New-York tribune., 1869-02-26
THE CAN-CAN.
1rc AMFpIcAN TRANSLATION.


A modern French wit has defined tne eau
.or o. tho co.,on ot tho future The importation OF
rreneb Onera Boue rst introduced 1t into TINS
.na yonng America ever ready 20 take hold Vi no"
Laeas and ran Them ahead Of their orlehai pioJe0'
welcomed and adopted this peculiar prouu0'ion VI "
bslk Fanee naturalzed it, and estabnsheui !. SS ONO -
che great institutions of the present. LAe O'ei
the nertod being here ii must be endured; Du' e' :"
- own TOO rapid pace will soon destroy lts in
nroneo and that I'm the future 1t will be Dnt am re
l.,,on From the theater 1t has been transferred 70 w
hall room and the slightest infusion OF the frono"
ment at a bal nasque is sufficient excuse iOr lts
zion Indeed the managers Of these affairs
nud Il profitable circulate preliminary whispers VI %
probabe exhibition. The votaries ana auni'ei " ~ ,
On Now York are numerous, and tbey may po"Pv
Aes,Snated bv the coined word cdnedndHe amonE 'ho
number are men Of position and society," VI u
applaud approvDgly, whiie men anu "o'"0 0f
themselves In the widest and most extraVagahy ue
cent postures that their Imagination can invent Inc
hall OF Wednesday at Central Park Garden, was under
.he anspees Of the haut cacanae and all who assisted
at It were fully prepared for scene OF riot ana oe
baachery Indeed 1t well known beforehand 'hasho
woman With any preentiOn to selfrespeet coud uare
show her face there be present under the con
ssalment of o mask Among the male portion VI 'no
visitors the rowdy element strkingy apparent ana
tina effects OF drink true character strong
force af police was In attendance, and took very active
part in the proceedings by endeavorng to Que disturb
ances which, like the heads OF the tabled hydra Only IN
creased IN number the faster they were stopped Inc
scene presented groups Of and women in every stage
of intoxoatIon--nosy, sleepy quarralsome. Here TWO
women dressed IN the extravagant hight OF lasmon,
sxnressing doubts of each others veraclty ana
hapdyinR compliments OF Ike nature III
Language anything but polite, accompanies
with threatening gestures to match the anguage ON an
other side bevy OF Aspasias aectonaely surrounding
the reporter OF weekly paper, and entreatng him 10
aud adj
shouting and yelling in which female voices are prOml'
penty heard woman dragged rather than carried Dy
two policeman down stairs and across the pan rooin'
Aghting and screaming in the madness OF drhk anu pas
siop Nor was the music Of the pistol wanting as hr
ing sensation. That such a picture Of Pandemoniun
should be presented IN New-York as pnoe entertain
ment is hardly to be believed Society was startled at
faint echoes Of like orgies from the depths OF Waters
dens and the conversion OF Johnny Allen whether real
or pretended had at least tho effect OF calling puohc az
tenton to these pests and doing something toward their
removal That vice aud debauehery are necessary evils
of all large communities is one sad realities OF civ
zation but If they exist let them at least be kept
out of sight, and given the shameless publicity they
have had Of late
The French can-can a,iaiuel 1--WE can't say pure and
simple for s the very Of both s terpscho-
rean expression of JOY and gayety The French enter
into the canean mentally well as bodily and In spite
Of its ndeceney invest it with certain grace peculiar TO
themselves and which other race OF people can sue
cessfuIy initiate 1t must be remembered that the
Frenchman makes amusement the serious business OF
life and allows only secondary importance to labor; be-
sde he is educated in familiarity with all the minus
xaisirs as they are called and consequently the mpres
SION made upon him by these amusements no stronger
than his customary cocktail to an Amerlcan again. tue
French OF all classes possess sufficient natural tact to oD
serve the outward Of fe and 1t patent
fact that the socaed natural dance of France forbid
den and suppressed wherever public opinion has any
voice. and it only finds opportunities for display on GER
tain occasions and at particular places, and then IL Is
kept within reasonable bounds by the active vigilance OF
the segenSde-re, city policemen Of Paris Now, the
their ordinary, and sometimes even in their
high.tOned conversations, make use OF GER
tam words and expressions that will not
bear an English translation to ears polite
with the II Of the French Frenchy and in its
original purity shocking to the inexperienced endura-
bic by the tolerant and enjoyable only by those whose
education In the school of life has made them familiar
with It, We have endeavored to describe above the
latest the American translation Of the French cancan
IL entirely American the French element was alto
gether wanting and the few isolated gentlemen who hap
pened be present. took active part In the perform
ance even the ballet and blondes Of buresque" were
discreet enough TO stay away. The American oan-can
like the French supposed to be an expression OF gayey
hut how different tho gayety OF the French 10 that o.
the American The gsyety Of the French compared t'
that Of the American is delcate vintage OF cham
magma TO poisopous whisky The social character Of the
American prone exaggertion both In sobriety and
the reverse and In consequence where large and miscel
laneous assembages Of Americans attempt to pass the
line Of conventional decorum, they are very ap
TO go far beyond the margin prescribed by
common sSnse and knowledge Of life. Thei
idea and performance OF the can-can Is as
brutazng would be their using in ordinary converse
tion coarse transatlOns Of the demtuots and double
etendre which tolerated in French society. II the
American cannot be made to abandon the can-can by
being told that 1t is gross. indecent and demOraizng
he must be convinced that performed by him. or her
the may be- 1T is utter and contemplate fall
and when he made TO understand this thoroughly
we may hope to see the American caRcan drop quietly
eLt Of existence.