The New York herald., 1862-09-21
Yankee aa sAe Opsrs Bussasss.

that they cannot comprehend che rapid muts-
tions and transitions Of the American character,
as developed in this war. At one time our armies
retreat, and Europeans stigmatize Us a. cow
ards; but the next steamer brings the news Of
our victorious advance and they are forced to
euogize our bravery. For while there IL
pause, and the London Times declares that VIC
do not mean, and do not know how, to fight; but
the next day Europe is appalled, by accounts of
battles more bloody than any in history. Tho
Merrimao and the Monitor thunder away at
each other. and the world discards wooden
walls and is In fever about iron-clads; but,
shortly after, our wooden vessels capture New
Orleans, sailing up the Mississippi through ar
Internal avenue Of shot and she'll and flame,
and sinking the iron-eiad gunboats and rams Of
the rebels as they 60 Now. il will hardly loss
ast0nish our Transatlantic critics that, in the
midst of what they call a terrible aud dcsolat
ing civil war, we have the spirit, the leisure
and the funds to cultivate the MUSES., and to in
troduce to Them new prima donna and
Yankee in,pressario.
Tomorrow evening we shal declare our IN
dependence Of foreign Powers in opera. Be-
fore this we have entrusted our opcratic affairs
to the great Maretzek from Germany; the great
Muzio, from Italy; the great Ulman, from
Hungary, and the great Strakosch, from the
kingdom of Solomon; but now we are about to
put ourselves under the charge OF the great
Nixon from Yankecland and the Cremorne
Gardens. He is to be the Mcclellan OF the
Opera, and we trust that he will inaugurate his
reign by driving all the foreign rabble from the
lobbies of the Academy, as Mcclellan has
driven the rebels from Maryland, and putting
every deadhead into his appropriate coffin and
under the ground. We expect there will bc
those who may object to Nixons management,
as the scandalous Post and Tribune opposed
McClellan but the enmity Of tho wicked is al
ways the praise Of the virtuous; and before
long public opinion will rebuke the opponents
of Nixon, as it now rebukes the abolitionists and
any hostile papers will be as completely
squelched al are the Post and Tribune by Gen.
Halleck's circular, published yesterday. 1t is
our custom to give the biographies Of great
generals when they are called to new COM
mands, and we wish we had space for that of
General Nixon. Suffice it to say, however, that
Nixon first became apublic man as the manager
of travelling circus and the proprietor of Sc
yeral wild bulls and tame bufialoes Encamping
with his circus at Niblo's Garden, he met with
such success as to warrant him in leaving tue
ring, like an alderman with a Japanese for
tune, and entering upon the legitimate business
He used the arts acquired in his menagerie to
coax Edwin Forrest from his retirement and ex-
hbited that histrionic bull Of Bashan to the
public on half-shares, and with great
profit to all concerned The beautiful Cubas,
houri, fresh from Mahomet's paradise, was next
entrapped, and with her, and leaving Forrest,
Nixon took to the woods of the Crcmorne
Gardens
In these gardens Nixon concentrated all his
forces, as Mcclellan did at Antietam creek aud
gained as glorious victory. He had there
Cubas and champagne, promenades and panto
| mines, a circus and segars, trees and tableaux,
| illuminations and ice creams, horses and hand
some ballet girls, clowns and concerts, Chinese
pagodas and Cinderella, wonderful dwarfs and
brass band Greek FIRE and soda water-in
short, copglomeration Of acceptable amuse-
ments and refreshments. To these he soon adj
| ded Carlotta Patti-the queen Of the Patti
| family-and Madame Strakosch, her sister, who
charmed the town with their melodies. Then
| the idea Of opera seems to have dawned upon
him; for be increased his forces by new tenor
Sgnor Sbrglia, and afterwards by Signor Su-
sini and the redoubtable Muzio, the nephew Of
Verdi But one obstacle then interposed
between Nixon and the Academy Of Music
Nature, which had been so lavish in
everything else to Carlota Patti, had
enviously deprived her Of the free use of one
Of her limbs. Celebrated as the best Of our
concert singers, and with every requisite of
voice, culture study, dramatic fire and surpass-
! ing beauty, this misfortune alone kept Made
moiselle Patti from trcading the operate stage,
and enabled her younger sister and pupil, Ado
lima. to outstrip her on the bright path Of fame
and win the earliest and proudest laurels. But
Nixon was Yankee; aud the special mission
of Yankee is to circumvent and improve
upon nature. He studied and reflected. con-
suited much with physicians and mere with
mechanists, and OF last succeeded in procuring
a contrivance by the aid OF which Patti can
walk with uniettered steps. Nothing else was
wanting. Nixon bad made his prima donna
and bis opportunity. The Academy of Music
was at once engaged and reftted, and to-mor
row evening Its doors will be opened to the
public Csrlotta Patti supported by the ar
lists already named, appears as Anina in "La
Sonnambula," character in which Adelina
won her best triumphs, both 10 New York and
London. The admirable Muzio wieds tho
baton. We have no doubt whatever OF the
result. Nixon Will find It more difficult to
manage prime dome, tenors, contral.os and
bassos than educated mules, trained horses and
tame buffaloes; but he will assuredly succeed.
After having managed Edwin Forrest he has a