New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-05-30
THE DRAMA.
MADELEIN MORRL.

1
trite; and We hesitate 70 discuss it, both b.
cause 1t Ia offensive to deoency aud became.
| it Is wearisome 70 patience. Some additional
words. however. seem requisite, II only ky
way OF protest against the nsolent wckedness than
thus peryers tho stage from rectude and beauty ana
equally against the deporable degradation Of moral,
| and sentment-in even class OF the publie-thas
permits such wickedness prosper. The protest IA "a
new thing with this journal. From the first we nav,
| opposed with all tho weapons at our COM
mand, all plays that illustrate adultery o,
maudln sympathy with the distressed sensuaisua
and filthy perpleKitIes OF vicious persona Now and
then indeed. from sheer WEAKNESS OF the reyotnr
theme, may have passed It's theatrical reour
with censure less emphatic than ought 10 hava
been spoken. But the general drift Of thought az
10 this matter, has set in directonn advocacy OF
pure STAGE aud In denunciatOn OF this pestilent ten
dency 10 make the drama instrumental In celebrating
the aduteress tho cOurtesan, the blaokgusrd tbs
prurieDt fool the phenomena OF spoony vice. and the
woes and struggles Of mature loentousness n abuses
OF the stage have grown and nourshedas undoubtedly
they haye-it not accordingly, In any way fault OF
ours That this new abuse. dangerous 10 its suboiy
and grossly profane. may take no comfort from our
silence we to the subject Of Madelen More"
Description OF the play we have already printed. na
not able piece Of work IN any particular II manfes
neither felicity Of construction nor beauty OF language
It does not rise above medIocrity either IN tue por
traiture OF character or the conduct Of dramatic action
Except for moral obliquty in the treatment OF
clean topic, there Is nothing In the play to give dn
tnctve character It's i've consecutive based
tangIe Of virtues AMI Vices, exTayagant assumptions
and fancifu Incidents prosy from the atmosphere
OF the brothe to the atmosphere OF the nsued church.
and present young in situations which dis
tressng TO the feelings proportion the feelings are
unenl ghtened By common duller cOncoctios,
looked at with reference 70 Its mechanism we do no,
remember TO have seen. But 1t Is brilliant 10
irs surroundings captiyating-to some eXtont-in IL
stage Interpretation emotiOnay strong In its central
figure and equally specous and bold In the false and
vile doctrine which IL is distinctly intended to imply
That doctrine Is, that woman who has ispsed from
chastity and lived in prostitution. may nevertheless
through. repentance and reform. become worthy Of
good mans love. worthy to be his wife and the mother
OF his children worthy 70 resume and to occupy an hon
orable position In that domestic system which is the cor
nerstone of sOcety Herein, and acting through that
appeal 70 the feelings which Is naturally made by beauty
In distress resides the Of this drama II means tina
IL It anything; and to say that Comfort for
Courtesans would be appropriate as an explanatory
subtitle for "Madeein Morel" Is not TO do II the least
Injustice
The beginningof the fraud is this-that wildly gen
erous forgiveness of the votaries OF sexual sin sought
TO be nculcated by the exposition Of an exceptional asd
unrepresentatIYe character and experience Much the
same process by the way, has been pursued-thouge
with far more abty-in Mr.. wiihue Coinss clever but
pernicous novel Of The New Magdalen." The eontin
uaton OF the fraud the implied theory that repentance
for sin of unchasty will wipe out its STAIN and thai
society either ought TO- can reinstate the sinner IA
pristine purity and honorable place. We see the wen
derul spectacle OF mother consenting that
her son shall wed q reformed courtesan; and We
see the more wonderful spectacle Of that oourtesal
rejecting the advantage thus conceded. But
perhaps the climax Of the fraud-the mountain
top and towering summit Of immorality-s reached IN
the basphemous and horrible eXataton OF human pas
son under the consecrated roof and In the immediate
presence Divine Father In the dreadful sugges
ton that religion has strength and Heaven com
fort for the thwarted lover and miserable victim Of
sensual sim We meet with a lesson OF wlc.edness that
simply appalling. At this point not earier-the play
enters upon the domain Of disease That is the only
cuse We find for it, and that does not impress
US as sufficient. There ought TO be come limit TO tho
privileges OF persons who-like the authors ana pro
ducers of Madelein More "can the stage an 10
strument OF corruption and impiety, and seek then
money by Insulting their Maker.
1t Is wish to make our meaning clear. Gentenea
In the treatment of this matter would be tha1
wasted Upon such manager Mr. Augustin DaJ
mild words OF remonstrance and pacific limitations Of
disspproYa fall as harmlessly flakes OF They
have been tried. and they have failed. He appears IA
be a theatrical huckster, with more heart than o
grindstone, and OF higher responsibility IL
his vocation than that which appertains TO man Of
business. Ideas Of loose and mschieyous description
have been continually dfused from his establishment
Scarcely single success has been gained upon hh
STAGE except through the fundamentally Of the Errna
Sister With Romeo it was thought that, once at least
Hero and Helen were "hildngs and harlots." With
Mr. DAILY, it appears that hldngs and harlOu
are at all times Heros and Helens. He has made hh
stage absolutely populous with dramatic heroInes who
have nothing to commend them but tears and trouble.
resultant from the lack Of chastity He has not been
conented merely TO create the mouruers: he has pro
ceeded to crowd them. His Errng Sisters are becOms
redundant There is perfect plethora OF fallen angela
There is damaged material enough for Mormon
Colony Every person familiar with the history OF the
Fifth Avenue ITheater will readily recall the series Of
pestiferous plays which its reputation hangs. The
ofense patent in az aggravated form has existed
all along It Is part of settled lne OF policy and 1t
is shookingy evil The obvious truth that the public
to blame Tor supporting it furnishes for in
adoption. part OF this community. doubtless s sunk
beneath dsgraoeas Is the fact in all large cities bus
we not that an intellectual man Is under obi
CATION to consult It's For him, the contrary
the mandate duty distinct There be no dOubs
that the presentation OF such play as hadeieh
Morel is gross oense against religion and decenc'
an injury TO the public morals, and an injury 70 Ae
stage.
That the veness Of this drama has not been exagger
ated will appear from the simple statement OF it's coz
II Offers "a we have said an exceptional charse
ter and experience by way OF eYokng sympathy ana IN
sulling immoral principles. Madden Aorel. it tells us
was beautiful imaginative, ardent, saintiike, conscf
entious young woman, who underwent enormous hard
ship and suffering. In childhood she oppressed p
injustice, calamity aud want Her father falsely 40
cused Of population, and hunted down TO abec penuy
sank before her eyes, into dishonored grave hH
mother had died long before. She efs an ORPHAN
aud she became O drudge II is darkly intmaied tn''
violence was perpetrated upon her She grew to be %
wretched, at any rate, that she tried to drown
herself The attempt failed. She was res
cued and she was then befrended by prOai'