The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-03-12

School OF MogALs.-At the Second Baptist
church on last Sunday night Rev. c. c. Bit
| ting preached discourse on "The Theatre
as School of Morals" The subject having
been announced in the papers of Saturday,
the congregation in attendance was unusually
large, and included many Of the patrons of
| the species of amusement at which Mr. Bib
tng's rare oratorical powers were levelled.
He took for his text the 18th verse of the 4th
chapter Of Proverbs: ''Enter not into the
path of the wicked, and go not in the way OF
evil men."
In the outset he remarked that he was
going to discuss the theatre in one aspect
onlv-as school of morals. in Which charac-
Ter it was held up for communication by
many of its admirers. He then proceeded
| to consider in a satrical vein the location Of
the school, its proprictors, professors. text
books, students, and graduates. The pro-
nrietors of such places of amusement are
never men of piety, and they are generally
persons Of doubtful or very bad reputation.
| Theatres are established not as churches
and seminaries are, by the contributions Of
the benevolent, but often by the wages of
sin. They are carried on, too-not for the
purpose Of cleyating the morals of the COM
m,ulity-but merely to put money in the
pockets Of their proprietors. Jim Fisk was
exhibited as sample Of theatre proprietors.
The professors were next considered. They
We're no better than the proprietors OF the
institution. Who ever heard of deTout
Christian going on the stage as an actor? On
the contrary, the lives Of play-actorS, so far
rs they are known to the public, are noto-
rio,lsly yimmoraland scndalous. Lola MonteZ,
| Adah Isaacs Menken, and Rachel, were spoken
of as illustrations Of this fact. The fact that
they gloricd In RIGHTEOUSNESS did not detract
q jot or title from the homage which
they received from enthusiastic audiences.
The lives of actors as we'll as actresses
abound in details Of scandal which pure
mind sickens to contemplate. Were these
the kind of people to teach morals to the
young?
10 obtain a fair idea of the character oi
the students and graduates of the inStitu
ton, tie preacher first drew picture o
the surroundings Of the theatre. He pic
| turcd & as invariably located i'll the midst 0
grog-shopS and convenient to brothcl;
and gamJiing-houseS. From the theatre
to these places there is but step
and the Young man enticcd into one, naturall,
finds his way to one or both Of the others
Into such dens of infaIny is the theatrc-9oel
likely to be entrapped The crowd anou
the doors Of the theatre WAS vlvldly pictured
and the audience was described rs compose,
in the main of the idle, deprived, dissolutc
and vicious Of the city. What mothcl
could sleep well, knowing her sol
TO be in such company, or her daughter
however carefully guarded, to be exposed t.
such evil influences! The performances wcr
described is (whcn not worsc) carcaturcS o
real life, full of indeicatc alluSion and unrc
fined language, and aboundin" in sick!y sen
timcnt;llty and mawkish morality. a NOR
unhealthy diet for human mind and sou
could not be imagined.
Having demonstrated, as he claimed, th'
fact that the theatre is anythin. but schoo
Of morals. Mr. Biting urged that it was no
a place of amusement lit for respectable pe0
ple to attend. True. it was lauded to til
skies by persons Of professed culture, puilet
for pay in the papers, and patronized b.
some good citizens; but its evil tendenr,
clunot lie denied, and although som'
NAV escape It's baleful influence uncontami
mated, many more find it the road TO ruin
If Christians would entirely avoid the thea
trc it would set UP no claim to responsibility
The follower OF Jesus Christ should avoit
all appearance of evil. and say i'll the Ian
yrarr of the apostle Paul, " Ii eating mca
make my brother TO offend will eat 10 NOR
meat while the world >tand>.'
The sermon WAS ilucntly spoken ant
gracefully delivered, and wa, heard through
out with profound attention. Rev. Dr.. Bu,
rows assisted in conducting the dcyotiona
exercises on the OCCASION.