Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1882-12-22
Mhe Ninh5tnepr.
FRIDAY MORNING, DEC. %, 1882.
JUNGLE TOMS CABIN,

JUNGLE TOMS CABLN.'
We see mention in Republican Or
gan of the presentation of this play in
the South, and The expression of wish
that it might be presented all over the
South, the idea being that the presenta-
tion would be punitive to certain ex-
tent. Itwould appear that the Bourbon
Republicans of the country understand as
little Of the feeling at the South now as they
lately understood about the feelings Of the
American people towards their sectional
party. The people of the Southern States
don't care two buttons about the presen-
tation of s'Uncle Toms Cabin" in their
midst. So far from regarding it as pun
ishment, the people of Staunton, for ex-
ample. paid travelling company 5000 to
play it before them not ten days ago. and
the company for playing it well had their
artistic merit literally applauded. If the
sectional Radicals who have held the
American government for now over TWEEN
fy years think that such play is equal to
sticking pins in the Southern Democrats,
they are mistaking the South of 1882 for
the South of 1860. And that is the all
pervading mistake that these B ourbon-
neutrality-suspicious. make hey see
nothing in their blindness but the South
of '6O Cotton factories are starting all
over the south; from every Southern port
new lines of ships are sailing for foreign
ports;iron, coal, manganese and other mines
are being opened and worked; the industry
Of the Southern people is competing with
overwhelming success with that of the
North, and the factories of the great
Northern manufacturing States are look
ing with an anxious business eye to the
future, and yet, ignoring the real danger
to their section, the Republican press is
contenting itself with such childish twad-
die as rejoicing that Uncle Tom s Cabin -
can now be, so to speak, inflicted" on the
South.' It were much more in accord
with the present spirit of the North, if
they had pointed with satisfaction to the
fact that the feeling of liberation in the ex-
slave States had advanced so rapidly that
the presentation of the play named was
possible within their borders.
As for the play itself, it is just what it
always was, and Southern audience has
one great advantage over Northern one
in witnessing it; they know exactly where
its truth and where its falsehoods are
Many of them witness it with an unaffec-
ted curiosity to see what it was that had 80
large part in firing the Northern heart
AS for the correctness Of the play, it is
Just as reliable as if an author were land
some of them do, to this day. to take E
fatal street fight in southern city ant
work it up as the daily life of the people
of that city. But if it were absolutel!
correct in all its details the Southern
States have no more to do with SLAYER.
now than those of the North, except tina
they suffer more directly from the illltera
cy of the late slaves. The South is to-
busy making itself formidable competi
tor with the North in trade, to give time t.
pin stick now and then by Bourbon
Stalwart in its powerful. muscular ant
healthy body especially when Uncle San
has just by an overwhelming majority Civ
ca him written notice that he must
leave the premises in two years from date
We should say, however. in justice tt
the company that presented the play here
that it was done purely as theatrica
venture, with no idea of giving offence t.
any one, and in return their venture wa
we'll patronized, as it would be, doubt
less, in many other cities in the South
OF course not all Of them, because in thu
South, as everywhere else, the people ex
ercise their constit utional right to 60 ant
see what they want to see and stay ava.
from what they don't care about seeing.