The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-09-14


Opera and Empire ON the American
Continent.
The various attempts to establish that En- r0-
pean institution an empire, upon this conu-
nent have signally failed. To this rule them
is but one exception, the case of Brazil; but
we believe that Brazil has now entered upon
course of policy which will soon prove de-
structive, and that, within a very few years,
this empire will be transformed into repub-
lie. The imperial experiment in Mexico is
manifestly failure. The public opinion of
this country unanimously sustains Juarez, and
the government steadily but automatically
supports him In his struggle against the
French. Ultimately the bogus Emperor Maxi
milan must pack up his purple and withdraw
This result will be accomplished either by our
diplomacy or our arms, according as fate and
Napoleon decree; but that it will inevitably be
! accomplished by the one or the other Is fact
which admits of no matter Of doubt Canada,
the colony of the British empire. is ready to
fall, like ripe pear, into the lap Of the United
States England virtually relinqulshes the
effort to retain her power there, even though
she is not yet entirely willing to allow us to
succeed her in the possession of such vast ter
ritories. The compromise which she proposes
| is a confederation of the provinces; but that is
simply creating Canadian United States.
Clearly, then, the latest attempts to transplant
| that European exotic-an empire-to the free
soil Of the New World are as futile as the
numerous unsuccessful attempts that have pre-
| coded them.
| But there is another European exOtic-the
| opera-which 1t is equally impossible to cult
| vate here. The opera goes with the empire,
| and republicans will have nothing to do with
| either of them. President johnson recently
observed that he did not know such person as
| the Emperor Macmillan, and he is just as igno-
| rant of the existence of such a thing as opera.
In the old, corrupt, cnervated and debauched
society where empires flourish the opera natur-
| ally takes root Its squabbles, scandals, liai-
sons and other evil fruit furnish pleasant excite
ment to imperial courts. Nowhere in the world
| is opera truly popular but every empire is
willing to pay subsidy TO keep it going. in
order to amuse the nobility, and give employ
| ment to those hangers-on of courts who have
| nothing else to do, and furnish Longing
place for The gentlemen and dress parade for
| The ladies' In all countries its characteristics
| are the same Its managers do not pay their
debts its artists are detected in intrigues it's
directors drift into controversies with the press
| its musicians quarrel with each other; those
| connected with il are accused Of all sorts OF
| crimes and the results are constant fuss and
| furry which interest those bLdse people who
belong TO the so-ca'iad best society" but de-
cidcdly disgust the plain, mattcr-ot-fact middle
classes, who do not patronize the aristocratic
| amusement. and are therefore unable to appre-
| ciate those nice shades of distinction which
uppcrtendom seeks 10 make between COM
mon swindler and manager who breaks his
pecuniary promises, between cOurtesan and
| q kept mistress between l.navcry in linsey-woOl-
sey and knavery in full dress welding e baton.
| We once fondiy imagined that when the opera
was transferred TO republican New York it might
be naiuralized, like any other foreigner, and
that we might eventually refine. purify and
popularze It. This scheme has, however,
proved impractcable. Opera here has been
| accompanied with the same grOssness, leWd-
ness cOrrupiOns, quarrels, scandals. libel suits,
swndles, disgraccful escapades and general
| immortality that have surrounded it in London
and Paris. According TO the confessions of
those who have endeavored to manage it, the
opera has never been pecuniarily successful,
even in liberal New York, except during GER
tain stage o. our civil war when our society
was dcmOralized and the country seemed going
to the dogs. Just at that period, too, Maxi
milan brought over his temporary empire for
Mexico. The two Institutions fourished to-
gether for little while during the heat Of our
civil war; but their prosperity was brief, and
in their ignominious death they will not be
divided.
Unlike the opera, The drama is popular,
a republican, democratic form of amusement.
The people pa!ronize, support and enjoy the
theatres Give them the drama and they are
perfectly satisfied. So far as their taste for
music is concerned, they are quite content with
the concerts by excellent artists which are
open every season. A comparison between
the receipts of the theatres and the opera in
this city, or in any other metropolis, shows
that the drama is as universally admired as
the opera is universally unpopular. Except in
Paris. where nothing succeeds without govern
ment aid, the theatres require no subsidies
nor subscriptions in advance. They are
not only self-sustaining. but they real
ize fortunes for their lessees and pro-
prietors. Besides this, they encourage litera-
ture in all its forms, and also furnish employ
ment to thousands of reputable, industrious
and talented persons The opera, on the other
hand. is as exclusive in its disbursements as in
its patrons. Its salaries are divided among
halfs dozen leading artists, who are almost
invariably foreigners, and who seldom reflect
credit either unon the land that gave them