The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1869-09-24
THE LEGION Of HONOR IN
FRANCE, -.


The present legislative body of France
consists of about 29O members. OF these
25O arc decorated with the Legion OF Honor;
only forty members are without this order.
Some of these are too young for it There
are nine grand officers, one of whom Is the
celebrated N. Thiers. deputy, journalist,
pamphlctecr, essayist. orator, politician,
statesman. and historian. He was decorated
thirty years ago by King Louis Philippe.
In the Legislative Chamber there are eight
other Knights Of the Grand Cross, who are
privileged to wear star on tho left breast.
with red ribbon. There are twenty.seven
commanders, who display large white en-.
amel cross, hanging from . narrow ribbon
round the neck. There are ninety mine CT
ticcrs, wearing ssmall cross with gold noun.
tings dropping from r,settc at the left bit.
ton hole. There are ia simple Knights,
with a cross in silver mounting attachcd 10 .
strip Of ribbon. Except on State occasions,
the actual insignia are rarely worm A small
bit of red riband tied to the button hole on
the left, or . little red rosette, (dcnoting
superior rank,) Is all that is worn gcing
through Paris No one dare wea. csrna.
ton in his button hole. because, et u little
distance, II might deceive the eye and be
taken or mistaken for the rcd ribbon of the
order The military have to salute, ss he
passes by each one who has bit Of rcd rib.
bon in his bu,ton-hole. The penalty for
wearing the ribbon without being entitled
10 it is very severe.
In 1902, when Napoleon was First Consul
and there yet remained the name, and s,me-
thing of the form of French Republic, he
founded the Order of the Legion Of Honor
to rccompense military and civil seryices.
Originally there were three classSs-Grsnd
officers, commanders, and !egionaries. On
Napoleons coronation, 1904, he divided the
first class into Knights of the Grand Eagle
and Grand Officers. On Napoleon's full. in
1914, the Bourbons retained, but rernodeled
the order, changing the eagle into cross,
and substituting the etf1gy Of Henry Nv for
that Of Napoleon. In 1917 officers were in
troduced. Under the present Emperor it has
regaincd most of its original features. The
cross has ten points of white enamel, edged
with gold. These points Are connected with
. wreath of laurel proper, ::nnd in the centre,
which is chased with his name and title. il
is u head Of the present Emperor The cross
is connected with tho imperial crown of
France, IN gold, and worn attached to red
ribbon.
The number Of decorated persons Is great.
In lSa3 there were 5000; but since 1881
only ono nomination has been made for every
two extinct ones. Still It Is Estimated that
over 80. 900 persons are possessed of the Or.
der. Some of the number receive pensions,
and as much as 8 l, zoo, 600 have bcen paid,
on this account in single year. No igno!''e
punishment can be inflicted on menabe. Of
the Order, while he belongs to it. No
Frcuchr,an can reach higher grade with
out passing through each lower ono. The
Emperor is Grand Master. There ure est.b-
lisliMcEts for the daughters. wives, and sis
ters Of the members, The education IL very
superior. aud something like military disci-
pline Is maintained. This is . cheap way
of satisfying suffers. The Cross of tho LIE.
gion Of Honor is greatly desired by all class.
cs in France-evcn the Republicans do not
distlain Il, declaring that the Order WAS
founded before the Empire was established.
Sometimes very poor persons a-e entitled
TO wear the insignia; few wear the cr,ss,
except Oh great occ,ssi "ns, but $1,000 per.
sons wear the little Git Of red ribbon.