The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-07-13


From the " Y World.
Behold how great matter little fire
kindeth! A personal squabble of two un-
conspicuous men has swollen, with few
weeks nursing, into an international feud
When a certain Mr.. Henderson, the agent
here of an English burlesque troupe, was as
sailed indecently in sporting paper and as
saulted in the theatre where his troupe was
performing, it gave rise to ten hours sensa-
ton among the very small number of hangers
on about theatres and sporting papers; and
then the matter would have died out had not
Mr.. Henderson set systematically to work
tanning it, both here and abroad, feeding the
flame with cards and letters, until it now
threatens to roast out all those innocent Yam
kee critics who never heard of Henderson at
all. Had this gentleman quietly subsidized,
after his excoriation, into his unobtrusive
sub-managerial duties, reserving the redress
of his wrongs for such time and means as are
legally furnished in this country quite as
promptly as in England, the vituperation of
his assailant would have remained in
ocuous in it's natural seclusion. But
being wounded to the quick, and, withal,
being clever as the thing goes among
managers, he succeeded in creating the
impression abroad that he was the victim of a
concerted hostility here to all English actors
Whatever small consolation it may be to the
aggrieved Briton, sojourning far away from
Bow street and the Rgis of the Times, to ven
tllate himself in this manner, must be cheer
fully accorded him; but the result is pecu-
liarly painful to the forbearing rectitude of
the average Yankee critic, who is now accused
by heavy English editorials of carrying a re-
volver in his pocket and a bowie-knife in his
bootleg to all representations by English
actors, and to be endowed with an irresistible
impulse to ''gouge" these imported inno-
cents after the curtain is down, and otherwise
cantankerously chaw them up on all occa-
sions. We hear with sorrow great deal of
ponderous talk on the other side, of Yankee
prejudice and the rowdyism of the press, the
injustice of criticism, and the prosecution of
the blondes-all of which, it is needless to
say, is the sheerest and most unwarrantable
nonsense, hardly equal to the article which
Britain has furnished to. our boards.
AS for the animosity Of the American press
and people to English actors, it is a pure fig
ment of the perturbed British brain 1t long
ago became a well-settled conviction in this
country that England had no actors, save
such as were lent to her by France and Anne
rica. Heaven knows our managers have
turned every stone in the kingdom in their
search for them. With our characteristic
generosity, we sent them Bateman, Patti
Kellogg, Florence, Reignolds, Fairclough,
Jefferson, Drew, Clarke, Sothern, Owens,
and Mark Smith, and received in return bur
lesquers, clowns and Hendersons. The feel
ing on this side has been one of mild disap-
pointment and sorrowful remonstrance. Scott
Siddons was treated with tender considera-
ton of her British parentage which her
talents did not warrant. The kindest and
most amiable advice was bestowed upon
Fiddes to induce her to learn a profession
which she was not calculated to ad0rn, and
her British husband flew to this country
breathing fire and smoke against the manager
who only insisted on her leaving the theatre
she was not calculated to benefit. We COM
miserated Gladstane and Susan Galton and
Lucy Rushton as became our hospitality and
long suffering We put up with Marriott in
exchange for Susan Denim, whom we sent to
greedy Britons with all her imperfections on
her head; and we hid our disappointment at
the inequality of the barter. We fattened
Lingard in his foolery. We cast our pearls
before Henry Beckett. We actually-such
was the height to which we carried our con-
sanguineOus forbearance-we actually tole-
rated Farne
But all our magnanimity counts for nothing,
it seems, because this injudicious and unfOr-
tunate Henderson has had his nose punched
in a personal broil.
Little use is there in trying to enlighten
the nervous old lady over the water. We
may assure her that it is many years since we
unscalped unpopular actors on Broadway, and
that the sale of tar and feathers at the en-
frances to English performances has been
abolished. She will continue to quote Hen
derson, and to asseverate that it eclipses the
most extravagant pages of ''Martin Chuzzle.
wit, and justiies the incorporate attacks OF
Arthur Sketchley. Still, as a mere soother
to the nerves of the few remaining burlesquers
in England who are all meditating a descent
upon us, and as simple matter of fact, we
must be permitted to say that not an English
blonde, so far as we have heard, has been rid
den on a rail this season. Furthermore, that
our critics no longer attend the theatre in
their war-paint or dusty from recent buffalo
hunting, and, as rule, leave their bowie
knives in the lobby. Even Mr.. Henderson
may sleep sweetly o nights within pistol-shot
of the Rowdy journals Office if he but give
up letter-writing. There is no danger, ladies'.
Not the slightest. We are not incensed. We
| are sad and sick.
| 1NTFRNATTONAT ,,