New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-12-13


serious effort In tragedy The misfortune which befell
mr. Forrest IN this instance he chose to att ribuo with
ou 'e iest reason or Justification, TO the hostile mach
huohS o Mr. Maereadys and thereupOn his con duct was
WHAT might have been expected from q man over
ir'Sh'eu win selfshness, coDcet, and an explosive
temper ana deficient In dignity Of character Happen
mH 10 DO In Edinburgh shortly afterward, where Mr..
cready was acting he to the theater TO see the
LAgisn tragedian as Hamlet stood up conspcuously in
private box, ana Kissed him.. THIS proceeding
chishy petulant even If there had been good reason
TOT IT, naturally inspired feeling OF disgust for the
American actor Mr.. Forrest strove to justify himself
py letter TO The London Times. which, frat written
Tue edltor or that journal declined TO print-Ob
Jectng to some abuse 1t contained OF the highly re-
spectacle Edinburgh Journal The Scotsman. Uti
mateiy, however, Mr.. Forrest having amended his
episue 80 as TO restrict 1t TO the statement
OF his own case, The London Times published the oompo
HtOn The sequel Is well known Out OF this vain and
silly resentment for imaginary wrong grew in later
days. the shocking and disgraoeful Astorpaco riot and
massacre In New.York. Mr.. Maoready came to America
in the season of si0 making his third and last visit TO
this country and acted at the Asor Place Opera House,
then managed by Mr. NIbo and the late James II. Hack
ett Tho riot occurred the 10.h of May, 1919. Mr.
Macready acted Macbeth. successful attempt 20 pre-
vent him from finishing performance Of this part had
been made, by riotous adherents Of Mr.. Forrest
and Of his bad Of persecution on tho
night OF the sth but 1t was determined, by the
respectable part Of the play-going puDc, that Mr..
Macready should have chance TO act unmolosted the
character Of Mdcbeh-and hence the piece mmedl-
ately announced for repetition Mr.. Forrest fulfilling
n ooemporary engagement as the old Broadway Theater
from which plaoeas there is reason to believe, though
perhaps the may not at this late day be
ceptbe of positive proofhe directly promoted and per
sOnaly managed the outbreak of brutal rOwdyism which
ensued; and which ended in the killing of % men, and
the wOundnS OF 90 Others Hard upon tho heels of this
riot the domestic trouble between Mr. Forrest and
hs wife, The went INTO the Courts IN 1880 and AZ
ter the widest publicity Of discussion and liberal al
lowance Of the laws delay, II resulted have said
before in the ladys complete and triumphant jusica
ton.
On the eth OF January 1882 Mr. Forrest-riding the
stOrm-appeared at the old Broadway Theater in this
city, and acted for GO successive nights beginning and
ending with Damon. Since then tho story Of his life
itself with long OF professional engage
meDts in different cities OF the Union with the pilng up
of immense wealth; with the eleing of extravagant
praises and Of equally extreme vituperatiOn with his
castle of FOn the banks OF the Hudson, his palace
Philadelphia, bis theatrical library, his recusive hab-
its of living his misanthropy. his frequent illness, and
bis gradual decline out of active professional labor and
the fashion of the passing age. His last engagement In
New-York began the 9th Of February 1871 and con-
tinued three weeks. He appeared at the Fourteenhs
Theater, now Mr.. Fechter's Lyceum, as Lear and as
Richelieu. A. sudden illness afflicted him, however and
he compelled abruptly to desst His final appear
here occurred the 10Th and 22d of November
this year, when at Steinway Hall, he read from Ham
let and "Othello."
Ono OF the most conspicuous OF Mr. Forests New
York engagements OF late years. was played-after
long absence from this cityn September 1861. Atth
time stated in careful language, our estimate OF his
abilities and rghtfl rank actor. The views then
submitted drift naturally into thoughts again. and
take their place in this brief summary of the actors
or1ro
for repose his perfect precision of method his
immense physical force his capacity for eonne banter
his fiery ferocty and his occasional felicity OF elooution
in passages OF monotone and coloquy. Strength and
defnteness are always comprehensive, aud generally
admirable Mr.. Forrest is the union Of both. We may
lken him TO rugged old CASTLE conspicuous in land
scape. The architecture may not be admired, but tho
building distinctly and known. You not like
the actor but you cannot help seeing that he is the
graphic representative Of certain set Of ideas in
art That is something. Nay In world OF loose
and wavering motives and conduct Is much We have
little sympathy with the school of acting which Mr..
Forrest heads; but that 1t also IN the
great educational system Of the aud glad to
see 1T so thoroughly represented. But while Mr. Forrest
illustrates the value Of earnesness and OF assured Skill
he also illustrates the law OF classification In art as well
as in humanity. All mankind-artists among tho rest
are distinctly classified We are what We are Each man
develops along his grade, but never rises into
representative men-wranging between persons OF DIFF
ferent classes who possibly become Of one
mind Br Forrest has from the first been the theme OF
this sort of controversy. He represents the physical
element In art. He is q landmark on the border
line between physical and spiritual power. Natures
kindred with his admire him, follow him, reverence
him as the finest type of artist That is natural and inev
table But there is another sort Of naturewth which
neither Mr. Forrest his admirers can possibly synpa
thize-that demands artist Of very different stamp
that asks continually great spiritual hero and
leader; that has crowned and uncrowned many false
monsrchs and that must forever and ever hopelessy
pursue its IDEAL This feels what Shelley felt when
he wrote of the desire OF the moth for the star Of the
day for the morrow To persons Of this ordeaDd thoy
are sufficiently numerous constitute large minority
Mr. FORESTS peculiar Interpretations OF character aud
passon are unsatisfactory They see and admire his
certainty of touch his profound assurance, hi solid
symmery But they feel that something Ia wanting 10
complete the artist They do not belong to his audience
and they are as much Of place in listening to him as
a congregation OF ultra Methodists at campmeeting
would be in listening TO Ralph Waldo Emerson He has
nothing to say them He is great In his way, they
perceye but like the Gallo wit they also perceive that
his way Ia small To his natural admirers, ON the con-
trary he is great his way and his IS the greatest
Of ways These two parties, OF course, have long as
sa,ed and defended him. Frutlessy OF course Tor ths
kind of dispute cannot in nature come to any end OF
even TO any compromise"
IL has often been said OF Mr.. Forrest that no was
,oeIoaramatic actor He was not he was tragedian
His Oeo his Vr0ini,s, and of later years, his Lear
were the sufficient and irrefragabe proof OF THIS He
had Observation-Disclosures 1t was seldom ih'orinou ny
fine intelligence and never by sprituay.-and he had
nassion and tenderness Even ia his Spartacu though
the method was meo- dramatic there was noble as
sumption OF tender and manly attributes. which
dwarfed the physical ebutons. That which marreu
his acting TO the judcious that which narred MS
character az He was utterly seihsh ne uu no'
art for its own sake, but because IL was
$1,000, q, himself Tho true motive springs OF his