Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-03-20

expired. But even the negro has at last
been played outn upon the stage; for,
though cork opera has not faded from the
list of amnsements, the negro has pretty
nearly faded out OF corkopera Old Sambo.
the woolly-headed, bow-legged, white
toothed, grinning combination of SIM
plicity anu shrewdness, of pathos and
humor, we have all enjoyed SO much, is
worn threadbare. Not joke on him IS
left uncracked; not a situation remains
untried. He has been, presented by in
dustrious poetasteFs as 'tOn the old plan
tation, FLOATING on the Tombigbee. %
"Far from the old folks al home. . dane
ing ''The boatman's dance, " taking leave
of his sold cabin home, " dredging among
the oyster boats on the sfOld Virginny
shore. Coming from every part Of the
South we have seen him, and in all cir
cumstances, from picking cotton to bak-
| ing hoecakes. We have seen him in love:
and Lucy Neal, Mary Blame, Nellie Gray,
Nelly Bly,, Nettie Moore, Kitty Wells,
Jessie Lee, Annie Ray, Dinah Doe, and a
bevy of other dusky maidens have been
celebrated as his sweethearts, most of
them, as it appears, having been torn
from his arms by the ruthless oYerseer
amid an impromptu concert on the banjo
and tambourine, assisted by obligatos on
the ''old jaw-bone -
As Benedict the darkey has cried,
My wife's dead I got anudder one,
pretty little ysller gal just like the tudder
one;" as divorced husband he has sung,
Sim so glad Dinah's left me-" even as
a disconsolate widower we have heard
him say ''fIere lies my wife, the joy of
my life, in the grave, " etc. In early
life our colored brother has been depicted
as Jim Crack Corn, the youthful enemy
of the " Blue Tail Fly" in age as "Old |
Uncle Snow asleep in "Wake up,
Jake, Wake up early in the morning.
dead in "the poor old slave has gone to |
rest, and finally he has been disposed of |
in the case of Old Uncle Ned, who's
"gone where the good niggers go.
The next favorite upon the comic stage
is the Irishman; but, though he shines |
pre-eminently in comic drama, he is far |
behind the black man as a subject of song.
He, too, has been on the carpet for long |
time, and is becoming sadly familiar |
Some of Mr.. Samuel Lovers excellent |
songs are still current in limited circles: |
but, as a rule, the Irish songs which have |
lately gained the public ear have owed |
their popularity not TO their sentiment but |
TO their embellishments of music and cos
tune, and few of those who delight in /
seeing the 'broth of boy" dance his Jig /
and flourish his 'Hshillaly" upon the stage /
care to listen TO the bald nonsense he ut
tiers.
The Dutchman's characteristics have
also received their full share of banter.
As soldier he has been celebrated in /
" Corporal Schnapps" and 81 fight NIT
Sigel;" as Johnny Schmoker, his noto-
rious musical propensity has been bur
lesqued; "Krewelty to Johnny" has
pOked seriO-cOmic fun at his accent and
idiom, and the universal conviviality of
the children of the "Vaterland have
been celebrated in" Die Dutch companie
is de best companie." But little more
fun can be extracted from the Germans
All bards delight in war and the rebel
lion caused a temporary revival of in
terest in all these nations, and we had
negro, Irish and German war Songs in /
great numbers. But now that that is
past, the poor lyrists are as hard pressed
for subjects as ever.
Sill, songs must be made. Gallery gods
will have whereof to whistle and sing,
and that of the latest; and poor poets must
have wherewithal to keep body and soul
together. So songs do not cease to ap-
pear. The parlor warrior, feature of
English society as represented in Captain
jerks, and the weak and wishy-washy
girl of the period as seen in ffOn the
Beach at Long..Branch," Gas through the
Park we CO." and "Walking down Broad
way, have gained brilliant ephemerai
reputation for the amiable Lingard.
champagne Cbarlie,n the typical boy
of the period, had a similar success, and
the minor sensations of the day, such as
''The Flying Trapeze," s'Upin Balloon"
and ''Tassels on the BoOts,n have been
made by skilful treatment to furnish one
song apiece, not wholly devoid of sense.
But they been exceptions; the rank and
file of the minstrel hall, and buTlesque
songs have been for a year or two past
utterly silly. This year the best song is
Shoe, Fly the idiotic negro tumble.
The degradation of eye gentle science of
can no farther go.
The night is at its darkest. A streak of |
light-a yellow streak-is appearing in
the West giving hope that bright comic
day approaches. A man of strange race
is coming among us, possessing all the
requisite qualifications of a first-class
comic subject. He has many advantages
over the Dutchman, and even over Paddy
himself, for he not only speaks a curious
language, but he wears curious clothes
and a pig-tail, blacks his teeth, pinches
his wife's feet, and carries an umbrella TO
shield him from the sun. Nay, he even
furnishes that delightful sensational
vailed only by the hitherto inimitable
negrO-a new color. He is yellow May
we not hope that millennium of fdh is
approaching; that chuckling SambO will
be thrown into the shade by the tropical
lustre of solemn John; that the tom-toms
will supersede the banjo; that cramped
feet will prove a jest equal to bow-legs;
that wool will be driven out of fashion by
the triumphant pig-tail; that Monaghan
sercnaders will possess themselves of the
lyric stage; that cork opera will give way
to saffron colored; and that the rejuve-
mated comic song business will rise again
above the level of ''Shoo, Fly"
4