New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-03-19
An American Play in Paris.

Blasting powder and fuse join its ranks;
Buy it, miners. aud accept my thanks
An American Play In Paris.
One OF our Paris correspondents writes:
An important play was performed on Satur-
dsy night at the Theatre HistOrique. 1t is
entitled Lies Chevaliers de la Patrie," and |
is written by NJ. Albert Delpit, an author
fast rising into celebrity as high as that
of Aupier or Dumas, but of . purar and
more enviable kind. NJ. Delpit resided in
the United States as an American citizen
almost till the outbreak of the late war,
when he became ns,uralized French sab
iect and conducted himself with such ex-
traordiuary gallantry before the enemy
that his name WAS repeatedly cited IN the
orders OF the day, anu he won the red rib
bon of French knighthOod at an age when
other boys are generally cramBing for COM
petitive examinations. At the same time
he gained that rare and universally recOg'
nized distinction in letters which Ia no.
where SO difficult OF attainment as IN
France. NJ. Delpit first made his mark
among the bright company OF wits who
contributed to the Mousquetaire. jour
nal conducted by Alexandra Dumas
the elder but bis more widely spread popu-
Iaritv began with Q volume of patriotic
poetry called Invasion" which went
through fifteen editions in six months, and
was Gro ned ty the French Academy. In
1874 he also published lie Repentir."
of the Academy, and another such triumph
will confer upon him the right to q seat
among the '.Immortals" of that august
body. Indeed, NJ. Delpit appears to have
aeized upOu reputation at q bound, like that
made by Victor Hugo fifty years ago: His
drama Jean vauu pieds" was played with
great success last year. and he is one OF the
most remarkable writers in the Rerue des
Deur NondeS, and in the Erenement
Les Chevaiers &c la Patrie' is grand
historical drama in five acts and numer-
bus tableaus. Il deals in bold,
original way, with the main facts of the
American war of secession; with the ma
| tional aud domestic incidents which may
| be fairly assumed to have arisen out OF
| them. The care and attention to costume
! ami scenery with which the play has been
! produced # feet great credit on the man
| agement, and the work promises to become
one of the stock pieces of the theatre.
| Every act ia ashered in by separate over
| tnre M sde up Of selection of American
national airs, and the whole play ID Re ally a
valuable lesson on the history and ins,ltu-
tons of the United States-a lesson the
more valuable because it never wearies.
! The author has especially sought to demon
strate how ardent is the feeling OF patriot
l
patrie are President Lincoln on the one
side, General Stcnewall jackson on the
other; and although the sympathies OF NJ
Debit are apparently with the Southern
| hero, ample justice is done to his illustri
ous rival. There lie one tableau of Lincoln
reception room at the White House which is
quite beyond praise; and it is enlivened
py q specimen OF the shrewd and homely
talk Of the Northern statesman, which
shows that M. Delpit has an intimate
knowledge OF the springs Of action which
moved his mind and OF the quaint and kind
" modes of expression peculiar to him
The stern religious enthusiasm, the puritan
zeal austerity and vehement feelings Of mel
like Stonewsll jackson are also t quently
and even grandly rendered; while many Of
the we'll known dramatic incidents OF thu
war have been reproduced with extremely
picturesque effect The audience witness
the cruel death of the great Southern
leader, killed through q mistake o
his own troops; they are shown thu
adventurous attempt OF Thomas ant
Fitzpatrick to kidnap Lincoln and taxi
him down South with wild impossibl'
hope to end the war that way. They se'
the gallant figure of General Stuart II
his fantastic costume and scarlet cloak
followed by the legendary negro on Whit
horse, and the whole local coloring OF INT
military spect acle is accurately preserved
Several of the scenes are astOnishingly real
istic, and tableau representing the South
| ern army under canvas ia deliberately cor
| ract in every detail. Finally the play re
yeals the iawlessness aud rapine which in
eyitably resulted from tho confusion OF tn.
times, aud depicts some painful and sor
rowful events in social life which may have
we'll been personally known to the author
He b as not even shrunk from delineatin&
the mental characteristics of his person
| ages. maDv of whom were among the ia
miljar friends of his audience; he repro
| duces the grOtssQue songs and dances o.
| the negro. and shows the affectiOnate AM
protecting contempt with which the South
ern chivalry looked upon their human cat
tie. When it can be said that N. Delpit ha
done all this; that he has been able t,
handle recent episode OF history which
| still arouses many fierce passions. Wlthou
shocking the susceptibilities OF the part
sans CT either North or South, it must b
| admitted that he has Satisfactorily per
formed very hazardous experiment, aIi'
| ona which has never before resulted in
theatrical success. The gem of the piece i
the act IN which the supreme agony
Jackson is portrayed after he has receives
his death. wound: and the language put int
the lips of the sanity soldier az he take
leave of life. aud toresees the downfall
his cause, is sublime in its vigor aid elG
nnenaa. The house was crowded Wit
Americans, and it is no small praise to NJ
D.lDit that not an expression of dissent o
| Instrumentation was heard among them
The mart of Abraham Lincoln was admire
blv played by Latouche; that OF Lady BAL
ton, an English peeress, by Nine. Gem
Monta'an who put infinite spirit ana LII
NOR INTO it, and the whole cast OF 1he pee
was successful.-London Daily Ners.