The New York herald., 1873-12-14
THE DIR AM A.
SARDOU AND UNCLE SAM.
The Man Who Sntirixed America on Old,
second Hand InformntiOn-What He
Looks Like and How He Became
Famous.

NJ
st the Vaudeville Theatre. but wrote report OF
the piece Tor the readers OF the NEW YORK HERALD
because simply thought it beneath notice. M. de
villemessant, the Fi9aro's editor, who il good
Judge OF plays, shared my opinion, and pronounced
the attempted satire or American institutions to
be foolish and wearisome. Many o. the best critics
went even further IN their censures but somehow,
In despite Of condemnations-or, perhaps, by very
reason or them-"Unc!e Sam" has hit the public
fancy and promises to stand the bills all through
the winter. Considering M. Sardou has never been
In America. and scarcely knows English enough to
distinguish New York paper from Hottentot man.
uscripts, one may fairly ask what claim ne has to
indite satires on the New World. But French play
goers are. for the part, so ignorant that they
are not likely to PROFOUND this query They Will
accept NJ Sardou's pictures as faithful portrayas
OF things that are, instead OF second hand
exaggerations OF other mems fables. M. Sardou
has ransacked Charles Dickens Martin CnuzZle
w.t. M. Assoiant's "Buttcrnyn and Nj. Duverger
de la Hauranne's book OF .'Traves IN the United
States" and out OF these old and by no means
strong materials he has fashioned comedy which
is as true TO life as a satire on modern France
would be If it were written by Chicago author
out OF French correspondents letters published in
q San Francisco journal thirty years ago. To
make the matter more ludicrous NJ. Sardou has
written "Uncle sam" with spiteul object Hat
ing repuplicanism he started with the fine idea
that II he could bring America into contempt he
would be
DOING IMPERIALISM OR ROYALISM 4 GOOD SERVICE.
Stupid bourgeois looking at "Uncle SAM would
be sure. thought he, to eyclaim :-"Heaven save
US from country where girls OF the best class
forward and immodest, where Gospel MIS-
slonaries go about with Bible in hand and .
bottle OF rum In the other, where strangers fall
IN LAND ryNivr
tracts Of fever-aden swamps and laugh II their
victims die there, and where, in fact, social
ethics consist in overreaching ones neigh
Dor in the sharpest way possible and
shooting him with revolver IL he turns
crusty." Then would follow the renection-"lf
republicansm bears such fruits as these, bad luck
to 1t, and let us remain the we'll hammered and up
right, though ensayed people are. u For NJ.
Sardou has adroitly pandered to the national
vanity OF his countrymen by making a pair OF
French people skulk through the four acts OF his
play as living emDodiments OF all the virtues. One
is young man irresistibly handsome, noble and
witty who towers over American youths as Saul
did over the people OF Israel; the other young
widow, who delivers tart homes about the purity
OF French domestic morals. Unfortunately N.
Sardou has IN long series OF previous comedies
"Les Pattes de Mouches,n 'Nos Intimes," LA
Famille BenOiton" "Maison Neuve" "Seraphine,"
Fernando" and "Rabagas," given rs very queer
account OF those French morals which he now
commends to our example. He has been
pitess IN exposing to our eyes-often in
very repulsive colors-the social lcprosies
which have corroded the nnermost heart or
France, and when expostuated with as to tie
crudity OF these pictures he used to answer, 81
paint my countrymen as 1nd them, and hope
my plays may do them good" Just SO; but II LA
nf
French home life. such as NJ. Sardou knows it,
where is the point to the comparisons which he
seeks to draw in "Uncle SAM between France and
America? II all NJ Sar1ous plays be exaggera-
tions there is nothing more to say on the matter,
but II NJ Sardou holds that all his plays are graphic
then, according to his own repeated showing the
French very far below the Americans in all
points which concern the decencies and moraties,
not only OF private but OF public and political life.
However, NJ. Sardou is we'll acquainted with his
own country, whereas he Is, as above said.
entirely unacqualnted with America There
fore, whether he likes 1t or not, competent judges
will continue to accept his pictures OF French
customs as portraits and his delineations OF
American manners caricatures l happen to
know NJ. Sardou well and perhaps American
readers may like to have
A SLIGHT SKETCH OF THIS FRESCHMAN
whose head has evidently been turned by study
ing the story OF David and Goliath. From the
first NJ. Sardou has given himself out as
slayer OF Phistlnes and his compatriots have come
to regard him as eminenty fitted for the part He is
a lank, lean man AZ years DID, whose face reminds
one OF Napoleon J. at the period when the latter was
young and hungry. He wears no beard or mus
tache but his black hair fails in long cascades
his shoulders and he has pair Of humorous eyes
forever on the twinkle like those OF weasel.
The son OF needy professor, who bequeathed him
his blessing and nothing BESIDES yictorien Sardou
at first studied medicine; but pills and bouses
being distasteiul TO his nature he gave
himself up to historical studies and for
some years led very dogs life OF
1t in the Students Quarter OF this city. have il
from his own lips that from his 2Oth TO his 27tn
year he lived principally on dry bread and fried
potatoes. He contributed articles to small news
papers. picked up dinner now and then with an
editor, obtained ccasional tickets for the theatre
from the same sources, and, in 1854, tried his hand
at drama called "The students Tavern,r which
Iell nat. lie rad devoted some months OF In
cessant labor to this composition, anu It's failure
so dsheartened hm that he resolved he would
always thenceorth write an cOurdnt de la plume,
throwing his sheets behind him as fast as they
were filed, and never rcperusng or correcting
them. On this new plan, which allowed MIN to
abrcatc five act ira gedy in something less than
week, NJ. sardou wrote for the next four years,
and fabricated plays enough to stock waste paper
shop. All OF them were eventually sold by the
weight to Duttcrmen, and the authors situa-
tlon became so precaiious tnat, in 1857, being
then 20 years old. he sckened and was near
dying. Happily, there lived in the same house as
himself
YOUNG AND PRETTY ACTRESS,
named MILE Brecourt. who, hearing that youth
ful writer was pining away from illness and
tarvation at her very door, went In and
tended him like hospital nurse. Thanks
to her. vct0ren Sardou recovered. Mile.
Brecourt OUT OF her small earnings, had
bought him food and fuel paid his Doctors bills,
and, as he could move, supplied him with
warm clothes. Saruou was not ungrateful, and
offered Mile. Brecourt his hand. though at tnat
time there was no prospect OF his ever being