The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-04-26
NEW YORK LETTER.
The Power of Circumstances
Over Men and Things.
FaVOrltes OF Fortune la the Past and
Present.
General Grant and HIs Latter Day Oppon-
ents.
Boston Herald. I

ago General Grant was confronted by three
grave opponents: 4 disinclination to put
him on the retired list of the army with the
full pay of general; public scandal in con-
nection with the firm of Grant & Ward, and
an omnipotent cancer" concealed within
which was an unquestioned doctor predicted
death. To-day he sits com placent and
CHEEKY in his easy chair looking out upon
the pussy willows, the springing violets and
the budding trees in the enjoyment of the
full pay of general of the armies, with Fish
and W ard, his old partners, in Ludlow street
Jail, not daring to breathe even the name OF
Grant, and so much better of his cancer"
that the doctor predicted death has skunk
away into pc haps. the peradyenture,
and the past, while the family contemplate
q summer trip across the broad blue sea"
was thinking az 1 drove past Grants
magnifi cent house this morning, and saw
the stalwart Fl cure of his son descend the
steps and stride sturdily along to the Fourth
avenue car, wbistling merrilY as he went,
how much circumstances have to do with
making names, flames, fortunes and disas-
tiers. Take en- actor, for instance He hiss
the favor OF his manager, who assigns him to
a good. q taking part He plays it
we'll and Is instantly received into
favor by the critics and the people. On the
other hand he is assigned to an Indifferent
part, which he plays as well as ii is possible,
bat, making nothing OF it, for reasons per-
fectly clear, he is ignored altogether. or else
coDfounded by pres and public with the
part itself in an unfavOrable judgment. l
was particularly struck with this By the sad
fate Of Miss Viola Allen, very pretty girl
with sweet, winsome face and pretty, girl.
Ish figure indicative OF weakness, physical,
but CT much refinement and sentiment. she
pie -ed, you remember, with John McCul-
Tough for one or two seasons, taking with
great acceptability the leading juvenile roles,
such as Virginia and Ophelis She was en-
gagged by Steele Msckaye to play the leading
juvenile
N THE LYCEUM THEATER.
l thought the cast unfortunate, because il
required a stronger natured woman than
Mss Allen could portray, aud the lines sag
geeted trains of thought TO which one of her
girlish appearance aud development must of
necessity be stranger. In common with
other writers spoke of her performances as
weak. The name cement recognized it also,
and determined 10 MAKE change, engaging
Miss Kate Forsythe for the part. Now Miss
Alien, having achieved success with McCul-
LyoeUm, and, had there been a part suited
to her peculiarly winsome nature she would
Unquestionably have done what she desired
Circumstances were against her, and, when
she found that the management. without no.
tifying her, had determined to supplant her
with another, she very naturally, although
somewhat unfairly, perhaps refused to play
just as the curtain was going up, thereby
embarrassing the management, disappoint-
ing the audience and putting herself in an
unfortunate attitude so FAR as the public are
concerned. See how completely she becomes
q creature of circumstances. 1t wasn't for
her to say whether the part suited her. 1t
wasn't for her to change the character of the
role. 1t was for her simply to be
confronted by circumstances environed
by circumstances, overwhelmed By
circumstances which she could in no sense
control or determine Take that noble set
of men-Garrison, Philips, Beecher and their
oonfreres-who fought the good fight in re.
speot OF slavery and its adjustment. Gifted
with unusual outfit Of brains, aud furnished
with conscience of moro than ordinary sensi
tiveness, with eloquent tongues and fscile
fingers, they would undoubtedly, in any
time, have asserted their superiority over
The common run OF men, bat don't you see
AOw much they were helped by circumsia A.
ces2 The time had come for the agitation of
the abolition OF slavery. Toe public was
awakened to the enormjty OF the peculiar
institution" Its upholders were not only
arrogant, but had become defiant They not
only asserted their right to the maintenance
of the evil, but their right to its extension,
and there the fight began. These men
were In the early days termed fanatics.
The dough-faced element at,the North, ,,toadd-
istic, phsrissicsl, knee-cringing, head bend
ing, pocket opening fawned in the presence
of slave holders, because in their hands rested
political power and the offices OF the Nation.
Circumstances never favored men more thor.
oughly than on this occasion. They favored
the early 8giIators of the abolition of slavery.
EN- EN- the babies on the block OF agitation,
clicked and yelled and scresmed themselves
into famous notcIiety, and the Tiltons and
the Bleckwells and the Stantons doomed
above the horizon as great" simply because
they N sde great noise and followed the
camp OF the real fighting army. Toe youth
of to day knows very little OF
TIE MEN OF TIE PAsT.
doubt ifimme date history II do Justice to
EliZur Wright or to Louis Iappan, or 20 toe
other pames above mentioned. Cycles OF
time must roll around before the nations
appIs C alive bump will be 50 adequately de-
velaped that these famous men will receive
their plsuditorial acclaim. FIR Matthew
with all his slertness, brightness goodness
ard beDevolence would never baye been
hsa'd OF had he not risen az 8 time when the
world wss seitsted on the subject OF temper
ance, and total abstinence was the text NJ
million sermons year for a decade. l for
bear utilizing Grover Cleveland aud his for
tunaie coming into public life at time when
the Folger forged proxy turned 100000
votes from the Republican 10 the Democrat
&c ranks lest e might seem personal IN 10Y
application, bat l suppose even his most sell
fish Auditor will not hesitate 10 indorse the
words of Cleveland himself, when he said i:
! an certain to be elected it's Just my
luck - Ask friav ia of Fram07f uhO snr1 n o
Tie emancipation OF Missousi's slaves uO1n
81 amazed and startled nation. years before
Lincoln dreamed of IL; ask the friends of
Mcclellan, to whom money aud msu and
arms we're denied, time and tims again: ask
the friends of Burnside, who wept teas al
most Of blood. because OF the chains aud
shsckles that held him back when he wanted
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