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SATURDAY, OQobtr a, 1790.]
>
I\HE AUGUSTA CHRONICLE
AND
' GAZETTE of the STATE.
\
/
FREEDOM of the PRESS, and TRIAL If JURY, <hali remain inviolate. C.nftitutUn ./ C<.r g ,a.
AUGUSTA: Printed by JOHN E. S 1W T T H, Printer to the State; EJfays, Articles d
Intelligence, Ad. r tiff merits, &c. vt'V be fruitfully received , and every kind of Printing performed.
The THEATRE.
Thurfday evening the idth infi. the
* Tragedy of Dougins, and the Farce of
Ihe y t rgin Vnmujl'a (for the lecond time)
w ' e ie prefeated at the New Theatre before a
large and refpeftable auri;en<e.
The merits of this piece are so well known
to almost every reader of taste, that it will
be entirely fuperfluous to enter uow into a full
detail of them# Were there nothing recom
mendatory m it but (imply the plot, every
friend to virtue and humanity mud feel in
terested in the carafirophe of the unfortunate
bero of the composition. But the elegance if
dittion, the sublimity of fentimen's, and the
purity of language, with which it abound*,
are finking infiances, that (Cato excep*e 1)
bolds the foremofi rank amonglt our } n/ir.h
tragedies. This has beeu the opinion of two
eminent writers,* not less celebrated for the
extent of their iearniug than the jufineft of
their criticisms. That long eftablithed big
gotry, however, for which bcotiand is so
highly celebrated, deterred the success of
Douglas for a conliderable period after itsfirft
appearance. For, no sooner was it mads
known to the Scottish clergy that the ttd&*u/
of Douglas was the proriuftion of the Rev.
Mr. Home, than he was divested of a (mall
living, which he at that time held in Scot
land, for being author of a species of writing,
that (in their opinion) was highly repug
nant to the funftions of a divine.
In the I eprefcnration which we are to deline
ate, the chat after of Lady Randolph was sup
ported bv Mis. Robinson, that of Anna by
Mils Wall, and the others by gentlemen of
the Dramatic Society, (Young Norval ex
cepted.) The gentleman who was to have
perlunated Norval wasabfent; and by that
means, we may venture to affiim, that the
performance was deprived of a very valu
able acqtiilition : When we confider, how
ever, the tragic powers requifife for Young
Norval, we are by no means aftonMhed at the
deficiency of the young man who reprefeut
ed him. His pronunciation was clear and
difiinftj—-in every other refpeft, he was a
perfeft Quid nunc . The figute of Old
Norval was truly charafterifiic : He was de
ficient in his part, and rendered himfelf more
so by lowering his voice at the ead of every
sentence ; —it is true, he had made a begin
ning of ail, but we were really at a loss to
conjefture whether he had made a cenciufion
of any —his manner of delivery was never
theless forcible. Lord Randolph rather fur- i
palled our expectations, although we rauft
coufefs there was nothing extraordinary in
bis performance. Might not Taotarurabo
bus with some propriety apply to him, “Cob
ler, go home, and (tick to your baft}"
As to Glenalvon, the gentleman who perfo
rated him was inaccurate iu his playing. It
is certain that in fonig paflagea of Glenalvon**
part, the aftor should deliver himfell in a
pompous or ranting manner; but in others,
the reverse should have been observed; In
these imitates he made no diferimination;
end his srticulatton, throughout the whole,
was imperftft even to the quickest
The gentleman who pcrfoimed the Officer
ami (civant excelled in neither of the cha»
• Johafoa MditfHM* 1
GEORGIA.
t
rafters: The next time he make* his entn*
on the ftape, we would recommend to him,
by way of defeit, to swallow a few Lozen-
Rer’s pills—perhaps ther might render bs
voice more audible s The cuntrafted rtiffuefa
of his body, and the acute angles in which ,
he places bis arms, are not the m«»ft graceful
attitudes, if he would but perceive them him
felf, With refpeft to Mrs. Robinfon'a
performance in Lady Randolph, it fell ihort
of our expeftations : As an afttefs, wc are
by no means iofeutiUe of her abilities ; hut,
(like those of other performers) they are
chiefly confined to particular characters. Mrs.
Robiofon, at present, ftaada in a more deli
cate predicament, than is perhaps generally
known : it is not left to her choice to take a
favorite charafter, o one to which (he can
reodei mod justice. The play is flruck out
by the Society ; her art is consigned to her
without being even isofulted ; and whether
it is acceptable to he or not, fire feels htr
felf uuder an obligation of performing it, by
her agreement with the Society. Whether
Lady Randolph was a favorite of Mrs. Ro
binson's, we will not determine } but her in
disposition on the night of performance, as
well as for some t:me previous to it, rendered
her too feeble, and consequently less fit for
the charafter. The foliloquey in the opening
of the tragedy she fpuke with judgment, and
in a manner truly pathetic:—Again, in the
feene between herfeif and Glenalvon, where
flic forewarns him from abusing that confi
dence which Lord Randolph had placed in
Young Norval, she foar'd to a pitch of ani
mation, equal perhaps to ao* former aftrefs
that ever attempted the charafter.—Mil's Wall
we think, was dcficieut in the charafter of
Anna.
The Farce waa received with universal ap
plause —Miss Wall played Lucy to admira
tion; —her performance throughout the whole
was truly aatural, and her figure very fuifablc
to the charafter.
ZOILUS.
P. S. The objeft of the pieces that have
appeared under the signature of Zuilus was
neither perfeuality or inveftives—Gentlemen
weie not attacked either in their private or
public ranks or profeffions. The criticifins
were solely confined to the stage, and the cha
rafters were fiftitiousfuch as merited ap
plause received it—such as did not, met their
deserts. When the pieces were read, not
one half of the readers knew who the cha
> rafters were ; yet, ftrangc to tell, gentlemen
thought themfelyes amazingly injured iu their
charafter*; this difeovered a nartownefs of
featimen » incoherent with the genuine prin
ciples of true liberality. The faft is, the au
thors view was the improvement, not the
aboiijbmnt , of the ftage—lt has been sug
gested that the severity of his remarks re
tarded the progress of the stage this
very eflentiaf and cogent rcafon, all future
criticilin* lhail ceaie on his psrt.. . - May the
stage flouuih — may the atiors improve ; and
may the Dramatic Society iuereafe in honor,
io ftreugth and in refpeftability, when the
difeonfoiatt and foifsktu Zoilua fhall///*/■
and be no more I
-sso-
To the Citizens of Georgia.
AH praiarving the balance of po*er 01 a
j lilt tbjui lib new, b/ fqual, puwitlul and
opposed leagues, among the empires and
kingdoms of the earth, is prododive of the
rat'll salutary effefts to the political welfare of
mankind iu general; so I m ike no doubt but
a well coudufted judicious oppefition , in a re
public, would produce similar coufequences;
but when party runs so high, that fellow ci
tizens become inveterate enemies, and de
nominations of mortalpurpo/o are poured out
on all tides; reason and humanity call aloud
for a reform, and every well disposed mind
will exert itfelf in contributor a whatever ism
its power to cause the violent ferment to fub
tide.—Any publication teuding to widen thie
bleach, at the lame time to diffuie a fyflen®
of politics pernicious to the true intcrefl f
the ftatc, and wi.hall fubvertive of liberty,
ought to be feruunized with the utrnoft im
partiality, and decided upon with the gteaeft
coolness, that the public mar difeetn, it n
our detire ra’her to convince thau to prejudice,
to meliorate thau to influence.
To give a soothing turn to the invafion* >»f
our territorial rights, by defining the difincm
berment cf the state, as a juftifiable and advan
tageous alienation of a traft of“ pine batten,'*
were an outrage agamft truth and to nn tj
feufe. Let us luppofe, imx a , > it
the allegation were undeniable, and thm our
weftern territory, like GhurcbUPh Scot Lit j\ had
been cursed with perpetual sterility, “ and
never entered iu creation's book,” is the in
fringement the less, because the thing taken
away is of no value l Is not the aggravation
incrcafed, no cause of temptation existing?
This breach of the Constitution being one#
fully cftablilhed as a precedent, we will hold
our privileges and property at the mercy and
whim of Northern delegations, and our only
security agaiuft the emancipation of Haves,
will be the moral merit of the deed. If th#
trite maxim is true, that u honesty is th#
bed policy,” it is the policy of all natinut
“ to prevent their citizens from being led out
“ of the way of their creditors and laws **
But 1 am sorry that I cannot felicitate the ci
tizens of the United States as Handing iu any
such predicament.—Let me slk, in what
court will that plaintiff file his declaration,
who lues a defendant in the Creek Nation f
And permit me to observe, that it is a round
about way to evade jutiice to fix on the
and /licit among the Spaniards, when we cou
fider the vicini y of the Treaty boundary.
Betug ignorant of the combin'd politics, If
were improper to accufg or defend them J
and opinion* being arbitrary, it were inde
cent to abule those who vindicate the lat#
Cougreftonal meafurcs : We have now at*
rained to a certain degree of civil.zation, and
can with temper fufifer a variety of religion*
lefts tv broach and support their several doc
trines unmoleded , and th ill we traufgrcisthc
bounds of decorum so far as to talk of per
sonal adauit in the case of a difference in po
litics, or think of appearing at the places of
general eleftion in the hjftile garb of w\e f
My fellow citizens ! you have but to rctieft a
moment, that you are yet a free people, and
that your country has put it iu yeur power to
mike your choice in such a manoer, that you
•re nut (objected to any of those inconveni
ences rteodiiig s declaration of feiitiuienl* »
The right "f thi iking for one's (slf may as
well be invaded as to attempt to control the
rlio.ee of an individual in o *r elefttoos— yet,
l KiUcApicts one w»ih bvlwt i evasiud*-*
[Vol. IV. No. ccvri.j
