The Sun.
London, England, 1864-05-02 00:00:00

passages of it—where, after referring to the die-
advantage he felt himself lab, uring under by
interposing thus before men with higher claims to
represent literature, he remarked—`` I see in this
room the acknowledged representatives of some of
its highest departments. I see history appropriated
by the Academy herself, who, in Lord STANHOPE,
Dean MILMAN, and Mr. GROTE, possesses the lay
element so dear to Lord ELCHO—in a form which

I•
do not grudge it to her, but to which, for my
part, I should be well content to find that she
continued to restrict herself. I see poetry in
some pleasant forms known unto you all, and
especially in that of Mr. BROWNING, one of the most
original thinkers, as well Eke one of the first poets
of his time. In fiction, I see not only the great
Master of Character and Humour (Mr. DICKENS),
who has held sway over both for now more than a
quarter of a century, and this very day starts after
new laurels with as much vigour and freshness as
when he first began the race ; but also others whoss
laurels are of later growth, such as he who built
for us Barchester Towers,' and the Small
House at Allington ; and that son of a former
member of this academy, who, claiming to be
remembered for 'No Name,' has here a special
title to remembrance in right of two of the greatest
names familiar to these walls—names dear and
honoured wherever English art is known, and
which may borrow from the art of Mr. WILKIE
COLLINS—new claims to the admiration of their
countrymen." Than all which, we take it-, no
tributary words of a discriminative admiration
for some among his contemporary authors
far beyond the level of mere compliment—
than all which, we say, nothing surely could be
more eminently happy or more completely delight-
ful. _ _

Another incident of the evening should not
be allowed to pass unnoticed in this year of the
tercentenary, namely, the interpolation for once
among the customary toasts given by the President
of the Academy, of the exceptional Toast of the Year,
" The Immortal Memory of Shakspere." Neverthe-
less, even here, gracefully and befittingly though
the teast was introduced by the few spoken words
of the President, it was strangely of a piece with
the whole series of failures henceforth to be
associated with the recollection:ld this great
attempted (merely attempted) Tercentenary
Celebration —it is entirely of a piece with it
all, that the Immortal Memory of SHARSPERE
was welcomed, even by that congenial audience
with a cool, or rather, it should be said, refri-
gerating " Hear, hear !" As who should say—" Lord
FREDERICK VERISOPHT was right, after all,
when lisping (as a sort of anticipation of Lord
DIINDREARY)—` SHAKSPERE was a clerver man !'"
Reverting, however, for a moment, before we close
these remarks of ours upon the Academy dinner
of last Saturday—reverting for yet another moment
to the speech which we must still regard as among
them all the speech of the evening—that of Mr.
FORSTER in acknowledging the toast in reference
to literature—it is particularly worthy of attention,
we conceive, how, in what terms, towards the con-
clusion of his remarks he makes allusion to two of
the greatest painters of the present age—to DANIEL
MACLISE and JOHN HERBERT, artists conspicuous
even among the eminent throng of Academicians. "I
have spoken," said Mr. FORSTER, " of the painters
who are present on these walls; but there are two
great painters conspicuous by their absence from
them, and having lately seen the extraordinary
works with which Mr. MACLISE and Mr. HERBERT
are now adorning the walls of the Palace at West-
minster, I desize, however feebly, to repeat the
praise I hear on every side, that what has so been
. done, not merely reflects an honour on this academy,
but sheds a glory on the country." And he added,
" Such wurka dic national in the big-hest scoot,; and
the men who can produce them—who can so cele-
brate our history, and give visible embodiment to
the grandest and most sacred traditions of our race
—the men, I say, who so can execute a national
work, are entitled to no niggardly reward." Surely
they are entitled to it—and they are certain of re-
ceiving it.

Lord RUSSELL need not plume himself upon the
result of the debate on Friday touching the steam

rams appertaining to the Messrs. LAIRD. Vox et

preterea nail cannot be applied to this affair, for the
effects of the earnest and eloquent words of the
noble earl, the leader of the Opposition, will not
pass away; and he has so skilfully brought out facts,

and commented on occurrences, that a new light
seems to be thrown upon the subject, and the un-
fairness of Lord RUSSELL'S conduct appears in

stronger colours than ever. The affair must have
been a very annoying one to the noble lord, for
it was no chance query, and no indignant remons-
trance from a nobody that he had to listen to ; nor,
still more, did, the demand assume the convenient
form of an inquiry in the other House, where
Under-Secretaries could snub the impertinent
querist, or if he was dangerous, the noble lord at
the head of the Government could get up a laugh
against him, or rise into the sublime attitude of
patriotism, which he can so well do, and which
takes in so many. Earl RUSSELL is very bad at a
reply. He always get irritated, and that never does
when one has to contend against the disadvantage

connected with the vital interests of our country-
men ? Let him deprecate undue interference, cen-
sure a violation of the rights of nations, denounce
any offence—open or covert—against our allies, or
against the belligerents with whose quarrels we
have no concern. All this may be tolerated, but it
has come to a pretty pass if the chief reason our
representative with foreign nations can give for his
actions is that he is afraid. The only fear that he ought
to recognise is the dread of wrong doing, lest any
act of his should compromise the character of
the country he represents, but all things seem
changed in these degenerate times, and it is the
fashion to acknowledge openly in some quarters the
great horror that is felt lest such a one should be
offended, or this or that country entertain a doubt
as to our intentions. This may be a convenient
mode of policy, and gain great eclat from the unini-
tiated, but Earl RUSSELL may learn one day to his
cost that this was not the manner in which our
greatness was achieved or our renown spread abroad.
The empire on which the sun never sets was not
won by timorous statesmen, nor was the influence of
England consolidated by tyrannising over her sub-
jects at home to suit the purposes and satisfy the
arbitrary demands of insolent and overbearing
foreigners. The effrontery of the Foreign Secretary
amounts to impertinence. He has good grounds for
his belief that the vessels are what he has repre-
sented them to be. After the many rebuffs he has
met with in the case of the Alexandra, some persons
might have imagined that he would have acquired
a little moderation, or, at all events, have affected

.he virtue if he had it not. It appears, however,

that persistence in these aggressive actions has
rendered the noble lord quite impervious to the
rebukers of indignant and independent lookers-on,
and totally oblivious to the outrage on public
opinion and the offence against national honour.
Some day the infatuated individuals who helped to
put these Ministers in office will count up the cost
it has been to their country in civil rights and
foreign reputation. It is always a source of great
satisfaction to think, that those who are at the helm
of public affsirs will so conduct themselves that the
spirit of the country may be represented in its
" integrity and independence." This cannot be
said now, and the more we survey the state of things
at home and abroad, the more we can appreciate
the truth of Mr. DISRAELI'S memorable remark,
that " England does not love Coalitions."

The opening of the " Merry Month of May" hes

long been invested with a sort of traditionary im

portance. It is true that the old holiday has died