The New Orleans Democrat., 1876-04-30
LIFE in PARIS.
THERE ~ NEITHER TRIGEDr NOR
COMEDY NON.

Unpublished Thoughts Of voitatre--M.
Thicrs' Ideas still nuIe-The King
Of the indies.
from Regular Correspondent Of tho Trbunel
PARIS March 8. There Is no lack OF
| comedy in France, where every one
wishes to play his role, now that lawyers
and physicians have found their high.
school in politics. Very soon there will
not be spectators enough to ill the thea
tres.
DUMAS AND AUdIiH
Yet we possess some writers Of dra-
matte genius, such Us Augier, Dumas,
s,ardou, and Meilhac--to speak only or
those who hold their places on the
boards. The cultivated Parisians who
do not besmutch themselves with poll
| ties are at present divided between Du-
mas and Augier. L'EtranGerc is the
work of master who, wishing to show
himself. perforce. as u universal dra-
matte genius, has neither produced u
drama nor comedy but 1t Is IL lively
piece, and abominably clever.
In an aristocratic eociety like that or
tho seventeenth century. the theatre
addressed itself TO but a single class,
and only illustrated that cluss--the no.
bility. In this sense the gentle and po-
etio Eacine is the most realistic of dra-
mntic authors he masks his characters
with Greek or Roman names, because
the fashion will have IT. SO, but they ~
live and move ut the court OF Louis NV.
IL was there that he studied their
speech. their passions and sentiments ;
and he has reproduced with truly pho
tographic exactness that speech, those
passions and sentiments. hchtHe ana
Niphdres nre simply matquises. as nm
genie and M0nime are duebesses. Az for
The simple citizen, he has no right to
be in tragedy. For whomsoever Is not
noble, there is comedy. farce, rldiecle,
kicks aud blows Of the cndgel2 aIhe
4 bonrgeois IL Georgcs DdHdU, insulted
by his fathor-in law, ilouted by his ser
want woman. jeered at by his wife, and
Obliged, the miserable wretch, to cry for
pardon and fall upon his knees as
Comedy before H. de SoteariHc. that Is
to say, Tragedy
Nowadays comedy and tragedy are
fused together in the drama, which Is
tho complete and universal theatrical
form. The b0urgeots Is no longer the
ridiculous character who WAS once tied
/ M ia n sack or knocked down with
club. He has his place in the forum
lie demands IL also on the stage. Inc
, Tiers. Etat has made reality of II famous
, saving: it was nothing. it is everything
Thus dramatic art no longer speaks t'
! this or that class of society, but to al
classes. This is why Alexandra Dumas
lis. tries his hand more and more al
comedy this is why criticism is wrong
when it reprouches him for not doing a'
others do,
! AuDACIry IN ART
The characteristic of art Is audacity
What Il audacity?-it is an innovatint
spirit Commonplace men may create
works perfect according to the rules
but that is the perfection OF nulllty
Formerly we had in France an Abbe
d'Aubignac, who gave absolute laws fol
tragedy: so far, IL was we'll enough
Then he wrote IL tragedy to prove tina,
he was right; but bis tragedy convinced
everybody that he was wrong.
Neither Emile Augier nor Alexandrt
Dumas has ever put in practice the
: rules OF the Able d'Aubignac; and fol
} twenty one years past their names have
been signed to the strongest pieces OF
the contemporary stage. one may say
: of these that they have the talen
, which cuts through everything. Eaci
1 one OF their scenes impresses itself or
tho memory, each one Of their words
has the true stamp All intelligent IA
! well as curious minds are enthusiastic
=, over L'Etrdnyere and Madame Conter
,, lei.
voLTAtRE.
, Two wears hence we are promised :
great festival In honor Of Noltaire, who
, died in l77S. OF him one may say tha
the dav of his death was the first OF his
immortality: he still remains the mos
. living mind of our country. Voltairt
bcoueathed to France the revolution o
1889; to Europe, the hatred of darkness
to humanity, the evangel OF good; tt
, the world, the current coin OF intell
cence All philosophers, from Plato tt
Descartes, have built fairy castles ant
:, fought with chimeras. Voltaire bull
: the temple of the human mind, an,
! fought with monsters and supersti
' tions." 1t has been said OF him tha
: he should have died without making ,
y will. as it was said of Jean Jacques
Rousseau that he should have died with
out making confession. Voltaire, in
deed. wrote his will under the dictatiol
;, OF his niece, on the last day OF his life
', and he forgot the poor because Madam
:. Denis was Unsuitable But was thi
really the will of Voltaire? No; tn
:, legacy Of man Of genius is his work
. A piece of good fortune has placed Il
: my hands the last manuscripts OF Vol
taire-thOugntS written IToHh uay'
day, and often during the small hour
s of the night--the last malice OF that un
8 repeuting demon, the last truths falle
u from that great soul. l have looke
Il through all the pages Of Voltaire with
d out finding these thoughts, except fe,
It in his Philosophical Dictionary. l giy
i them in the admirable disorder i
r which | found them, as the engrave
@ who translates the sketch OF a maste
repeats the faults of the original design
We recognize in them the nlve.sa
q Voltaire- religion, love, philosophy
! literature, fine arts, history; all tn
. capitals and provinces OF that tyran
- nical monarch OF the human mlnd.
:. HIS LAST THOUGHTS.
u "a people must not be forced. 1t is
Z river which cuts its own channel, an
Q YOU cannot make it change its course.
"Why does one always say, mo