The New York herald., 1874-10-21


principal roe. The play deals with subject OF
live interest, Speculation" and the occasion Of
its presentation will be also q testimonial to the
lair autnoress by her amateur friends. The talents
ana acca.mpiishments & ol MIS- Maaann as an anna,
purposes OF charity, and her services in this line
as wei as her remarkabie histrionic aoiiities
on the occasion referred to. Tickets are for sale
at Scnlrmer's. 7oI Broadway, and at Carleton's,
under Filth Avenue Hotel.
Musical and Dramatic Notes.
Twenty-Five theatres are In full swing In the
French capital.
M. Massenet has just completed new orohesrral
suite on shakespearian subjects.
Mr.. Charles Pope has been very successful In st.
Louis in the tragedy Of samson"
The irrepressible offspring OF Madame An9ot
turns up IN the most out OF the way places. The
last Is Barcelona, Spain.
Colonel Sellers popularity at the Park Theatre
seems to be on the increase. 1t is the most de-
cded dramatic hit that the metropolitan boards
have known Tor years.
The Liza Espanol, q Journal in Madrid pretend
ing to be an authority in musical matters, says:
"The recent performance at the National Opera
House Of the celebrated opera Der Frelschutz,
by Wagner, gave great pleasure" Poor weber!
The Wooster TO- Republican says: "Miss Minnie
wallace, as Array is excruciatlngly funny, and
upon her, while her ghostly fear and nts Of In
subordination and submission were neatly and
most arttstically delivered.n rather libcllous
style Of criticism.
MIR. Montague has sunaciently recovered nom
the effect Of his accident to appear tonight at
Wallack's IN the English version OF Octave Feuil.
let's play "The Romance OF Poor Young Man."
The plot Of the piece is very interesting 1t is also
very strongly cast. Mr.. Montague VIII have in
r3ovc iyte fha ~
dramatic power. He is construtionaly well lifted
to sustain the part OF Manuel, Marquis du Cham
prey. and we have no doubt that In 1t he will gain
with the public additional lavor. Mr.. John Gilbert
appears as DR.. Demarest. Miss Ada Dyas, who
won much favor with the New York public at
the Filth Avenue, makes her nrst appearance at
Wallack's as Marguerite. Mss Ed1e Germon also
appears for the FIRST time this season. Miss lone
Burke and Nine. Ponisi are also In the cast, which
is unusually strong.
The --latest New Play.
To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
The following paragraph appeared in your
columns on Saturday morning.
sMoor Croft; or, The Two Widows" viii be pro-
duced at the Fifth Avenue Theatre. 1t Is from the
pen OF Bronson Howar ;. whose adaptation from
The French, saratoga" met with considerable
public favor.
There are three distinct errors in the above FIVE
lines. II this number were not trire above the
average OF errors in the daily newspapers should
not call attention to the two unimportant mis-.
takes IN the first line. The main title or the play
is In one word, "Moorcroft," and 1t was so given
In your own advertising columns. The second
title, ''The Double Wedding" contains, at best,
only very distant suggestion Of 1.-TWO wdows"--
a suggestion which might strike the two brldes-
grooms of q "double weddingn with almost iunc-
real solemnlty. The third mistake Is a very serious
one. In saying thar Saratoga" Is an adaptation
from the French'' You cast an imputation upon MY
integrity as o dramatist. ! cannot allow the
statement to remain undisputed, because have
laid down for myself a rue OF strict literary
honesty; q rule from which have never yet d ).
parted, and which pledge myself to follow rtgidV
hereafter. Whatever the merits or demerits of ray
dramatic writing may be Tor Its demerits see cIlr-
rent New YORK journals; II 1t has any merits
refer yourself and your readers to the Fifth Aven
Theatrel, shall never impose upon the AmerIc an
public dramatic composition adapted from'' or
"Dased upon" or 'imtared" from q foreign play
without acknowledging its true source in every
preliminary advertisement and upon the gro
Grammes oil the theatre. II you, sir ever disco
that nave done anything inconsistent with MS
pledge you may brand my work as serious lier-
ary CRIME: as great q crime. II possible. as you
and some other New York journalists seem 10 Gon-
sder any original work have thus lar teen
AS to the comic drama. Saratoga I, nave Just
settled the question raised IN England concerlung
leading journal In my own country should now
nrst discover. alter accepting IT as All orig NAL
ton from the French. TINS charge was made in q
general way last spring by the London ri DteS
when the play was produced at the Court The atre
under tee English title OF "Brighton." In q long
letter TO that journal used the following Ian
guage:-
'Now, hereby make an absolute general d ,nial
OF TINS charge oi plagiarism. direct or ind rect.
CONSTRUCTION OF the entire play. = i" SO lar,
too. as the language IL concerned, insist th 1T no
word or sentence OF 1t IL derived from any other
play whatever. French or Engsn.o
IN editorial comments on the above-meni: Toned
letter the London TtDees made no attempt I'D sus-
tain its previous charge; the editor SAID, ape oge
fcaly, that nc had no intention of accusing me OF
plagiarism or theft, anu that wrong to nic was
intcuded. Mr.. Frank Marshall, the Englisc, dra-
matist IN letter to the same paper, called put by
my own, used the following words:
very a any Sy ns cg I'm nave U
plagiarism from the French-an accusation which
he mas now 80 thoroughly and satisiactor ny re-
tuted.'
After an experience like this in 4 foreign land
am surely justified In asking similar cOurte from
great journal Ia my own city. / enter nto no
discussion as to "opnons,f whether the play OF
"MoorcrOft or the Double Weddng.r prod need on
saturday at the Filth Avenue rneatre is - ubblsh"
or not; whether my dialogue Is ''pueren or Drill
liant: whether my characters are taken II Om real
liie or are mere puppets; whether ou, SIR
with which }, as It's AUTHOR hnve nothing to do /
am n "thlrd partv" IN matters OF this md: the
questions lie between you and the pu nc Tue
people laugh at my dialogue you say taai dialogue
Is dun. Inc people applaud my ituatons
heartily; you say those situations are Inwor,hy
OF an Intelligent audience. | am an nterested
Pubhc and tho press. Fight it out bet ween you
and ''may the best man win.r When owevcr
you charge me with adapting a PLAY from the
French, while claiming It as original, y ou charge
a a