Year: 1866

We publish this morning the criticisms Of
the various daily and weekly papers of this city
upon the Opera company of Manager Grau. In
these criticisms the attentive reader will dis
cover various contradictions and discrepancies
The very papers which once pronounced the
artists of Grau's troupe the most lamentable
and ridiculous failures now praise them as ex-
traordnarily excellent What the HERALD
said of them months ago, when they were sing
ing at Chicago, is now justified by the unanimous
praises of the very journals which were then
engaged in denouncing and deriding them.
From this fact the public may learn how unre-
liable the Bohemian critics are, and how little
confidence can be placed in the utterances OF
those who, as was proven in the Daily -Bateman
case, can be bought up with drink or an
oyster stew. The whole batch Of extracts, IN
cluding the exposures of the Bohemian tactics


by some OF the other critics, is well worth Q


careful reading.


When Max Maretzek, who had been trading


for long time upon the reputation we had


made for him, prepared to open the Opera sea-


son last year be announced several new sing


ers of whom nobody had ever heard before.


We consequently inquired who these artists


were, and Maretzek conscious of an intention


to humbug the public, at once imagined that


we had discovered his scheme and knew


the kind of artists he was about to


impose upon us. Enraged at this idea,


and fully aware that we should expose


his third rate singers 80 soon as they


appeared in public, Maretzek thought that his


best policy was to get up quarrel with the


HERALD, secure by this means the sup )ort OF


the Bohemians of the other papers, and blunt


the edge of our candid criticisms by represent


ing himself as the victim of persecution.


To this he was also instigated by the


friends of Miss Kellogg, who was then


puffed by the Bohemians and smarting


under our just structures; but who has now


been deserted, since Boschetti has appeared,


even by the Bohemans themselves. The


trick was that of thorough charlatan, and


many silly persons were deluded by it. Tbs


other papers, always jealous of our success,


were glad to publish Mare'zek's hbellous


attacks upon us and to eulogize his artists as


incompatible. Thus the very defects Of hia


troupe were made to serve as an advertisement


for it. Maretzek's establishment, therefore, did


not advertise In the HERALD, and, like the fox


that had lost its TAIL he desired that all tho
other managers should withdraw from the


HERALD also. This was the first act in this little


drama.


The elder Wallack, very capable actor,
now deceased, had organized Managers'
Association for the purpose of regulating the
internal affairs Of the theatres. Maretzek,
assisted by another charlatan, named Barnum,
inveigled the other members of the assOcia-
ton into his quarrel, and committee was
appointed to wait upon US and dictate
to us how we should conduct our business.
The dreadful penalty which was expected 70
awe us into immediate submission was the
withdrawal of the theatrical advertisements.
Some of the members Of the association were
dragooned into this movement Others went
into it in the belief that we would be compelled
to notice their establishments more favorably.
large number protested against it in the
most decided terms. But Barnum and Ms-
retzek carried their point through the Stiffness
of the other members; the committee called
upon us, and of course we refused to allow
them to edit the HERALD, or to interfere with
its management in any manner whatsoever.
The ridiculous appearance OF Mr.. Stuart and
Mr.. Wallack, who had the reputation of
being gentlemen of sense and talent, fall
ing into the schemes Of such fellows -
Barnum, with his woolly horse, and Mareizek,
with his schwetzer-kase, surprised US greatly.
AS for their advertisements, we laughed at the
idea of allowing that consideration to influence


us. We frequently expend for single item OF
news more money than the managers would
pay us for their advertisements in month.


People advertise with us because IL Is their in
terest to do 80, the HERALD having q circulation
greater than that of all the other papers com
bned. When the committee retired, completely
disappointed, and reported the result Of their
conference, the curtain fell upon the second


act Of this play.


The third act has been crowded with Incl
dents; but it is not yet ended. Maretzek and
Barnum, who were not allowed 10 advertise In
the HERALD, had the satisfaction of shutting ths
other members Of the association out in tho
cold with them. These other members did not


know whether to stay out or come back again.
The other papers, hoping to get the theatrical


advertisements, as jackals feed upon whatever
the lion leaves, encouraged the managers 70
withdraw; empty benches and a depleted trca-
sury warned them TO return. Finally, we set
tied the question by shutting the door in their


faces, and we are determined TO keep II shut


until they have fully repented Of their folly,
thoroughly understand the little game OF Ma
retzek and Barnum, and are ready to come 70


US in proper state Of mind. The logic Of poor


houses is doing It's work Of grace in their


hearts, and their houses deserve to be
poor, because their performers not being care


fully criticized act very indifferently. Several
Of the members of the association have been