New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-04-04
THE DAM or LIBERTY"

"THE DAUN or LIBERTY"
We have been for long time expecting
distinctly American playa new one, we mean
for such used to be written IN those early
days of our drama, which are popularity known
as "palmy,n being most of them battle-pieces
both terrene and nautical, and terminating IN
blaze of fireworks and bad smell which
floated into the pit or even set the gallery gods
to coughing. There was The Battle of Bunker
Gill;" and "The Battle of Yorktown" ana
"The American Tar" Then there came tho
Stage Yankee, like no Yankee ever seen on
this continent or any other; and, upon the
whole, it is quite refreshing to find how bad
Our Dramatic Literature has generally been-
partly upon the principle that when things are
at the worst they are soonest mended; ana
this appears to be the self-sacriticng opinion
of the author of "The Daun of Liberty; an
Original Drama in Three Acts" for he mas
written play after no rules that we are
acquainted with, and 30 inexpressibly absurd
that NC thank him for the most genuine enjoy
ment. This little performance, printed IN CHI
cago the author has sent to us, lncloslng a
letter which. in its turn, contained q small sum
of money, which we have judiciously expended
in advertising his production for him. Now
let us do him further kindness by pointing
ont some of the beauties of /" The Daun of
Liberty"
And first, we may observe this gentlemans
sublime disregard of the Unities The First
Scene of the First Act is fiat view of
Royal Residence, with a Mill Gin the second
AZ - inns King
and tbe Miller llved and reigned and ground,
we have been unable to discover: but we find
the highly Intelligent Miller stating that he has
chad a dread epistle from the King COM
planning that "the rafting Of the wheels are
unpleasant to the subtle, anonted aurcles"
of the monarch, who is observed to be APP
preaching in the distance with "scorn flashing
81 from the pupils of his eyes" "You are the
miller" says the King 81 am, my Lord"
says the Miller-for it would have been of no
use to deny it. with tho -four upon his dusty
garments Then the King opens upon him in
tie following fine style:
"serf! how da,cs thou anoy and disturb
Each morn my dreams and gentle sleep
With the eiatter Of this grinding wheel"
But the serf Is notin the least frightened. He
observes to the King that hehas to pay his debts,
and support his wife and children; but the
wicked potentate responds:
"No further parey-'tis our sovereign will;
Tear thou down thy tottcring mill,
Or else my soldiers WILL tEritp
But the Miller does not mean to submit to
tho demolition until he hears that Liberty is
progressing, and he resolves "to emigrate to
"America." All Of sudden the scene changes
to the Chemical LabatOrium of DR.. Faustus,n
who is called upon by the Emperor Of France.
His Majesty says, "What seest thou, master
"of the magic art ?" The Doctor kindly an
swers that he sees the overthrow of all sOve-
regns, upon which Louis Napoleon says that
ne must 60 home and see about that Ufon-
arch eyits.)
Act ii. opens In New-York HarbOr. A steam
boat is about TO start, with an army of fill
busters, for Europe. The captain makes a
speech from the quarterback, and concludes
with, "Now, boys let's have songw and the
chorus replies with:
"Then let's away. away. hurrah
Wen mako them free and happy nation,
And put tie ballot-boI IN motion"
Scene III. is rather indefinitely described as
" Forest" but there Is our old friend, the
Miller, on guard-for he has not emigrated
after all, having been pressed into the Kings
service; yet within he ia still "a votarist at
the shrine Of Liberty.n lie deserts. and then
comes tremendous revolution, the Miller 60
ing over to the insurgents, to whom Bellona
in person makes the following speech:
" Comrades see freedoms day is dawning;
Fortunes womb Is ripe to give birth
To liberties 'oherubim.'"
Then all the soldiers desert, to the intense
disgust of the Emperor Of France, who says /:
Dable! hell and fury, ye slaves!n But they |
don't mind him at all, and are soon seen |
'Idimly fighting" with somebody " in the dis. |
" lance" Louis Napoleon calls loudly for a
" horse! my Kingdom for q hOrse!n Then all |
the Kings and Emperors condole with each
other. They are overheard by an omnipresent
" Yankee who promises them an asylum if |
they will come to America and "behave them
" selves" In Act III. it is announced that
" our Royal Masters all, without excep-
" ton,' have been defeated in tho battle
" ild"-and then the Monarchs all center in
. travelling dress" and go off somewhere "on
" n steamboat "A general announces that
no will "see the prize money paid" moro
steamers 80 oil with thesAmerican iag un-