced me- that the dehnesiions in Uncle
Toms Cabin of the condition of tie slaves, their
lives, and feelings were not faithful. ! found the
slaves as Il race, happy, gentle, kindly -treaied
population, and the restraints upon their liberty 80
slight to be rarely perceptible visitor TO Lou
isisna, who might expect to find his vulgar sympa-
tbies aroused by the exhibition Of corporal punish
reut and physical torture, would be much disap-
pointed. For my part, with every facility for OBJ
seryation, never witnessed any i-tseatnent what
ever OF the seryile chss on tho contrary the slaves
are in general warmly attached 20 their masters and
to their homes and this condition Of thugs have,
faithfully depicted.
But behind all this there ere features in Slavery
far more Objectionable than any OF theee hitherto
held up human execratiOn, by the SIDE OF which
physical suffering appears as. vulgar detail. Some
of thoee features are, for the first time boldly ex-
hibited in The 0ctoroon. Yhe audience hailed with
every mark Of enthusiasm the sunny views OF negro
life they were pleased with the happy relations
existing between the slaves and the family OF which
they were dependents; they enjoyed the heartlness
with which these slaves were sold, and cheered the
planters who bought than. But, when the Octoroon
eirl WIS purchased by the ruiianly TO be-
come his parmou, her suicide 10 preserve her purity
provoked no sympathy whatever. Yet, a few years
ago. the same public in the theatre, witnessed
with deep emotion the death Of Uncle Tom under the
ash and accepted the !abeau Of the poor old negro,
bis shirt stained with the blood from his lacerated
back, crawling across the stage, and dying in slow
torture.
In the death Of the Oc,oroon Ies tho moral and
teaching of the whole work. Had this girl beeo
saved, and the drama brought TO happy end, tho
horrors Of her position, irremediabfe from the very
nature of the Institution Of Slavery, would saosda
into the condition of temporary annoyance
While admit mos! fully the trcth OF your stale
ment, that the public was disappointed VIVA Tue ses
mination of the play and would have been pleased
with happier issue feel strangely bewllaefeu -
such change of feeling. Has public sentimsns IN
this country veered 90 Numerically on this suAees.
and Is it possible that this straw Indicates tea. inc
feeling Of the English people Is taxing anosner
course Yours, resPSctiai n1IH,,rc,c.mr