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I've been down thar and I FOUND HE WOULD。〃
He recovered after a lapse of years and led a better life。 As he
said himself; he returned from Logansport a changed man。
1。61。 〃BURIAL IN RICHMOND AND RESURRECTION IN BOSTON。〃
A drama with this title; written by a colored citizen (an artist by
profession); the characters being performed by colored citizens; was
played at the Melodeon last evening。 There were several white
persons present; though most of the audience were colored。 The
great variety of colors made a gay; and indeed we may say gorgeous
spectacle。
A hasty sketch of this great moral production may not be
uninteresting。 Act 1st; scene 1st; discloses a log…cabin; with
fifteen minutes' intermission between each log。 〃William; a
spirited slave;〃 and 〃John; the obedient slave;〃 are in the cabin。
William; the spirited slave; says he will be free; 〃Why;〃 says
William; 〃am I here thus? Was this frame made to be in bondage?
Shall THESE voices be hushed? Never; never; never!〃 〃Oh; don't say
it thus;〃 says John; the obedient slave; 〃for thus it should not be。
An' I tole ye what it was; now; jes take keer of them pistiles or
they'll work yer ruins。 Mind what I say; Wilyim。 As for me I shall
stay here with my dear Julia!〃 (Immense applause)。 〃And so it has
come to this; ha?〃 said William; the spirited slave; standing
himself up and brandishing his arms in a terrific manner。 〃And so
it has come to this; ha? And this is a free land; so it has come to
thisto thisTO THIS。〃 William appeared to be somewhat confused
at this point; but a wealthy newsboy in the audience helped him out
by crying; 〃or any other man。〃 John and William then embraced;
bitter tears moistening their manly breasts。 〃Farwel; Wilyim;〃 said
John; the obedient slave; 〃and bless you; bless you; me child。〃 The
spirited slave walks off and the obedient slave falls into a swoon。
Tableau: The Goddess of Liberty appears in a mackinaw blanket and
pours incense on the obedient slave。 A member of the orchestra gets
up and softly warbles on a bass drum。 Angels are heard singing in
the distance。 Curtain falls; the audience being soaking wet with
tears。
Act 2; scene first; discloses the house of Mr。 Lyons; a slaveholder
in Virginia。 Mr。 Lyons; as we learn by the play; is 〃a member of
the Whig Congress。〃 He learns that William; his spirited slave; has
escaped。 This makes him very angry; and he says he will break every
bone in William's body。 He goes out and searches for William; but
cannot find him; and comes back。 He takes a heavy drink; is
stricken with remorse; and declares his intention to become a nun。
John; the obedient slave; comes in and asks permission to marry
Julia。 Mr。 Lyons says; certainly; by all means; and preparations
are made for the wedding。
The wedding takes place。 The scene that follows is rather
incomprehensible。 A young mariner has a clandestine interview with
the obedient slave; and receives 10 dollars to make a large box。 An
elderly mariner; not that mariner; but another marinerrushes madly
in and fires a horse…pistol into the air。 He wheels and is about
going off; when a black Octoroon rushes madly in and fires another
horse…pistol at the retreating mariner; who falls。 He says he is
going to make a die of it。 Says he should have acted differently if
he had only done otherwise; which was right; or else it wouldn't be
so。 He forgets his part and don't say anything more; but he wraps
himself up in the American flag and expires like a son of a
gentleman。 More warblings on the bass drum。 The rest of the
orchestra endeavor to accompany the drum; but are so deeply affected
that they can't。 There is a death…like stillness in the house。 All
was so still that had a cannon been fired off it could have been
distinctly seen。
The next scene discloses a large square box。 Several colored
persons are seen standing round the square box。 The mariner who was
killed in the last scene commences knocking off the cover of the
box。 He pulls the cover off; and up jumps the obedient slave and
his wife! The obedient slave and his dear Julia fall out of the
box。 Great applause。 They rush to the footlights and kneel。 Quick
music by the orchestra; in which the bass drum don't warble so much
as she did。 〃I'm free! I'M FREE! I'M FREE!!〃 shrieks the obedient
slave; 〃O I'm free!〃 The stage is suddenly lighted up in a gorgeous
manner。 The obedient slave and his dear Julia continue kneeling。
The dead mariner blesses them。 The Goddess of Liberty appears
againthis time in a beaver overcoatand pours some more incense
on the obedient slave。 An allegorical picture of Virtue appears in
a red vest and military boots; on the left proscenium; John Brown
the barber appears as Lady Macbeth; and says there is a blue tinge
into his nails; and consequently he is an Octoroon。 Another actor
wants to define his position on the Euclid Street improvement; but
is hissed down。 Curtain descends amidst the admiring shouts of the
audience; red fire; music; and the violent assertion of the obedient
slave that he is free。
The play will not be repeated this evening; as was announced。 The
notice will be given of its next performance。 It is the greatest
effort of the kind that we ever witnessed。
1。62。 A MAYORALTY ELECTION。
Messrs。 Senter and Coffinberry; two esteemed citizens; are the
candidates。 Here's a faint attempt at a specimen scene。 An
innocent German is discovered about half a mile from the polls of
this or that ward。 A dozen ticket…peddlers scent him (〃even as the
war…horse snuffs the battle;〃 etc。); see him; and make a grand rush
for him。 They surround him; each shoves a bunch of tickets under
his nose; and all commence bellowing in his ears。 Here's the ticket
yer wantCoffinberry。 Here's Senterberry and Coffinter。 What the
hl yer tryin' to fool the man for? Don't yer spose he knows who
he wants ter vote for; say! 'Ere's the ticketSenCoffdon't
crowdget off my toes; you dd fool! Workin' men's tickets is the
ticket you want! To hl wid yez workin' men's ticket; 'ere's the
ticket yez want! No; by Cot; vote for Shorge B。 Senterhe says
he'll py all the peer for dems as votes for him as much more dan dey
can trinks; by tam! Senter be dd! Go for Coffinberry!
Coffinberry was killed eight times in the Mexican war; and is in
favor of justice and Pop'lar Sovrinty! Oh gos! Senter was at the
battle of Tippe…ca…noo; scalped twelve Injuns and wrote a treatise
in Horse…shoeing! Don't go for Coffinberry。 He's down on all the
Dutch; and swears he'll have all their heads chopped off and run
into sausages if he's lected。 Do you know what George B。 Senter
says about the Germans? He says by they're in the habit of
stealing LIVE American infants and hashing 'em up into head cheese。
By ! That's a lie! T'aintI heard that say so with my own
mouth。 Let the man alonestop yer pullinI'll bust yer ear for
yer yet。 My Cot; my Cot; what tam dimes dese 'lections is。 Well
yez crowd a poor Jarman till death; yer dd spalpanes; yez? Sen
CoffSenterberry and CoffinterWorking Men'sRepubDem…whoop…h…
l…whooray…bully…y…e…o…u…c…h!!
The stronges