The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-10-19
A be Lincoln
And Roberto. Lee
Striking Contrast Drawn Be-
tween Historic Plays Of
DrlnkWater and Dixon.

To one who has seen John Drink.
water admirable play. Abraham
Lincoln" the comparison between It
and Thomas Dxon's Robert Il. Lee"
! which played at tho Lyric Monday
1 hlsht and Will show there again Tues
gay hiRht cannot be escaped And II
~ comparison not to the favor OF
Mr. Dixon, Robert Il. Lee" had A
very lull cast of players who had not
YET knocked Off the rough edges from
their parts, and did not get out of
thelr lines all that the author put in
then, but be that as it may "the
P'4S the thing,' and not the players
brlhhWaters Lincoln is a man Of
simple words, who does not rant or
rave or tear his hair. His simplicity
anu his uEliuoss-haVe something
majestic about them; the audience Is
Drought IN thorough accord with the
nero nus humility his simplicity, his
ihaSahlmous regard for his enemies
touch the hearts in tho pit and the
poNes. Mr. Dixon had material at hand
iuly as great ms did Mr. DrnkVator.
IN one of his lines he approaches the
spirit of Lee. 81 am soldier, but |
am Christian soldier" he has that
heroes of the sout hsay. Lee, the tacti-
clan and strategst, the winner Of hat-
yes against odds, the magnificent
leader of the south's gallant armies is
obscured by the magnificent figure OF
Lee the Christian soldier
Ihere are occasional glimpses of the
true heroism Of Lee in DiNon's play.
rhetorician. Mr.. Augustin Duncan,
VINO takes the role of the leader. al
lows some dramatic opportunities TO
escape him by saying, in a conversa-
ll0nal tone, some of Mr.. DiXon's most
,elllns phrases, But Gen, Lee was re-
Pressed IN his speech, and so perhaps
that is true to the part.
One OF the figures who is skillfullv
drawn is John Brown. of Osawatomle.
tie Is pictured at Harper's Ferry, COM
ing from his roundhouse stronghold for
a parley with Lee, then colonel of the
= ederal troops seeking his capture. He
mas the. light OF fanaticism in his eyes.
as he. boastfuly admits that he has
burned the constitution because il has
slavery in II. Leonard David. who
plays this role, handles II very capably.
Drinkwater's Lincoln had In 1t
scene which was the Subject of his
torical debate; n conference OF Lincoln
and Mcclellan, in which Lincoln asked
me general If he were loyal, and prom
ised to withdraw from the 1864 race
and support him If he would prove his
loyalty. Dixon gives us a picture of a
confederate senator, Blair by name
coming to Lees headquarters in the
him the dictatorship of the Confed-
Aracy. Blair is portrayed as the bearer
Of secret offer from the Confederate
congress to depose Davis, and put Leo
n his stead at the civil as well as
military helm.
While there was great deal Of bit
ernesS in the Richmond congress |
gainst Mr., Davis, history records no |
uch secret offer; in all likelihood Lee |
you'd have refused as sharply as Dixon !
makes him do, II such an offer had |
zen made, but the scene is a little
'eak. The characters of Lees generals
re not as well drawn as could be de-
ned. j. f.. u Stuart with his banjo
laying Sweeney are the more pleasing
I the lot. Earl House and Frank
rayne play these respective parts pa
I'd Leonard, as Gen. Alexander.
ttches the feeling Of utter despair that
he army felt at Appomatox Court
1use. when surrender was decided on.
lis all in all is lost and gone, the
onfederacy is dead, when Lee pre-
ares to ride to Grants headquarters.
he generals an want the little force
scatter like rabbits through the
Eds and keep up a guerilla war; But
ee Will not have it, and counselcd
cm to be as brave with the plough
ARE MS they had with tho sword.
According TO DiNOn's account, Gen.
Ae's statl mao n sorry showing II J
as always EAGER to counsel him to !
the things his conscience told him {
ere wrong. Gordon, Alexander THy- {
r, all wanted him TO take the dicta-
rship. Dixon, in his eaEreness to 5
int Lees love OF constitutional au-
GRITTY, has painted a dark picture Of :
e ideals of his staff.
'Marse Roberts" family life iq do q
tied in the first two Of the four acts; I