New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-11-01
Barley Campbell.

which j. meritorious, is OF particular inter
est to the progressive people of our land.
America has asserted her superiority in
gigantic enterprises, in mechanical novel
ties. in railroads, in agriculture, in energy.
Her sons have made of the wilderness dis.
covered by Columbus, q garden, rose-bl
aomed and inhabited with cultured people.
Wealth has been garnered from our broad
fields, and delved from the mines underly.
ing our land. This hss been accomplished
by andaunfed energy, will and muscle.
With wealth has come leisure and oppor.
tunity for relaxation, and y desire to com
pete with the old world in literature.
science, arts, painting. music aud the
drama. II is unlikely the world will ever
duplicate Shakespeare. Mozart or Reu.
bens, but it looks tor new mas.
ters. of different sort, in place
OF the old. The statues of our Powers and
Story stand beautiful amOug modern STA
tuary: the eoloring Of Church, Bierstadt,
Scott and a score Of American artists.
pleases the eyes of An admiring world; the
romsnces woven into story BY Irving and
Hawthorne are read wherever the English
language is epcken; the songs vi L,ngfel.
low. Whittier and Lowell ara read and
sung beneath the sky over oil civilized
lands; our actors upon the 1y rio aud dram
attic stage are unsurpassed in culture and
talent. The question now is v no will write
the American playt T. is not answered by
the nun-rou. adaptations Sf other plays
and strries. Something American, by an
American. is demanded es foundation for
national dramatic literature. Hundrt de
are struggling for the prise. 1t will yet be
awarded by popular vt1fiict. Mr.. W. A.
Silver has given ns glimpso Of y comsdy
shrough his ''Clondss That is something,
but it j. not enough.
Amne the rising playwriRhta appears
Mr.. BARLEY Campbell in the West. He
has produced several plays which have had
in them many elements Of success. and
more than one Of them has become popu.
lar. His last effort is play called '.v,f.
ginian." and j. Waa produced for the 6rst
time last Monday avening, at Hooley's
Theatre in Chicago. 1t is original and
American. The scene opens - laid in
Pennsylvania, and the tims is that Of the
first year Of the rebellion. The scenery
sdm,is Of views of the pictures que country
Of Northern Virginia, and pictures Of the
A!egbsui~s by moonlight. The story fol.
lows thr fortunes vi . soldier Of tho Union
army, his capture and supposed death. ths
marriage vi his wife to another man, the
birth uf child to the newest couple, the
return Of the 6ra: husband, tho separation,
ths wife tn go with her arse husband, the
child with its real father. Tue play ia
spoken Of ~ one full Of pa.hos and power.
lights and shAdes to move IN audience.
Its toashing situations arc calculated to
bring t-ars. which are in turn j"stled away
BY the smiles caused BY the con'ic charac-
ters revolving srosnd The central figures.
The play has already taken . strong hold
upon the public.
We speak fthis the Dere readily because
OF NJ. Ca,npbsli's previous connection with
the press Of NV Orleans In tho years
after the var he resided here for some time,
and ~ q humble reporter, and common
scribe. did good work. He hsd not then
ssruck She key note of the drama; but iu
Aumorous p0ems and skeiohts be dsvelored
talens Of . high order. capable Of better
shangs than ephemerai Kel2-, and his cue
oess in , asw sphere brings pleasure to
tanso O3 HE friende 0ho remember him
here. Home talent, when IL proves 10 be
Mo best talent. can easily hs sneUsrAged.
Who - our msnsgers will produce . !
Bartley Campbell play, In plsce II import
ID nonsense 0hich soe entirely eseopies
our sssgeS