Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1869-10-12
William Ewart Gladstone.

A London weekly paper sketches the
Man of the Hour in these words:
There is portrait which from the shop
windows stares you in the face in the midst
of very ordinary-looking royal highnesses,
serene dukes, and eminent preachers. and
elicits from the town man to his country
cousin the words, There's Gladstone"
1t is heavy, gloomy face,-rocky, mas
sive, and scanned with age, WEAKNESS and
feeling. The faults of photography are
just those which exaggerate the prominent
characteristics of this dark face; but at its
worst aspect these carte de visite, as such
portraits are foolishly called, no sane man,
no gentleman, ever having used one for a
visiting card ,-will reproduce its leading
features at its most unfavorable aspect. As
you look into it you say "Ah, and so that
man has achieved his highestambition he
is de tacto constitutional king, much more
powerful than President Grant of America,
over sixth part of the globe, eight mil
lions six hundred thousand square miles of
territory and what he does, think or says,
can materially affect the well-being OF
nearly two hundred and fifty millions OF
people, actually one-fifth part of the human
race? Hell the chief Minister of the Crown
of the most ancient monarchy in Europe,
the leader of the most brilliant and elo-
quent public assembly of the Mother Of
Parliaments, and of the freest people in the
world! He started in life as Liverpool
| lad, the son of q merchant of that town
He was schoolfellow to Charles Kean, the
actor, who fretted his little life away amid
paint and spangles, and now lies dead, aged
sixty while Gladstone, with his Elton ed
ucation, his double first at Oxford, his luck
his pluck, his undoubted hard work, is a
about the same age the most popular min
lister that we have known for years, mos
powerful, too-hardly excepting Coun
Bismarck-who will pull down the Irish
Church, and in a contest with the Hous'
of Lords, will beat that historic and angus
assembly. And yet he does not look yer,
happy. Is it worth while being Prim
Minister, after all?
Some such reflection the face must cal
up. Scored and scared as it is, We see il
it extinct passions-yet not so extinct bu
that the underlying fires may burst forth
The head is large, and very fine; the ca
low, but too large; the brain power, fror
back to front, enormous; the hair, thin an
iron gray, is worn from the forehead, whic
justifes the novelist's adjective of "ma:
sive;'' the eyes are deep, and CLEAN froI
under strong, thick eyebrows, SO deep tn:
some one said-but he must have bee
"spoony that looking into them W.
like looking into universe" The nose
cogitative; the mouth stern, cruel and VII
dictive; the chin square; the jaw shu
with yulpine expression, and exhibi
-, immense power The face is a remarkab
face; its pOssessor was once called "hant
some Gladstone" 1t is, perhaps, as hant
some now as ever; but itnever was attra
!, tive Two historical faces are someho
recalled by it when you look at it-tv
;, faces set against each other in their day
the one, is STAFFORD, who lost his he.
:, through Laud and Charles l. the other
Oliver Cromwell, who was at the back
power which took all their heads ava
Q But Gladstone has not the singular, han
some charm of STAFFORD; nor, althoul
: more than the age, has he the warm tie
derness and sweet affection which shin
= out of the best portraits of rugged, Wa
=, worn Oliver Cromwell; but dress up Gla
stone in buff suit, a lace collar, and t
singularly handsome, but richly pla
> dress of Puritan leader, and you wou
~ be carried back to the seventeenth centm
. such is the type of face.