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Leader (1850-1860), 5th April 1851, Edition Town of 2, Page 325, Untitled Article

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      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 bo ckar , however , that the sheriff succumbed to the negro . The verdict awarded 200 dollars to Milly . The money was not paid ; 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 appearance of James Duncan being as thoroughly human as any man in Buffalo .

      Untitled Article

      GUSTAVUS III . I went to the Opera on Saturday , determined to be pleased , and I was pleased . Auber ' s Gustavus , which was the glory of Bunn ' s management atDrurylane , though not an opera which attracted me musically , had , nevertheless , attractions enough in the shape of Caroline Duprez , Fiorentini , Carlotta , and something of the freshness of novelty , for it is so many years since Gustavus was played here that one may almost consider it a new work . New it was in the mise en scene , which was triumphantly beautiful ; new also in the singers ; and the audience seemed quite excited by it , demanding an en , core 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

      has yet to team 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 nev er 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 out , look out afar" for me ! 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 !) , rinds no obstacle in the light sparkling music of Auber , and the aria she introduced in the tilth 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 bcauUi du ( liable which no art can imitate . By the way . what a phrase that benute du diable is , and how magnificent its panegyric 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 itH limitations . The bud is not the rose . And in Art especially youth is immaturity . Ask our Young Poets and Itising Artists if it be not so . ( N . U . They are all bald or grey whiskered ) . The long severe studies and severer practice necessary to give powers their iuU play occupy more than our youth , and by the time we have learnt to play Romeo we arc old enough to walk with Cupulet . " Hut Genius is ever young !"

      exclaims Brown . ( Brown is grey and corpulent , lu ; lias been so magnificently unsuccessful that he lalln back in dignity upon his genius . ) True , Brown , Genius is youn < j , it is tin ; youth of tins world , but Art uses up the material of our youth ! upon its altar we must place our young ; illusions , passions , hopes , despairs ; wo light them , and tin : flume illumines the whole world ! Until we have lived we know not what Life is ; until we have suffered we comprohond not sorrow : how then shall we as artists

      represent that which we know not , ? The drift of this digression is , that Caroline is a charming child , but not as yet an artist . Let her play comed y , or such light trille . s as Oscar , until she is old enough to throw ' the tragic mantle with some di gnity over her tjhouide-nj . That's my advice . It won ' t bo followed . I fiiii way but Jittlo ofCulzoluri ; he did lushest , hut lushest U not good ; he him no Htyle . Lorenzo IH u makeshift . But how excellent tlio orchestra ! How marvellous nu advance upon that of lust year It has been most wisely strengthened in its basses and

      tonors , which gives it richer , deeper colouring , and it i « ulso vastly improved in brilliancy , rcudincfts , und delicacy . Nothing could bo moro enchanting

      than its execution of some of those sparkling accompaniments with which A . uber has enlivened his opera . The getting up was splendid ; the grouping of the sailors in the second act , and the coup d ' ceil 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 Kussia 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 younsc ladies . But you may take my word for the fact , Puschkin is a man of genius , and my friend Varnhagen 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 ' novelets in La Revue des Deux Mondes

      ( July , 1849 ) , and this tale . La Dame de Pique , the 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 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 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 off its locks to make it pass as their own . On the acting—mum !

      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 suc - cessful was the performance that it has been repeated for the benefit of the house .

      OPENING OF COVENTT GARDEN . Oh ' . 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 Fortune ) , I care not , nothing shall ruffle me , for " Alusic hath charms to sooth the savage soul , " ( as Mr . Home appropriately remarks in his lively tragedy of Douglas ) , and Music is my passion , my consolation , my defence ! If editors decline my contributions I take up my cornet a pi-ton and blow the rising choler into air ; if Duns make morning calls I warble cavatinas ; if theatres are

      insupportablewhich they mostly are—I rush to an opera and bathe my feverish soul in bliss . You ask me what this biographical anecdote has to do with the Royal 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 adventurous speculator open a third opera house ( and send me tickets ) I will be there !

      The opening of Covent Garden , therefore , is no ordinary episode in my season . What associations come trooping round the mere announcement ! Giulia Grisi still the incomparable , Viardot the finest , actress of the day , Mario , Tatnl > erlik , Roneoni , and the splendid opera-spectacles 1 ' rojthet . e , Huguenots , Masamcllo , La , / uivc , — are these to be looked forward to with a passive pulse ? What if we disregard all announcements and promises , and if we believe that this season will only give us the name operas aw last , will any one hear it with indifference ? Not so . And the gay brilliant crowd on Thursday plainly told me that the reputation thin theatre has gained hy its hard-fought , buttles lias placed it . in . such a position thit success must crown its efforts now .

      The Sc / iiiramitla introduced us to ( iiisi , lov ly and impel ial as ever . Assyiian subjects beheld their queen . Her vnio < - has all its tlirilling beauty and nearly all iis freshness . Never did she meet with a more gratifying reception . Angii , though not Alboni , in second only to her . Her voice hus gamed in volume and execution , and she has become so thoroughly in earnest that we may hope she will ere long control the sudden dash of coar .-enens Avhich sometimes mars her most impassioned efforts . The new baritone , Salvatori , was suffering under so terrible a cold and hoarseness that it would be premature to pronounce any opinion on him ; but a man who could uchicve such a success under huc . Ii difficulties is Burely destined for a great career . The overture , plajod by the moist magnificent bund in tho world , wns vociferously encored . Vivian .

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      Untitled Article

      April 5 , 1851 . ] ftfjelil&frlt * 325

      Untitled Article

      PROCEEDINGS OF THE CHARTIST CONVENTION . —PARTHENIUM ROOMS , 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 antic i . pa . ted . Though theje 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 improvement has been made both in the business ability manifested , and in the nature of the sentiments expressed in support of the various propositions . The programme presented by the Executive committee occupied the delegates in discussion from Monday till Thursday night , the result 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 Chaitist 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 Chaitism , 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 embodied 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 powerless position than , at present . The Charter must be 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 affiiming the numbers in favour of the motion , to be signed by the tellers and the chairman of the 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 be 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 disenfranehisement in local matters is as unjust as the restriction of the elective lranchi . se . Therefore , it . is proposed : —

      1 . That the assistance which Chartist organization may derive fiom municipal and parochial power be not lost sight of ; but that practical steps be taken in all townships mid parishes ( where Democratic organization i . s in existence ) to contest the municipal elections . 2 . That addresses be issued to the people , relative to municipal and parochical legislation ; and that the question of municipal and parochial universal suffrage he brought before ; the public , ou principles analogous to the Charter . III . It is Anther recommended that the agitation for the Charter lx : cariicd among the trades , to strengthen both movements through mutual aid ; that coinmunieatioiiH be entered into with the

      Executives of the Trades' Union , the v . irious trades' bodies , and associations of working men , for that purpose , pointing out tho reciprocal advantage to accrue from cooperation betwot n the two great sections of lioi ' orincvs . IV . That , the agricultural counties he divided into disirists . That tiaoln and ad < hcs . ses to the fanners and labourers hi- prepared and issued . That if the country wupp lies tins Executive with funds , missionaries , t . iking with them a supply of such tracts and addresses , he near , info the several districts ; and that public ; inceiingH and lectures be held in the rural towns , for the purpose of establishing localities .

      That special misHionaiie . s be sent to the Irish people , und also to the colliers , imncru , and railway labourer * .

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  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), April 5, 1851, page 325, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1877/page/17/