Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-06-03
THE MORALS OF THE STAGE.
A Suggestive Essay by HeuIy Iry
ing.

London Correspondence Boston Post.l
Henry Irving, who has had so
much success in his presentations
of "Hamlet," "Macbeth " and
"Otbello," at the Lyceum, has
just developed a new talent and
become eloquent on his own ac-
count. It would appear that he is
not obliged to rely entirely on his
playbooks for fine sentiments and
forcible rhetoric, but that he can
evolve these from his own unaided
brain. The Church Of England
Temperance Society has been hold
igg 4 series of conferences in Lon
don. el ghich the last occurred on
| FriQay. The attraction Of the
afternoon was an essay by Henry
living on amusements," in theil
relation to temperance and morals.
| It must have seemed rather odd tC
| the assembled rectors and curatei
of the church to find themselves
listening attentively to the reehc-
tions of an actor on a topic o.
ethics; and quite as strangely mus
Mr.. Irving himself have felt to heal
himself loudly applauded after h,
had finished, by so unwOnted an
audience. The essay, indeed, wa
well worthy of applause. 1t wa
eloquent, learned, sensible anl
wise, and contained many truth
about the stage and the habits o
actors which are, to say the least
not very generally known or ampl.
recognized in society. Needless j
it to say that it was well delivered
He showed chat the objection urge,
by some good and pious peopl
/, against the theater-that it brough
honest folks into too near a prox
unity with bad characters and asso
: ciations-is not true as regard
most houses, and that it is mucI
more true as regards promenad
! concerts, which pious people thin
|. it quite proper to attend, and wher
the audience is always in motion
OF the stage as an educator Of tn
} common people, he made reall
very forcible defense. He shove
that the masses of the towns wei
only, or at least were best, to b
, reached and influenced for good b
well-conducted dramas. They al
i little influenced by churches {
schools, and have little taste fo
. reading; but they all flock to tn
;, theater. What do they find ther
and how does the stage infuenC
]. them? Mr.. Irving admitted thu
ls much in the minor theaters is WI
y gar, and even injurious in tel
. dency; but he stoutly maintainc
& that "the main stream Of dramat
l. sentiment in all veins is pur
kindly, righteous, and, in a sens
5, religious" "It is from the the
& ater," he eloquently went o
cs "from the legitimate theater, fro
English tragedy, comedy al
Y drama, that the commonalty Of {
III classes derive more than from al
b other source the food and stim
3Hgi lants which the higher nature I
4. quires. Literary men who writ
VI preachers who preach, daily d
pi. cover with pain that to lar
= extent their work is in t
clouds, A moving actor GO
straight and surely to the popul
head and heart" Mr., Irving we
on to show that it is not by hidil
evil, but by exhibiting it alongsi
of good, that the character of m
is trained and led to choose goC
He told his audienne that tn,
ID" London theaters which are situat
in the midst Of the poorer quart,
are generally worthy Of suppc
and exhibit, if not the best, at le
) I thoroughly moral and healt
~ dramas; and added that the VII
of burlesque has not extended
any large degree to these theatt
AS to the question Of intemperal
- as relating to theater-goers
maintained that the theater is
actual ally of the temperance cal
~ and there is much in this argume
,u, Drinking, he says, goes on at
seA r.l l,n