New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-02-04
4 PARTSIAN ROMANCE.

Ora tho topics of the mon ent the question OF
the morality Of "A Parlslan Romance the play
now current here At tho Union Square Theatre. ana
obviously destined TO keep its place In prosperous
publicity, for long time. We do not know that
mi, question 10 orc OF special Importance. IL sug-
gcs.s. however. passing reflection on the ease with
which the advocates of this sort OF morality are
able TO perpIex their own apprehension as to the
simple and obvious truth
A Partisan Romance" il. for tho most part, the
portraiture of vice and OF evil ways The principal
person In it sa loathsomc sensualist. without one
single virtue or one redeeming quHhty-a man
absolutely hateful and nauseous. la his seltshness
oreeJ witness lust cruelty and low ideas.
more nbom inable wretch could not readily be i'm
agined and he is all the more dreadful and repul-
siye because no is true TO phase of actual lie
and because hc Is arrayed and surrounded with the
earb and appliances Of refinement THIS indlvid-
nal in the midst Of career Of rancid prohIgacy, Is
seen TO be suddenly stricken with fatal illness.
and lie dies In n fearful manner-at a gorgeous sup
portable surrounded with dancing girls who are
carousng amid flowers and to the sound of mnsc,
in one Of the gayost places in tho brilliant capital
Of France.
Another prominent person Is frivolous woman
who deserts her husband because he has become
poor. and runs away with AN equally frivolous and
able poverty-and who comes back. rcmoroeful. to
o, miro i'm an agony OF repentance ana of wounded
self-lovo Still another is = shrewd and 1ippnnt
dancing girl whose virtue consists In a cool and
calculating regard for number one." and whose
delcacy Ia OF tho RiDd that allows her, III the lol-
lest way to arouse and trle with the bad passions
of bad man. Most of tho associated persons arc oI
an equally objection able kind so that with two or
three exceptions the characters may .be described
a, herd Of reprobates. And their proceedings
set forth As representative Of aspect OF Partisan
society.
Iti.not to he denied that the work has been ably
and adroitly done, aud that the moral lesson de-
duciblo from il /, correct. "The sAtirical rogue
says here that old men havo gray boards" SO they
b.ye And libidinoui old stock-broker, who lives
tho life OF beast Is likely to perish in torment.
Evsrybody has read about the hand that wrote
upon King Bsshazzars wall. But 1t Is just here
that certain French writers arc the most insldious
In their literary and dramatic methods The truth
IA that work may no immoral in Its spirit and in
finance. while entirely moral in It's precept The
moral lesson of " Zola's novel of Mana" for OK
annie. IS entirely exemplary. The book states
fact, and holds up IA warning. But If there be
ua.tlsr story or moro perncions In It's possibly
pollntng effect upon the mind. we should hope tho
police might promptly destroy 1t.
The very exhibition OF some things is vicious and
Injurious to society, even though that exhibition be
made with good intent. and even though the
lesson which might be formulated from il IL strictly
moral Some Of HogarCh's pictures distinctly aim
TO teach virtuous living, by showing the terrible
consequences Of vice; but, practically, he would be
n singular mOralist. indeed who should hang forth
those pictures for tho instruction OF youth and the
edIication OF women. " Let u.s. sai0 DIR. Johnson
free our minds from cant" 1t Is not squeaml5h
ness which objects to such sights as nre shown In
"A Partisan Romance" 1t is good taste and
wholesome sense OF public proprety. Those sights
are painful and repulsve, and 1t is not good that
they should lie shoTs-no matter how magnih-
Gently they are framed, nor with how much talent
and beauty tnoy are illustrated and enforced That
they will 10 shown and that the spectacle will
prosper we are we'll aware. But thoughtful obsery-
ers " no esteem and would promote the welfare OF
the stage. are under no obligation to beiog their
minds with q cssuisiiUal Wow OF such subject.
There Is a cant OF vice, as well as cant of virtue,
and one s even mUre contemplate than the other.