, 1865-03-03
CTR PARIS LETTER.
Tho Capture Of Fort Ftsher-The Turf
In Partn-The American aoFse
ASheppard 3s-Art Gossip

Correspondence Of the Chicago THhune:l
PARIS. Tuesday, jan 81, 1855.
We have iuet received the tidings of the
capture of Fort Fisher, and 1t Is quite nnnec-
essary for. me to say how great has oeen tne
sensation created by this event. THIS Is, IN
deed, the crowning Incident to the long So
Iies of successes which have followed so iast
upon each other Of late, and to which tnc
sole drawback was the temporary cheek re"
cetyed IN the first expedition against WI
mington. The latter has now been ful'y
avenged md made amends for, ana tue Eee-
e'al arms reign triump phan! at every point. l.
find that hope runs high ca your ssdo Of tne
Atlantic. for friend who has just arrived
here by the Australasia assures me that ne
should not bctufpriscd at any moment to learn
that pcaco Was in tair yay to be concluded,
and fancy be brings with him The reflection
ofthc seDEe Of the country The prospect Is
bright indeed, and will be almost as accept
able to Eu ope as to America, SO anxious arc
men Of business here to sec ports once more
open and commerce return to1ts accustomed
channels a friend drew my attention tne
other day to the celebrated chapter IN De
Toc9uevjlle's great work on the United
States, in which he discusses tie question
whether republican form Of governmsnt
were capable Of carrying on md bringing 10
a successful issue prolonged conflict, requif-
ing great sacrifices on the rart Of the people,
and seems 10 leave that question d%ouottu! %
my fiiend> s. need not have felt any difficulty
as to how that question ought to BE- answered
no1D r. ..
have ibis moment returned from witness
ing sporting event which LAS excited great
interest here both among Americans ana
Others, Mr. Censer,s celebrated t1ottng
horte sheppard ufter beating the best horse
In England, The Rdnqer, at Liverpool. was
matched here against another American horse
for five thousand francs. The race came on
over two and halT miles on the Bols dc
Bousognc, and few Americans were absent.
The FIcnchmen present were perfectly aston
isLed at tue pace ard speed Of American
horses, and expressed their admiration loudly.
The raco was won easily by Sheppard, who
went over the d,stauce In 6 min, II scc., OIL
though pulled up the last mile.
The sale by public auction OF the rare
collection, known to all lovers Of art under
the name of the Pourtal:s Gallery, has been
to take effect. Meanwhile, to gain admit
tauce into the Hotel Of the Ru Tronctlet,
whose artistic FIorentfue bronze knocser
alGne seems to reveal world Of art within
before the public In general shall have been
ast ns ysw Ssen hs It's et aS'se
OF desire and emulation amoDg the Partisan
world during the whole Of the past week.
Although, IN one sense, therefore. the view
was supposed to be private ono, the crowd
vas, in reality, none the less dense, that 1t
was almost exclusively composed Of the fash
| Ion Ct the capital. This glorious collection
is the flust Of the lab0rs for forty years Of the
Count Pourtalis-Gorgfcr, and has remained
In the }amily fer ten years since thu collect
| orss death, In consequence OF q clause In lis
will, so directing It, e1e its contents could
be dispersed throughout the capitals Of Eu'
| rope. This term has now expired, and the
division Of this valuable property between
highly honorable positions both IN Prussia
md In this country, now necessitates the
above mentioned sale.
The objects ofart, both ancient and mod
ern which 1t c. ntafns are 60 varied and nu
merous as to render any detailed account in
| that The mere catalogue Of them fills two
thick octave volumes. Ancient marble aud
bronzes Of inestimnblc vuluc; EtIuscnn vases
and terra eo'tts. canoes, antiques and sculp
tured ivory en-: aasres Of the period fthe
Renaissance In Italy aud Flinders are sutn
eie1t IL themselves to enrich any = museum Sc n.
md will, probably, be eagerly CONTESTED fo'
by these or London, Parls, and st. Peters
burg. Ihe.c arc pottestes By. Beenary d.
PulEsy, among which Is one Of the most per
feet spt cimeus Of the warc, known under ths
name Of s. Strrite de Henri H." only two o.
three Of which are TO be found In the rict
museum Of The Louvre, devoted to siulla'
objas dart: md enamcls Of Image Of sur
passing beaut,~aud value. The collection o
:. paintings, it need scarcely be told
ialls III no way short1f the rest. aud Is es
pecially riclrAin the WurKs OF the master
Of tie fifteenth century. being NOR
interesting, theretore,.i In fhistoric point!o
view. 1t boasts Of an unriYalled head b,
Antonello di Messina, the pupil Of Van Eyck
from when he ncIuifed the art Of painting Il
oils in Flanders, and introduced 1t Into Italy
In financial point Of view the heirs Of til
family, will hare no reason to complain Of th
investment made By their ancestor. Object
were pointed out to me for which only five 0
SIX Thousand francs were given at the begin
ming Of The century. and for which connol
seuis noE declare Themselves ready to es
pend four and five, times: that sum. It
deeply to be regretted that the state Of til
exchange and money n,a5let and the aepa.
tutc Of SO many wealthy Americans fror
Paris will prevent many articles from thl
noble collection passing to The United States