Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-12-22

OF all the stirring incidents connected
with the wars of the Roses, none possesses
more interest to the student of history than
the remarkable career of Jack Cade. At
all times its dramatic character has arrested
attention, and the immortal bard Of Avon
has embalmed it in Henry vi, one of his
powerful historical dramas. The events of
the past year have given it a fresh interest
to the world at large, for the doctrines
taught and the principles maintained by the
Communists of Paris are Identical with
those of the Kentish rabble that followed
the lead of Jack Cade four centuries ago.
Not many days have elapsed since we have
heard promulgated in our own land the
teachings of the old English Communists:
"Tbere shall be in England seven half PEN
ny loaves sold for penny;
the three hoped pot shall have ten
hoops; and viii make it felony to drink
small beer: all the realm shall be in COM
mon, and in Cheapside shall my palfry go to
grass. And when am king there shall be
no money; all shall eat and drink on my
score; and l viii apparel them all in one
livery that they may agree like brothers,
etc." The plan that Cade pursued to place
all men on one common level was similar
to that of the Paris Communists, and like
theirs, was for a time successful.
Cade was native of Ireland, but was
obliged to 'aeave bis country for his coun-
try's good" While in France, whittier he
had b,en obliged to fly to escape the penal
ty of cI ines he had committed in his native
land, he observed the discontinued condition
Of the people who were tired of the never
ending wa fare of the ambitious and des-
potic nobility. Assuming the name of
John Mortimer he crossed over to Kent and
passed himself off as son of Sir John
Mortimer, who had been executed without
trial, on charge of high treason, in the
early part of the reign of Henry the Sixth.
he enlisted the symDathies of the common
people with his raIlse and soon raised an
army of twenty tllous md men, with which
he marched towards London. A small force
of the Kings troops unaar the command of
Sir Hum phrey Stafford was easily defeated
by the rebels, and they MAJ ched on to Lon
don, which was almost defenceless. They
encamped at Blackheath, and Cade sent to
the King a list of grievances which lie de-
manded Parliament to redress. The pop
ulace in London opened their gates to the
rebels, and the King was obliged TO take
refuge in KenilwOrth castle. For some
time Cade maintained discipline among
his followers, but, having yielded to heir
prejudices so far as to Dehead Lord Say md
Cromer, Sheriff of Kent, he lost all con-
troi over them. They commenced to plum
der the city and their excuses at length be-
came so intolerable that the citizens turned
against them, and being aided by body of
TIL Kings troops, defeated the rebels with
gre I slaughter. This repulse so disheart-
ened the Kentish men that they gladly &C
cepteL che royal pardon offered them, and
disperst d to their homes. Cade escaped to
Kent whfe he was soon afterwards killed
in hand to-hand combat with Alexander
Iden, gen'lema of Sussex. The pardon
to the rebels was subsequently revoked and
a large numbr Of them were heheaded.
This + in brief he foundation OF the drama
performed at Masonic Hall last night.
To the majority of our readers the play
is unknown, the ,Viginal copy being the
property of Mr.. Fo. rest, who obtained it
from the author, NJ. Conrad, Of Philadel-
phia. To those famili.r with English his
tory, the perversion Of lScts in the drama
must have destroyed all Measure in the en-
tertainment. All Mr.. Forests elocution-
airy power and dramatic Lllent, with the
dDIe support Vi hcil-tIdl Nu COIipduy,
could not redeem badly cNnceived and
wretchedly executed plot. Some license
must undoubtedly be allowed to the dram
atist in dealing with historical Incl
dents, so long as the writer is
true to nature and does not perver facts.
Within these boun'ls, however, Mr.. Conrad
does not remain; and when he repre- aents
the Irish outlaw az an Englishman by birth,
patriot and hero, he simply insults tAe
intelligence of an audience He depicts
with fidelity the excuses and tyranny of the
nobility, but is unhappy in his choice of an
Illustration. In representing the courteous,
liberal, refined and generous Lord Say, one
of the few good noblemen of the fifteenth
century, as a lcentious and unfeeling
seoundrel, he simply misrepresents
historical facts. In many other
respects the drama is faulty and untrue,
and the only wonder is that even Mr.. For
rests genius could hold such an intelligent
audience as were assembled in Masonic
Hall last night, for two hours. In this he
has better displayed his matches power
than in any of his previous appearances be-
fore Nashville audience.