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April 5, 1851.] %%$ %*&&*?+ 325 • ______...
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GUSTAVUS III. __ I went to the Opera on ...
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PROCEEDINGS OF THE CHARTIST CONVENTION.—...
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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When The Gentleman Entered ; And He Did ...
ly iT ' td ie , i . ^ s i ~ n sheriff ; and earnest was the speculation whether any jury in the United States would give a negro a verdict against a sheriff . The case was so clear , however , that the sheriff succumbed to the negro . The verdict awarded 200 dollars to Milly . The money was not paid 5 for the sheriff appealed , and declared his determination to protract the case to the utmost . James had gained his point , and done his best to secure legal treatment for future fugitives ; so he let the matter drop . One of the natural consequences of the whole affair was that a good many people , besides James himself , became convinced that a negro ' s intellect may prove very serviceable , and that there was every appearanee of James Duncan being as thoroughly human as any man in Buffalo .
April 5, 1851.] %%$ %*&&*?+ 325 • ______...
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Gustavus Iii. __ I Went To The Opera On ...
GUSTAVUS III . __ I went to the Opera on Saturday , determined t < be pleased , and I was pleased . Auber ' s Gustavus ¦ which was the glory of Bunn ' s management atDrury lane , though not an opera which attracted me mu sically , had , nevertheless , attractions enough in thi shape of Caroline Duprez , Fiorentini , Carlotta , anc something of the freshness of novelty , for it ia so many years since Gustavus was played here that on < may almost consider it a new work . New it was ir the mise en scene , which was triumphantly beautiful ; new also in the singers ; and the audience seemed quite excited by it , demanding an encore of the spirited chorus which closes the second act , with an enthusiasm unmistakable . Madame Fiorentini , whose debut I chronicled towards the close of last season , made her rentree in the part of Amelie : recent Parisian practice has given her greater command over her voice , but has not taught her the indispensable art of dress—she quite spoiled her beauty with the most villanous of head-dresses ! She seemed somewhat nervous , too , at first , and I thought her cold throughout , although her singing in the third act was glorious ; but she ' |
than its execution of some of those sparkling accom paniments with which Auber has enlivened opera . The getting up was splendid ; the grouping of the sailors in the second act , and the coup d ' oeil presented by the masked ball in the fifth , drew down immense applause . Then , what a sight when Carlotta bounded in before her loving public ! Such grace , such | aplomb , such precision and such ease , make dancing worth any trouble and expense to see ! THE QUEEN OF SPADES . Even Russia has her poets , one of them , indeed—Puschkin—a man of genius , whose fame would be European were it not for a slight difficulty in the guttural department , which prevents that agreeable language from being spoken in our salons , or learned at our establishments for young ladies . But you may take my word for the fact , Puschkin is . a man of genius , and my friend Varnhageri von Ense has made him known to Germany by means of translations and criticisms , which , if you read German , I recommend your looking after . Prosper Merimee translated one of Puschkin ' s novelets in La Revue des Deux Mondes ( July , 1849 ) , and this tale , La Dame de Pique , the 0 ingenious and rapacious Scribe pounced upon for an '» opera comique which Halevy demanded . The opera succeeded , and Dion Bourcicault pounced upon it . Stripped of its music he thought it would make an f effective drama . He was mistaken . As a libretto for an opera it is ingenious enough ; as a drama it is uninteresting . The story .... No , I will not tell 3 you the story : Puschkin has done it charmingly ; I * will not mangle his infant because I find it in the hands of gipsies who have smeared its face and cut 1 off its locks to make it pass as their own . On the i acting—mum ! 1 COMPTON'S BENEFIT . On Monday night that driest and most intelligent . of actors , Compton , took his benefit , and a crammed house did its best to testify how heartily the public appreciates his merits . I was not able to be there , or I should certainly have warmed my hands and shouted loud bravos at him , for I esteem him as a man and admire him as an actor ; but I hear that Wych-street was astonished at the number of carriages hastening to the scene , and that the theatre presented a gay and brilliant appearance . So successful was the performance that it has been repeated for the benefit of the house . OPENING OF COVENT GARDEN . Oh i la bonne nouvelle ! happy man that I am ! Let Fortune do her worst , let her hand me over to the cruel solicitude of her stepdaughter ( Miss For- tune ) , I care not , nothing shall ruffle me , for " Music hath charms to sooth the savage soul , " ( as Mr . Home appropriately remarks in his lively tragedy of Douglas ) , and Music is my passion , my con- solation , my defence ! If editors decline my contributions I take up my cornet a piston and blow the rising choler into air ; if Duns make morning calls I warble cavatinas ; if theatres are insupportable— which they mostly are—I rush to an opera and bathe lny feverish soul in bliss . You ask me what this biographical anecdote has to do with the lloyal Italian Opera ? I knew you would . I was prepared for it , and have my answer pat : it has this to do with it , that instead of espousing any partisanship , instead of perversely admiring everything at one house and depreciating everything at the other , I welcome both — "A blessing on both your houses— Montague ' s and Capulet ' s ! " I can ' t have too much music . If it be the food of love I am a glutton . Let any adven- turous speculator open a third opera house ( and send mo tickets ) I will be there ! The opening of Covent Garden , there fore , is no ordinary episode in my . season . What associations come trooping round the mere announcement ! Giulia Grini still the incomparable , "Viardot the finest actress of the day , Mario , Tambcrlik , Itoncuni , and the splendid opera-spectacles Prophvte , Huguenots , Masnniello , La Juive , — aro these to be looked forward to with it passive pulse ? What if we disregard all announcements and promises , and if we believe that thin season will only give us the same operas as last , will any one hear ir , with indifference ? Not so . And the fjay brilliant crowd on Thursday plainly told me that the reputation this theatre has gained by its hard-fought battles has placed it in such a position that hucccmh imiat crown its efforts now . The Semiraniido introduced jis to Grisi , lovely and imperial as ever . Assyrian subjects beheld their queen . Her voice has all its thrilling beauty and nearly all its freshness . Never did nhe meet with h more gratifying reception . Angri , though not Alboni , is second only to her . Her voice has gained in volume and execution , and nhe has become -so thoroughly in earucHt that we may hope she will ore long control the sudden flash of cnurst'ticNM which sometimes mars her most , impassioned efforts . Tim new hari- tone , Salvatori , was suffering under so terriMo a cold and hoarseium that it , would be premature to pro- nounce any opinion on him ; but a man who could iiehieve such a hucccsh under such difficulties is iurely destined for u great career . The overture , played by the most magnificent band in the world , was vociferously encored . Vivian .
has yet to learn the necessity of abandon . Beautiful as her voice is , it will not carry her through great parts—passion must carry it through ! Unless she is moved herself she will not move us ; the counsel was given by that agreeable debauchee , Horatius Flaccus , to the poets of his day , and it remains eternally true of all artists . There is something brilliant and captivating in Fiorentini , but she will never reach the top of the tree as long as her admirers continue to assure her she is
there-Caroline Duprez appeared as Oscar the page—and so pretty a page I should like to have "to look our , look out afar" forme ! She was perfectly charming as Oscar : looks , manner , dress , style , everything suited . Her voice , which is as yet but the outline of a voice ( the bud of the rose that is to be !) , finds no obstacle in the light sparkling music of Auber , and the aria she introduced in the fifth act set at rest all doubts of her powers of vocalization ; it was sung so correctly , delicately , trippingly , and airily . And she is so young ! so fresh ! the tones of her voice like the looks of her eyes all speak of that beauh : du diable which no art can imitate . By the way , what a phrase that beanie du diable is , and how magnificent its panegyiic of youth ! Ah ! yes , even a devil must be handsome when young , for then he is an angel !
But youth which has its charm has also its limitations . The bud is not the rose . And in Art especially youth is immaturity . Ask our Young Poets and llising Artists if it bo not so . ( N . B . They are all bald or grey whiskered ) . The long severe studies and severer practice necessary to give powers their full play occupy more than our youth , and by the time we have learnt to play Romeo we are old enough to walk with Capulefc . " But Genius is ever young !"
exchiirns Brown . ( lirown isfjroy itnd corpulent , he Iuih been ho magnificently unsuccessful that lie falls back in dignity upon his genius . ) True , Brown , Genius is young , it , is tin ; youth of the world , but Art uses up the material of our youth ! upon itn altar wo must place our young illusions , passions , hopes , despairs ; we light them , and the flame illumines the whole world ! Until we have lived wo know- not what Life is ; until we have suffered we comprehend not sorrow : how then shall we asurtihts
' (¦ present that which we know not ? I hi ; drift of this digression is , that Caroline in a charming child , but not as yet an . artist . Let her P''iy comed y , or such light trifles as Oscar , until she i ls <> ld enough to throw the tragic muntlo with somo i < ll tfnity over her * houldern . That ' s my advice . It « W ( "i ' t be followed . I I can Nil y but ; little of Culzolnri ; he did his best , i ! mt hia best is not good ; he has no style . Lorenzo 1 "n a makeshift . Hue how excellent the- orclu mm ! i jlow marvellous an advance upon that of last , year ! i l « - nun been IIU ) st wisel y strengthened in its bn * Hea i " »< j tenors , which given it richer , deeper colouring , t UU ( it is also vustly improved iu brilliancy , reiidiuoM * , u »« delicacy . Nothing could be more enchanting i
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Proceedings Of The Chartist Convention.—...
PROCEEDINGS OF THE CHARTIST CONVENTION . — PARTHENIUM BOOMS , ST . MARTIN'S LANE . Next - week we shall endeavour to make an estimate of the character and political progress of this Convention . Its numbers were much greater than any one anticipated . Though there will be much variety of opinion "upon the principles which have been affirmed , so far it will be found that in comparison with previous assemblies of the kind , great
improve-. ment nas Deer , made both la tne Dusiness aDUity manifested , and in the nature of the sentiments expressed ia support of the various propositions . The , programme presented by the Executive committee from Monday till Thursday night , the result of the discussions , has been the adoption of the following propositions . Much more business has to be gone through . The paramount duty of a Chartist National Convention is to promote Chartist organization—to keep that organization distinct from every other political movement or alloy , and to spread through all classes political and social knowledge to the utmost of its power . I . It is , therefore , recommended that , for the better reorganization of Chartism , the following resolutions be adopted , relative to political agitation : — 1 . That , since by each and all of the franchise measures now before the people ( excepting that embo iied in the Charter ) , the middle-class would gain far more votes than the working classes would obtain , which would place the latter in a more power-I _— . 0 « nnoiti - \ ir- tVi * - *^ r _ fr ^ - »>»/~» ei * - » v ^ V I ^ V" » ^* I * V » n « . * n * . w * .. nh Vi a l 1 XUC LC < 1
, j i \ r r t -l ^ O-pVCJLbl'MI - __ C * I <«_ £ S _ l ^^& --U . V ^ -JCI-. J-IU- > 0 UKS agitated for in its entirety—that the omission of any one of its points would impair the utility of the remainder , and that , therefore , popular support must be withheld from all franchise measures falling short of its provisions . 2 . That , in the Bill for the Charter , the clause specifying that every male adult should have the vote , unless convicted of crime , should be modified to imply a deprivation of the vote , merely while undergoing punishment for crime ; since the punishment for an offence once undergone , no after penalties ought injustice to attach to the individual . 3 . That a national petition for the Charter be presented to Parliament , such petition , to be prepared on the following plan : Simultaneous meetings for passing the petition to be held in every town or borough where practicable : at such meetings two tellers to be appointed to count the numbers present ; and the petition , together with a declaration affirming the numbers in favour of the motion , to be signed by the tellers ai cntiirmau oi
n e c C s a ti q n t ] { r j c e ] m n < m or e j- ( Il iK , t () c t \ "" \ K ! ! ° '" an fu « ' « di : he i" » pc nit m me me meeting . 4 . That , in anticipation of a dissolution of Parliament , all boroughs where the Chartist body are strong enough to contest the election , forthwith fix on their candidates ( such to be Chartists , pledged to the Charter in all its entirety ) , form election committees , subscribe funds , and commence agitating the district , and bringing their influences to bear on the constituency . That , where the candidate cannot go to the poll , a Chartist to bo at least put in nomination , upon every hustings in the kingdom , where it is possible to seize that opportunity for spreading Chartist knowledge . II . Municipal and parochial power should be vested in the hands of the people , and disenfranchisement in local matters is as unjust as the restriction of the elective iranchise . Therefore , it is proposed : — 1 . That the assistance which Chartist organization , may derive from municipal and parochial power be not lost sight of ; but that practical steps bo taken in all townships and parishes ( where Democratic organization is in existence ) to contest the municipal eleotions . 2 . That addresses be issued to the people , relative to municipal and parochical legislation ; and that the question of municipal and parochial universal suii ' nigo be brought before the public , on principles analogous to the Charter . III . It is further recommended that the agitation for the Charter be carried amon « the trades , to stren ^ thou both movements through mutual aid ; that commuiiicutioiiH be entered into with the Executives of the Trades' Union , the various trades' bodies , and asHoeiatioiiH of working - men , for that purpoHe , pointing out the reciprocal , advantage to accrue from cooperation botwem the two great sections of Keformers . * IV . That the agricultural counties bo divided into ( lislristH . Thut tracts and addresses to tlio iuriuers and labourem be prepared and issued . Thut if the country supplies thtf Executive with funds , inifMioiiaricH , taking with thorn n supply of such tracts and addresses , bo sent into the several districts ; and that public meetings and lectures be held in the rural towns , for the purpose of eatublitihin ^ localities . That ftpociuL missionaries bo sent to the Iriah people , and also to tho collioi B , minors , and railwuy lubourers .
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), April 5, 1851, page 17, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_05041851/page/17/
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