The Express.
London, England, 1856-03-05 00:00:00

LONDON, TVEDNESDAY, MARCH 5.

THE very secretly of the Plenipotentiaries stsembled
at Paris is naturally the source of innumerable ru-
mours. It is scarcely necessary to put the English
public on its guard spinet the inventions of stock-
jobbers, or of would-b.: important., who give them-
selves tits of ksowiug more than the rest of the
world. All that is really known beyond the" charmed
circle" is, that the negotiations at Paris are proceed-
ing most enc:aragingly and that the sole topics
which have eogaged the attention of the Plenipoten-
tiaries, view the adjustment of the protocol embody-
ing the proposals which are to serve in lien of a
preliminary treaty. are the terms proposed by the
Allies under the fifth point. It requires no
spirit of divination to feel assured that the °coo-
patios of the Aland Islands, and the restoration
of Yam must be among the most prominent
of these terms. The latter is 63 much a matter of
course, that we can anticipate no objection to it on
the part of Russia. Bat any proposals respecting the
Aland blanche that can give oonSdence to Sweden are
likely to be keenly contested. The security of
Sweden ought, however, to be a aims qua non with
the Allies. They have placed that Power in a poul-
tice of marked antagonism to Runde, and are bound
in honour to see that it takes no scathe in eousequence.
We directed attention, on a former occasion, to the ,
well•founded apprehensions entertained in Sweden
on this score; and the news which have since reached
us, of active preparations to improve the defences of
Stockholm, currobirate what we then stated. We
repeat that Russia ought, at the very least, to
be bound by express stipulations, not only not
to re-fortify the Alaod Islinda, but not to construct
barracks in them, or take military ooeupation of
them in any way. And we hold that the best solu-
tion of the difficulty would be to insist upon the re-
stored= of the Aland Islands to Sweden--a cease
which, in the present condition of Romig, she would
assent to rather than risk a continuance of the war.
Ao intelligent and patriotic Swede has drawn our
attention to the importance of effecting a change is
the frontier line which at present dieides Russia, is
the north, from Sweden sad Norway. It is to be
hoped that this consideration will not be overlooked
in the Conferences.

A DISTINGUISHED historical writer could hardly
have bees engaged in a more appropriate or graceful
teak then that to which Lord STANHOPE applied him-
self last night io the Hoes, of Lade. We trust we
set a dee vales on thaw important contributions to
mar historical literwore which the noble lord has fur-
nished in his own compositions. We are certain that
be will not misuoderstand as when we my that the
;oast in which he was engaged last night was by no
means the least of the services which he has in this
aepeet rendered to his countryman. 'The formation of
a gallery of original portraits, consisting of the mat
eminent persons commemorated in British history, is
one of thaws proposals which, like many other
valuable suggestions, is so obvious when aces made
that every one wonders it was not made beets. Bash
a collection would in the highest and truest seem be
a reel Pictorial History of England. It would give
new life to our annals. It would personify the Past.
In places of that dignified bat somewhat cold
abstraction, " Philosophy teashiag by examples,"
we should have the vivid and glowing
reality of History speaking in Portraits. Let
any student of the more familiar portion of our
shrookles only reflect on the comparative blank
they would have been to him in tie total absence of
all traditional lineaments of the 'hie arbors is the
sense. What would Bluff Hal. have bees to us but
for HOLBEIN, or Quails the Finer bet fee Yaw.
mita? Is it nothing to know that LAUD was mean
end narrow in features as in soul; to see despotism
onaosntrated on the pale brow and Srm set lips of
Wartwoars ; to read en the rugged lineameets of
CaonwEii the spirit of battle and of empire—craft
and courage in the lines of the mOsth—rsgue depths
et reverie in the inscrutable eye? The sroa who
speak to us through their books reveal their naiads
more than dx' who are 'slily known to es by their
deeds ; and yet what reader of SHAEOPIAZE, or
MILTON, Of BACON, does not crave for that additional
knowledge of the man which an authentic portrait is
Nimble of giving? Any fairly reliable presentment
of a great man's features is eagerly accepted by most
of es as batter than none at all. Bet an original
portrait—an actual transeript from the living fees—
is a gratificat ion of a far higher order. It heap back
to us the &parted greatness with a reality which
nothing else can. The eyes whose glance the artist
has mimicked on that canvas gazed tip= it even as we
are piing now ; the lip. whom lineaments we trees
so curiously have often parted to address the
muter of that cunning hand which bee produced
their their semblance for our gratideatios. The original
portrait is more than a mere mechanic link, it is a
spiritual medium, with the past.

That these feelings really operate strongly upon
all of as none can doubt who have observed die

general attractiveness of portraits even in those gal-
levies that are rich in masterpieces of imaginative
art. Is it ail tree r is the child's first question
whoa it hears its first story. Those grown children,
ass and worsen, so far carry with this into after
llfi the feelings of their first estate, that eves la
ideal presentments they always reqabe a basis of
reality and truth. Nymphs, Fans, Venoms, Madame
even, receive frost many the Mee homage.(
emcees, bat the original portraits of great men m-
elte a real and hearty interest in all classes of spa.
tater. alike. Lord STAxaciea takes as his inetemse
the portrait gallery of Verlaine.; he adght base
takes a still sironger example. and referred to that
apartment is the gallery of Florence, which is filled
with the portraits of the great painters. While
Baffselites linger before the " Fornaiiaa " and "Pope
Julius,' and pre-Raffeelitee are worshipping at the
shrines of CIMABUI sad CIIIITTO, the petrel stream
of visitors will often be found face to hoe with the por-
traits which show how lismatAa himself leeks& In
the beauty of his manhood, and Trstatt in the in
of be
age.
That such a canary as Lord ..."AN1101.2 propene
would be of signal envies to Art as well es t.
History is abundantly manifest. Asa more series el,
paintings by various hands from the taiga el HURT
VII. to the reign of VICTORA, it would poses great'
interest to the art student. To the artist engaged
is great histories! works it would be et the highest
eels' as supply leg a ready means of refereese ea all'
(regions imenested with the outs.. sad decoradea
of the period span which be was engaged.
We quits agree with the views expressed by Lord

SE4IIIIOPR as to the best !rode of practically carrying
out his pr,posal. Three things are wanted : a gallery
in which the pictures destined to form the nucleus of
the collection should at ones' be hong; 'body en-
trusted with the power of selesellel; 'appall%
the public funds of the country. ;ft" to the
point, Marlborough House, seen
tion of the Palace, or Westmiettehld
appear to be the nicht naiifeit • and atiptOpitate
receptacle for the infant collection; and we agree
with Lord REDEsDALE that it will be better, in the
event of • -sew National Gallery being emoted, to
allot the present building to the biographical colic°.
tioo of England's worthies, than to desecrate the site
by erecting • hotel ern it. That there should be a
very competent body chosen for the purposes of selec-
tion is Olbsolutely indispensable to the success of the
scheme. A rigid principle of exclusion must be
adopted with regard to the portraits of the great
obscure. We must not admit into the national col-
lection the ancestral canvasses that may have a cer-
I tain value in the hall of the family mansion. Ent
with the so-called Paul Veronese before us, we em-
pbatically protest against entrusting with • dis-
cretionary power of selection any body in which Sir
CHARLES ELSTLAKE hest preponderating voice. The
only point in which we disagree with Lord STAISHOPE
is in the financial part of his scheme. 5001. a-year
is far too niggardly a sum to ask of the nation for
such a purpose as this. Why, we give three Omegas
much per annum for a County Court Judge, and
twice as much for an Attorney-General at Hong
Kong. With this exception, we have not a word to
urge against any portion of Lord STANHOPE'S
. scheme ; and we are glad to see that the Govetament
and the House of Lords gave it the cordial reception
it deserved.

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