Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1868-02-11
The Spectacular Drama and Morals
In New York. ~

The Spectacular DrAHla duU NkOEtaaS
In New York. ~
Voltaire, whose Hwitticisms were always best
with the bead on them, was right when he ut
tered or wrote the remark that one year OF war
would breed more vice than forty years OF
peace, though be might have adde6, with more
appositeness, the further comment that one
year of war breeds more vice than forty years
Of peace can cure. Of the former aphorism
New Workers. and in fact Americans 10 gen.
eral, have proved the truth and the kernel OF
/ the latter the present state OF sthe drama
and literature are fast demonstrating to have
! the genuine meat of soundness and sense about
it. The legitimate dramatic old, though bold,
natura!istic enaction of tragedy and comedy
4 is dead and there has taken Its place a thing
Of paint and powder, which is neither dramatic
nor anything else, except mere appeal to the
1 sensuous imagination, to say nothing of appeals
to the sensual itself. Judging from the vast
patronage eked out by the spectacular drama,
which is only another name for semi-nude teml-
niuity trimmed with gauze and labelled fairy
pageant, just by way ofappeaslng the seruples
Of the fastidious- judging from this aud from
reeking masses of literary garbage weekly pro-
duced by Nassau street, Spruce street and other
publishers, q moral rot seems to have eaten
into the very heart Of the body polite. Even
on Broadway the issuance of indecent publica-
tions is carried on to some extent; the Illus
traredI papers, with few exceptions, TEEN with
art, high art has caught trife of the taint, and
panders to the, popular taste for the sensa-
tional; aud in the drama, translated from pic.
/ turc into spectacle, the popularity OF prurleney
{ is attested by the fact that the income returns
of the various New Y ork theatres demonstrate
{ that exhibitions like the "Black Crook and
the white Fawn" which means "a dozen
Black Crooks done up in single theatrical
uuid-are more eremunerativeth than masterpieces
Of histrionic art. There is no Disgusting it; as
people we are rapidly learning to swallow
large doses of vice, without even the ceremony
of sugar coating it; we are fast verglng upon
that. state of pubic morals in which vice and
pandering to vicious instincts are reckoned as
luxuries to be moderately INDUCED in. The
pulpit is powerless, both by reason Of its want
Of comprehension of the needs Of the country
and by reason of It's affected and mincing cant
that certain moral evils are unmentionable III
good society; literary men arc powerless, tor
the reason that no publisher can be mentioned
who will take the risk of publishing a book
strong with healthy aud vigorous thought; the
lecture room is powerless, for the reason that
lectures which are not In a certain sensational
sense popular cannot be made remunerative to
the clubs and societies out of the needs Of
which itinerant lecturers exc their subsistence:
These facts may be unpalatabIe to American
sefconsciousness; but they are facts, never
theless-facts so hard that not even Grad
grind could have demanded harder. That
they are facts, therefore, may as well be ac-
kuowledged, since the recognition Of q disease
is the first step of the physician, and the ascer
tanning OF it's diagnosis and the prescription of
the remedy are butIsecondary. IN. r Herald.