The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-04-22
AN AMERICAN MELODRAMA In
PARIS
President Lincoln and Stonewa
Jackson DPamattged.

President Linc0ln and stonewall
Jackson Dramstised.
Paris Correspondent OF the N. Y. Tribune
The adventurous American in Paris al
the present moment is deriving much
entertainment from going to see the
highly successful melodrsma of the
"Chevaliers de Ia Pstrie,' ut the Theatre
Historque. Isay sadyenturous, because
the theatre in question is very far
of, and. though of splendid aspect
and proportion, much ,frequented by
that class of amateurs who find
the suspense of tho entr' acts intolerable
without the Requirement OF an orange.
The drama in question treats brayely of
the American civil war, and the "cheva-
Tiers" from whom 1t takes Its name are
Abraham Lincoln and Stonewall Jack.
son, 1t is no less than eigh acts, but /
sat tn the end, for it is most exhilerating
affair. The author, one M. Delpit,
is, l believe, by birth Louisianian
He evidently "knows BETTER" but he
knows that his audience does not, and
he gives them their moneys worth
OF local color, In the first act
the greater part of the dranaatis persone
are assembled on a steam boat on the Po.
tomac, and they all come to the side of
the vessel and narrate their histories to
the audience. Mean while the steamboat
is racing with craft Soi an opposition
line, and the captain has formally an
nounced that his boat must win the race
or blow up. One or other of the boilers
must burst-they can only hope it will
be the other. The passengers exclaim in
chorus, "All right" and await further
developments. At last the rival steam
boat comes alongside, and, after a mo.
ment of painful suspense, explodes, ats
the other!" cry the passengers, and con.
tlnue their promenade on the deck. The
sequel Is worthy of this beginning, but /
cannot begin to unweave its tangled web.
Abraham Lincoln is ever administering
justice in one of the saloons of the
White House, like primitive chieftain
under the spreading oak. The White
House, indeed, appears to open out in the
rear into the forest primeval. The scene
is of course in high degree farcical, but
the actor who represents Mr.. Lincoln has
succeeded in making up his head into a
very tolerable likeness of the original.
Then we are transported to the Southern
army, in which two gallant young
Frenchmen have come TO seek commits
sions, land introduced to Stonewall jackson
aud the famous cavalry chieltain, Stuart.
This, of course, furnishes the opportunity
for very dramatic contrast-Jackson
sitting reading the Bible on one side of
the stage, Stuart draining his glass on
the other and the Southern army dis.
played in the background. Stuart pro-
poses to give 'lete" in the evening,
but jackson piously protests. Stuart,
however insists, Jackson goes off in sor-
row, if not in anger, and the fete- con-
sisting OF dozen negro ninstrels and
as many ballet girls--ls promptly put
forward. 1t is interrupted however by
the return OF Jackson on a litter, fresh
from the field Of battle, and MORALLY
wounded. During the fete Il battle had
been raging, at which Stuarts attend
ance appears to have been deemed
supertiuous. Jackson, in his death age
ny. struts and stamps about the stage,
and requests the two French officers to
repair straightway to Washington and
kdnap Mr.. Lincoln. This they proceed
to do in the next act; but Wilkes Booth
whose name has been altered by the
censorship comes very near being be-
forehand with them. They are all baf-
fed, however, by the sublimity of Mr.
Lincolns conversation, and the curtain
falls upon the reunion of the French of
iicers and their sweethearts in one OF the
parlors of the White House, where the
President iraterna:iy blesses them.