The New York herald., 1876-11-24


Adams IS well and doing well Mr. Adams is ono Of
The few men who have the privilege Of reading their
swn obituaries.
SUNSHINE ON RosALIND.
70 EDITOR HERALD
Your powerful and sagacous contemporary, the Sun,
has recently devoted the Rosalind of Shakespeare
and Miss Fanny Davenport those mighty energies
which have been hitherto at the service of
Governor Tldcn; but, regret to say, not
with the same camness and impartality
which distinguish its treatment OF the
political crisis. No doubt the question whether Miss
Davenport does docs not play Rosand perfectly Is
worthy OF the vigorous editorial logic Of the Sun
the question whether Tden Hayes is to be tho
next President and therefore, ought to be discussed
with the same fairness and courtesy. In The
IN the other, the Sun cannot settle the question by
its mere ipse dirit, unsupported by facts.
In its intellectual grappe with the issues raised by
Mr. DaIy's splendid revival Of LAS You Like I at the
Fiith Avenue Theatre the Sun seems TO make pro.
hminary mistake by Ignoring the beautiful scenery,
The sumptuous dresses tho unrivallcd Orlando OF Mr.
Coghlan, the very melancholy Jaques of Mr.
Fisher, the traditional Toucnstonc OF Mr.. Davidgc,
the brilliant vocalism OF Mr. Castle, and all
the other attractive features with which Mr. Daily has
crowded his stage and by concentrating its entire at
tcntion upon tho single character Of Rosalind This Is
II your amable contemporary had ignored the votes
OF Florida and Louisiana and dealt only with the South
Carolina its political discussions In fact the
mistake is far greater, for Rosalind is repre-
sentcd by lady, and. in this country
the ladies have the proud privilege Of being always
right matter how wrong thoy may, Mt first sight,
appear. When lady like Mrs. House kills her hus-
Wand with Creedmoor shot, even jersey
,.ry acquts her, with thanks. Whom another lady
breach OF promise OF marriage although there
may be grave judicial doubts about the promise and
doubt at all to the marriage, the jury present
Ter with $40, 600 and their compliments This wide
range OF womans rights clearly includes her way
in the conception and rendering Of Shakesperan
character, even though the Sun may differ IRON her
views
This error las 1t seems mel in the SUMS selection
Of point OF attack, is further complicated by It's
method of treatment Miss Davenport, u trained
actress born upon the stage, and with lifelong the
hrical experience, is deliberately cassed with Miss
Kate Field, Mrs Pomroy aud Miss Dickinson, who
are, by comparison, only promising amateurs. The
weakness Of thus classification is evident from
the act that ncnher of these three ladies' has
attempted to play Rosand. Then why drag them
into the dscussong Why not compare the lovely but
disputed Rosand OF Miss Davenport with the ugly
Rosa OF Charlotte Cushman; the classical Rosalnd
Of Ellen Tree the wooden Rosalind Of Mrs Barrow;
the struck Rosalind oil Mrs Scott -Sddons, tho
moonshiny kosalind OF Miss Nelson; the undress Ros-
alind OF Mrs Rousby and the mythical Rosalinds of
lncent England. including the tragical Rosalind who
scd her career with The recitation OF the charming
rpio4uey such compar sons would ut least have APP
much right sciec her own pattern of Rosandsa
any of her predecessors but to compare Miss Daven
port with LADIES who have never played In "As You
Like II" is ike comparing The count in' OF South
Carolina with the undisputed elections in Ohio Massa-
chdsetts and New York. where returning boards are
unknown
Equally illcgical-and, therefore. foreign to the
usnal characteristics ot your able contemporaries
Che Snas snori 10 prove tnat Miss Davenport pre-
tiuded from DelIf perfect Rosalind by her personal
pcco iar:tles as woman or course this attempt
faiss the issue as TO what Is perfect Kosaiinu
The 'Saa throws but little light upon this point
..Rosand rs Is o.sl, character a, OF romance II
known ouly TO the realms OF fancy ana possible only
there" The comparison is unfortunate; lcr the
Forest of Arden actually exists TO this day in the
realms, not OF fancy, but of Belgium and the charac-
tcrs IN As You Like I do nothing in that forest which
would not be ..possble" in any o,her well regulated
forest OF that period They eat and drink sing make
love- moraze and kill deer; but have
known all these proceedings except, perhaps. the
aeer hunt TO be ''possibe," and even probable In
such unroman,ic forest as Jones' Wood! Why not,
then, IN tho Foresl oil ArdcnS The San seems lost IN
this word It's declaration that Rusalind mot
photograph but ''projccton" is all Of tangle. /
could take Sarony TO witness that Rosalind whether
impersonated by Miss Nelson Mrs Scott-Siddons or
Miss Davenport, Is not only "a photograph. out
very pretty aud saabe photograph; but do not
call sarony court because no photographer should
quarrel with the Sun.
The next step in the argument OF your esteemed con-
temporary is that because Rosalnd Subtle "dcl,-
cate" ''idenl' und ''poetic, no ono who has hot
something OF tho poets vison can comp chend her.
This dctum would Danish all players who are not
poets, from Edwin Booth to &. L. Fox out OF tho
realms of Shakespeare, and would leave the person
who writes campaign ballads for the SIn com
pctc monopoly OF the classic DRAMA for,
OF course, your CONSISTENT contemporary would
recommend managers any but true Tilden poets
ior such ideal and romantic creations Hamlet and
Bottom. Neither is the doctrine OF natural selection
for Rosalnd laid down by the SUM- any more fortu
nate for is to be judged, not by what she
really is in her private life. but by what
shc appears be before the foot
lights The very word acting implies change
or character disguise or natural pccui,arties So,
when the San says that the Fifth Avenue RosaIind Ia
naturally that Is to say In private fe) destitute
OF poetical feeling" "lackng refinement "seif.
confident SMART dashiug' and .'rather shallow"
horns OF dilemma Either his opinion or
Rosand has been obtained from seeing her upon tho
stage, which it's as have shown. entirely do
lusivc; IL has been formed from meeting her In
private fe IN which case, | need hardly say. IL Is
grossly mpcrtincnt In either case, as hundreds OF
tncn into what position the neglcc. OF its customary
logical caution has led your esteemed but mistaken
contemporary.
have endcavored to discuss the Rosalnd question
with the strict logic but without the belgerency Of
The SIMS political correspondents, and am content
recommend the attention OF your contcmpo-
rary after II has disposed OF Grant and Hayes and
cleared It's crowded columns Tor this greater subject
First that although IL be unfortunate that Snake
spcare lived before tue Sua sti he certainly did wre
..As You Like 1t" play for the players, a
this o liberty has right to her own conception
OF Rosafind and must be criticised according to that
conception-not according to any 'tdcal' or "r0
manticp standard Third, that no criticism OF any
actress is legitimate which pretsnds to contrast her
real with her assumed character since such contrast
must necessarily be either ignorant or impertncnt or
botn All Of which is respectfully submitted to the
herald the arbter OF arts rs OF politics and arms