New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-03-15
WINTER GARDEN.
TIE BELLE OF THE SEASON.

blaze through Passionate loveplot, is one Of the
last efforts of human genus. In the novel, the
author can give page on page TO description, whether
OF buttons, emotions, scenery. In the comedy he
Is restricted to the actual speech of the parties, in
inonologue or dialogue and these, including the
longest sentences on the theatrical record, do moi
average FIVE lines at time. The strong necessity
of cutting-down the mort melodious though I'M
rtythmed can.ices; the most impressive looming
of the decsiner, Cicero styles it; the most inn
FASHIONED nvectve against what renders society in.
teresting and has kept rupits and lighthouses alive,
namely, IFS foes and frauds-tbis ever must be
present to the WI Of comedy, he loses the rapid
business Of the scene descanS breaches, when he
should converse, and secures his defeat through
the disappointment Of his auditors.
There are the ordinary difficulties Of writing COM
edy on society, with the feudastic end caste baei-
which distinguishes it in Europe and the resul; even
then as whole il coincdent poverty OF endunngly
succ. ssful productions. ltay, SO magnificent in
genius, whether in reading the starr, building aud
freecoing cahedralr, composing and declniming
lyrical dramas, has never given birth to decent
comedy, the Wanted Goldonis works even being fit
for little girls and lesser boys when studying the
Atnhs-h NSi"o M" S'A'"S ny q" '~' - '''-'
sweet strange tongCe. Spain, according TO the
Prefaces 10 Eng,b-spanish grsmmars, has produced
a crushing amount of comedies, one author alone
whose lame for his credits sake we supprees-hav-
ing produced hundreds but, of this constellation OF
comic genius what remains to be Transferred beyond
the staple of lying chambermaids and Wallets, and
lovers hiding in barrels, beds, ,exua dsguses or
anything else that is handy Germany, 80
rich in literature this century at least,
has never, though backed by tie faculty Of getting
behind the nnuueiable 'egos into the fahomless
concavities, where, transceadentally speaking, the
stringa are manufactured TO make the Punches and
udes OF the streets of the universe chatter, dryel
aud strike from the shoulder-Germany has never
produced comedy worth translating--even as a
return compliment to Shakespeare, of whom there
are 20 lnauy fine Teutonic acting editions with all
tie irIepressibl. commentators-some luminous IN
themsel,es-others rendering TIE dubious text clear
by CONF arson with their depths s TO France, or
rather to Paris os continental Europe, that We turn
for any addition 10 modern comedy; but 70 much OF
that is exclusively based tie essentially baIbarvur
or military form Of society-which, TO quote from
the celebrated Nautilus, on Population requires that
for every soldier there should at least be one woman
lost TO vir1ue-the. it will not bear translation
into English, unless man wishes his vile
or daughter TO blush at blaring iudecencie-
which dishonor literature. we woul1 remark IN
thetically, that in quoting tic Reverend Mr.
Mal,hus we DO not adopt lis athoistic ard aristo-
cratic theory TIA, God makes mouths faster Ian
bread: but the ingenious author it ious; be borne in
mind seeking to suppress the growth Of republican
theories Immediately subsequent 10 tie revelations
Of 1893, wrote also ut "a tImc before Bakewel had
really invented mutton for the million or Watt ere
atinQ Thousands Of millions Of artificial hands had
rendered the placing Of vote into every human
banda petty minority in comparison, the only
CONDITION by which society can permanently bs held
together. free from Internal commoiiou and exterior
war,1 To come TO England Of lat. yesrs:-rincC
the PRODUCTION Of The School Cor Scandal. than
feeble though it be-so tn IA the episodes OF ih,
masier passon are inyoivod-we cannot name 0
s,nele great comedy. Genius appears TO have ben
stranded in tho laughing waters. kea~ons arc MOI
wanting to account for the present poverty IN the
utterance Of the Saxon muse-in comedy, and
indeed, in al else theslIical-in comparison
with the Shakespesrcan era--and. as q sequence, "a
explain tie coincdent unbushing robbcries Of
French d,fma,ists in paIallelism TO which pocket
picking and highway robbery ARE respectable, for
thew imply the courage TO encounter the Jail or the
gallov,s. The manu,r in which tie droits dauien'
manure into prize beauty French dramas, with u
csrtaiuty equal 10 thu, Of medal pigs and pippus;
the actual cash rewards which the spiritual Shake
speare had TO endure at an epoch before Buonon-
cinis and Fsyinelis Lad seduced tie ear of the Bull
10 Lcsbiau-kc numbers on dm0Te, d0'oTc and f.
Acfa-tbese all are pafaded 10 show, in a stronger
light tina, the aud fase condition Of the green
room goddess in England one OF desertion and
wa1t--and that she dies accordingly from sheer In
aniiion-or sustaina laggard aud despsed existence
by begging and stealing
We have now only to allude to the production Of
comedy originally in this country; BY which, We
mean a vital expreseion Of lis existing manners
As regards 4 pay for good comedy here there can
be little doubt. 1t would literally reward the
authora Tie pieces dramatized from romanceB have
done 20; and The elongated farce, Our American
Cousin, well recompenses the writer. Then, il
will lie said the only question which remains to be
asked il: els there author Of the requisite gitu
1" here 10 write an American comedyf' But we do
not Join in putting any such question: for the sinpls
reason that we asser that the conditions for wiring
comedy co not exist in our American society
That hey do rot exiel for the production Of move
has already been proven over and over again. By
u novel We do not meau tale or Il ronance-witl
coorless personages filling any place aud none II
particular, toJtaDE de genre, such N
icaihos,ock,ng, with impossible Indians odi6itum.
but the novel such AS Fielding invented it: por'
trai,res of society, with certain matters not cleared
up I'LL the lat chapter aud above oil n course Of