El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-03-21

/ the once magnificent family home. his
/ reunion with the sister he left a baby
! now grown almost to womanhood: the
chase of the renegade negro captain
after the little girl, and her jump to
! death to save her honor the battle
, OF the southern family in flight from
H. the negro soldiers, in the little hut of
( two former union veterans: their res
! cue by the Clansmen; the rescue of the
people Of Piedmont. 5. c, from the car
! pet bagger-neGrO rule and the street
mObS by the same band of ghostlike
night riders. the battle Of the radical
northern leaders daughter against his
negro proteSe to prevent forced mar
! rldge-theSe are some of the thrillinglv
! big scenes in addition TO the war pic
lures. but not all by any means
The burning OF Atlanta is a spectacle
OF startling horrifying grandeur
Plenty of Love Interest.
The story follows rather closely the
story OF "Fhe Clansman." by Thomas
( Dixon, intermingliug the love stories of
a northern girl and a southern colonel
! and Of a southern girl and northern
captain. Beautiful scenery is shown in
I the unwinding Of the story Southern
cotton plantations and the diversions of
! the negroes after the days work is
/ done are features Of the picture The
almost regal splendOr of the southern
I slave owners before the war and their
| piutul poverty afterwards are con-
traSted strongly in some of the grin
/ ping scenes of the great film.
Historically correct portrayals of the
assassination Of Abraham Lincoln by
John Wilkes Booth, in the old Ford
/ theater at Washington: the surrender
of Lee TO Grant at AppOmattox on April
y 1863. the signing of the first can for
volunteers by Lincoln and a reception
at the white house by the great presi-
/ dent are some of the features of the
Inn haf mill in, al
moving picture as they live in the
I written history of the nation
Some Great Scenes.
The great southern ball at Piedmont.
/ the night bfOre the departure of the
volunteers for the front following the
Confederate victory at Bull Run, and
the session of the South Carolina
! "scalawag" legislature of 1866 when.
| negroes predOminating three to one.
the measure was passed legalizing mar
Z rage between blacks and whites, are
/ masterpieces of stage craft and pho
Biography.
It is useless. however. to dwell upon
I the different phases of this wonderful
picture, out Of which stand in bold re-
lief the great battle scenes and the |
rides Of the Ku Klux Khan. That the au-
dience sympathized with the Ku Klux |
was evidenced by the tremendous ap-
plause that greeted their every ap-
pearance on the screen last night Not (
o.
Herald, a southern paper, commenting !
upon the showing Of this feature Of /
The Birth of a Nation" condemns the
Ku Klux in no uncertain terms
The Ku KIuk Khan.
False history is taught in the pre-
sentation of the operations Of the Ku !
EluX Khan" says the Herald Instead |
Of a band of patriots of high-minded
and noble-spirited men. the ku KluX
Khan was a band of marauders who |
used the cover of night for the graft !
fication OF private greed. of passion. !
and Of rapine. No more disgraceful !
was the regime of the carpet Dagger
than the rule of the Ku Klux Khan"
Force is added to this declaration by I
the intensity Of the Herald's feeling I
about the war; our blood still runs I
faster, our heart still beats quickly. our I
nerves still thrOb as we recall some OF !
the accounts of the acts of savage bru- I
tality committed by those Americans.
our white brethren of the north" But |
il is unable to see the benefit of hav I
ing these scenes recalled in exaggerated :
form" or of ignoring the fact that dur /
ing the four years Of struggle the ne
gro men protected the white woman /
hood of the south with absolute fidel- !
ity-'
The Orchestra
Not the least enjoyable feature Of the :
great piCture-great as an exposition (
Of scenes in the DAYS when the nation /
was racled by war. hatred and venom; |
torn asunder over the question Of state !
or national supremacy-is the Orches- /
tral music that accompanies the pic /
ture. Twenty musicians render the /
score incidental to the showing OF the !
reels. and the concert alone is an en-
joyable evenings entertainment Prop !
erty effects behind the screen lend real /
ism to the pictures In the battle !
scenes. drums roar in imitation Of the !
boom of cannon, men cheer, horses gal !
lop bands play. trumpets call. drums /
beat charges and retreats. and the real /
ism Of the pictures and the enjoyment |
Of the spectators are largely enhanced |
nv this as well as by the orchestral /
score c. A. ".