The New York herald., 1872-11-04

NEW IL
reputstion py ner Interpretation Of the pieces
of Dumas the younger-pieces mot toe highly
spiced with morality-is playing the lamb in
ssIa Gueule du Loup," which trifaes for q
long time ON the edge Of the precipice and
tumbles over at last. The loves of Helofse
and Ab6lard, according to the gross story to
which Pope put his name in tame but jing-
ling rhymes, are the theme of popular
dramatic sfolly." In all the novelties pro-
duced this season immortality is the essence Of
the plot. At the Varieties Gazimard en-
deavors to ruin his nephew Gastan, and
succeeds to find that Gastan has also ruined
his daughter Ernesta. At the Gymnase an
elderly servant, having reason to suspect the
fidelity of his wife, by novel device puts her
under the surveillance of his master and has
the master suspected in turn by his own wife,
At the Od6on a young Countess calls on an
artist without the knowledge of her husband
for no other purpose apparently than to show
how dangerous conversation may become and
yet be harmless. In even the most innocent
pieces disconsolate married women are made
to utter words that would not be tolerated in
New York. And SO, while Paris is far in ad-
vance Of London in artistic skill, France is as
low as England in true dramatic art.
Under these circumstances we may well con-
gratulate ourselves on the condition of the
drama at home. At Wallack's and the Fifth
Avenue we have old and new comedy pure in
tone and in the main admirably presented. At
Booths we have comedy and tragedy in which,
if there is much wanting in ensemble, there are
always some very strong features. The Union
Square Theatre gives us the better class of
French comedy as well mounted as Sardous
plays are presented in Paris and toned down
to greater moral acceptability. The same
remark applies to the French burlesque at the
Grand Opera House. Fechter promises melo-
drama in Fourteenth street, and Niblos will
soon give usspectacle, of which the most objec-
ionable objection is the ballet, old almost as
theatrical art We have much to commend in
the present and everything to hope in the fu-
ture; and though most Americans are ready to
turn themselves into dramatic Jeremiahs upon
occasion and lament the decay of the drama,
it is only done in the interest Of art and for
the greater glory Of the American stage.
The Gambling Dem Murdcr-A Warm
ing Lesson.
The dastardly assassination of Thomas Dom
ohue in pool-selling and faro-dealing gam
bling house in one of the most crowded To-
calities of the city, will probably open the
eyes Of the people to the necessity of thor
ough municipal reform; reform that shall
sweep away the dangerous dens now common
in the metropolis, put a stop to the
unconcealed infringements of law by day
and night in the highways of the city, and
place some restraint upon the license of what
the Committee of Seventy call sthe dangerous
elements of society" 1t is terrible and a
warning lesson. Of the crowd of gamblers
and thieves gathered in the pool-selling saloon,
those Of them who were engaged in dealing
and playing faro at least were there in viola
lation of the law. The murderer was accom-
panied to the door of the saloon by crowd
of friends, who, as soon as the assassi-
nation was committed, surrounded their fell
low ruffian and sought to ensure his escape.
Just opposite to the spot where the murder
took place another gambling den was bril-
liantly lighted up and pursuing its illegal
business before the eyes Of the police. All
down Broadway on the same night might have
been seen hundreds of those fostering blisters
on the reputation Of the city, the concert
saloons, and hundreds of similar esclub
houses to those on Twenty street.
And all this time the guardians of the
law were parading up and down, now
chatting with the poor bedizened wretches as
they crawled up from the cellars, and now
taking drink with the gambling sharks on
the watch for their prey. The actors in the
tragedy-the murderer and the murdered
were politicians. The crime grew out of po-
litical differences. Another foul murder has
had been punished for the crime. The very
rufian who stained his hands in blood SO
effectually on Saturday night, is suspected of
having attempted the life of his victim on
former occasion, was arrested for the offence
and never brought to trial
are we now 10 nave announcer mOckery OF JUS
tice? Is there to be sham trial, a plea Of
insanity or something equally absurd, and an
acquittal? Are we to have mass of legal
bubbles and delays interposed between this
last murderer and the gallows as between other
assassins and their just fate? Are the dens
of the city, in one of which this black crime
was committed, to be still suffered to exist in
defiance Of the law? These are questions that
interest every citizen-that reach to the security
of our lives, as well as of our property. The po-
itical hucksters who have been making trade
and dicker Of municipal reform-some in their
own interests and others in the interests of
party-will do well to reflect upon this
terrible subject We need now at the
head of the city government strong, vigor-