New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-12-26
Just Criticism.

II is so rare to find just criticism Of men
who have played a prominent part on the
stage of life, and who have been accustomed
to receive any considerable portion Of public
applause, that it is refreshing to find such
remarks on the life and character of the great
American actor Edwin Forrest, as the fol-
lowing from the New York Tribune:
The death of this remarkable man is an
incident which seems to prompt more OF in
definite emotion than OF definite thought.
The sense that is uppermost is the sense that
a great vitality, an enormous Individuality of
character, boundless ambition, a tempestu-
Gus spirit, life of rude warfare and often Of
harsh injustice, an embittered mind, and an
age laden with disappointment and pain are
all at rest. Mr.. Forrest, partly from natural
bias to the wrong and partly from the force
of circumstances and the memorable action
of time, had made shipwreck of his happl-
ness; had cast away many golden opportu-
mites; had outlived his fame had outliyed
many of his friends, and alienated others !;
had seen the fabric of his popularity begin to
crumble had seen the growth Of new tastes
and the rise Of new idols; had found his
claims as an actor, if accepted by many among
the multitude, rejected by many among tho
judicious and, in wintry age, broken in
health, detected in spirit, and thwarted in
ambition, had come to the ''last scene Of all !"
with great wealth, indeed, but with very
little Of either love, or peace, or hope.
Death, at almost all times a blessing, must,
in ending such an experience as this, be
viewed as a tender mercy. His nature
which should have been noble, for it con-
tanned elements Of greatness and beauty
was diseased with arrogance, passion, and
cruelty. 1t warred with itself, and it made
him desolate. He has long been wreck.
There was nothing before him here but an
arid waste of suffering; and, since we under
stand him thus, we cannot but think, with q
tender gratitude, that at last he is beyond
the reach of all trouble, and where neither
care, sorrow, self-rebuke, unreasoning pas
sion, resentment against the world, nor
physical pain can any more torment him.
The life Of Edwin Forrest was unusually
crowded with such incidents as naturally at
tend the career of popular actor, and also
with such incidents as are but too apt to at
tend the development of rudely energetic
character-from worldly motives and by
worldly prooessCs-out OF the Obscurity of
poverty into the distinction Of riches. In
his bright days, he was the conspicuous figure
in many popular Ovations and he was also
the originator of many Quarrels and the CEN
ter Of much strife. The enumeration of all
these Incidents. of both classes, which formed
so largo portion of his life, would be tedi-
Gus, and we do not think it would be instruc-
tive. Recital of the leading facts in his his
tory, however, should not be omitted. He
has filled q great space in the history of the
American stage. His name and his personal
presence have been made familiar to the peo-
pie in many cities he was the founder of a
distinct school Of acting; and, as we have
intimated, there were elements in his rugged
and turbulent individuality which made it
interesting, significant, and usefully respon-
sive to intelligent study. Such details, there
fore, as shed light upon his character and the
value of his achievements possess a mani
fest Importance.