The New York Herald

The Dirty Drama—Its Progress.—The indecencies, which we some time since exposed and commented on, as enacted on the Chatham theatre stage, had the effect, notwithstanding the boasts made by the manager of 'the good the Herald had done him,' to disgust even the more decent portion of his own audience with his obscenities, and to close the house. This was, of course, merely 'for the purpose of thoroughly cleansing and restoring the theatre'—which, sooth to say, sadly needed such regeneration. Meanwhile, the Olympic and Bowery are making every possible exertion to sustain themselves in their dirty position; but their efforts, notwithstanding the elaborate puffs of the press, remind one of two drunken loafers on a dunghill, trying to hold each other up. The exposures we have made in regard to the 'cheap and nasty' drama, have had their effect, and we may shortly look for a radical and brilliant revolution in theatrical affairs.

Until this takes place, we are promised some melioration of the present state of things by Tom Flynn, who is about to convert the National Hall into a decent and clean cheap theatre, and to bring out some very respectable talent there. If he minds his eye he will succeed—but, remember, he must mind his eye.

In the spring, however, we look for a general regeneration of all dirty matters. The dirty novels are already nearly supplanted—the dirty 'Natives' will then be cleaned out—the dirty streets will be scraped once more—the dirty theatres shut up as nuisances—and the dirty robes of pious Prelates, made so, either by women or politics, will be washed in Croton and charity, white as wool, and pure as sunbeams.