New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-05-02
ne distinctly

the pasta vague period which no distinctly
remembers defines, and which still recedes, tho
more diligently ii is pursued, lin the dark back
ward and abvs-1 of time" One difference between
the Past and the Present is that the stage which
lived in a camp now lives in palace. Another
difference is tina; eminent talents which once
conc entrated dhused. The standard Of
taste has fuctTated. AT the beginning OF the CEN
tury It appears to have been more fastdious and
mere intellectual than 1t is now. but not
than Il has two or three times been within the
intervening period. In my boyhood the great tragic
genius OF the stage the elder Booth, whom
saw Pescara, during his last engagement In Bos
tor. in Island n magnificent image no was, OF
appalling power and terror The tragic sovereign,
however was Edwin Forrest and for many years
his influence survived affecting the style of such
compeers as Eddy, Neafe. Scott, Proctor. Kirby
and Marshall and more or less moulding that Of
the romantic Edwin Adams. the intellectual Law
renee Barrett and the gentle. generous. Affection
ate stalwart John Mccullough "the noblest Ro-
man OF them all" In comedy the prevalent tradi-
ton was that of Finn,-whom ! never saw but Of
whom / constantly heard-but the actual prince
was the elder Wallack; and very after he had
| spGrkled into splendid popularity the rosy gods OF
mirth released such messengers OF happiness as
| Warren and Gilbert Burton and Blake Hackett
! and Fisher. Placde and owens. and the buoyant
| John Brougham, whose memory Is still cherished in
all our hearts. A little ater,-the more intellectual
! taste in tragedy gaining sudden pre-eninence
| from the reaction against FOrrest,-the spiritual
beauty and the wild and thrilling genius Of Edwin
| Booth enchanted the public mind and captured an
absolute sovereignty of the serious stage while in
| comedy the Gttering figure Of Lester Waacll
| bore TO the front rank. and reared moro splen-
didly than ever before the standard Of Wiks. and
Lewis and Elliston. which had been preserved and
transmitted by Charles Kemble, the elder Wallack.
and both the chieftains OF the house of Mathews.
Meanwhile Murdoch, Vandenhoff, e. l.. Davenport,
| and the younger James Wallack maintained in
roval state the fine classic tradition of John KEN
! BILE Cooper Macready and Young: The grandeur
| of Sarah Siddons lived again in Charlotte Cush-
man; and i'm the realm of imaginative. romantic.
human drama. n exquisite artist of humor
and of tears than yet had risen our stage
| an artist who is 10 Acting what Reynolds 10
Painting and what Hood TO Poetry-carred
| natural porraiture TO ideal perfection. and made
| Uus,rious the name of Joseph jefferson.
| The stage in itself. is not degenerate. The old
| fires are not yet dead. The world moves onward
| and "the palmy days" move onward with the
world. At this moment the public taste Is tickle
and the public morality nfirm but this moment Is
| reactIonary and Of course IL will not last. The
! stage has been degraded; the press has been pol
luted; the church has been shaken; the whole
! fabric Of society has been threatened. The as
saults Of materallsm. blighting faith and discred
iting romance. have had temporary triumph
| The dangerous delusion that there is divinity In
| the untaught multitude has everywhere promoted
| disorder Violence and vulgarity. So. from time to
| time the dregs endeavor TO reach the top But all
| this fever and turmoil will pass: and In those
| saner times which at hand, the Stage, as we
| know II and love 1.-THE stage OF Wignel and
| Dunlap the stage Of Reach and Barry, the stage
| Of Wallack and Booth and Henry Irving. and Au-
| grstin DAILY the stage that, in our day, has been
| adorned by Rachel Risori Seebach. Janauschek
| and Modjeska and by Adelaide Nelson and Mary
Anderson twin stars OF loneliness. the all pas
sion and sorrow the other all innocence. light. and
ioyo the stage that possesses the wild. poetic
| hearty and rare. elusive. celestial spirit Of Ell
| len Terry and the enchanting womanhood and
| blithe gleeful. tender, human charm OF Ada Re
| han the stage that Is consecrated to intellect
| genius and beauty,-w again assert It's splendid
mower and will again rejoice In all the honors. and
manifest all the inherent virtues. OF the stage Of
our forefathers, IN the best OF their golden days.
| But | detan you too long from voices more elo-
| oucnt than mine and thoughts more worthy. There
| Il little more be said. My career writer
n bout the stage seems TO be drawing to a close.
| II has been freighted with exactng responsibility,
! II has been inexpressbly laborious; and It's con-
| cluslon would cause me no regret ] have no en-
mites ard II IN my life have wounded any
heart / have done without intention. and hope