Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-06-14
the Prussian Order Of Merit

New York Post.l
The Civil Glass of the Prussian Order
Of Merit, to which the telegraph reports
that Mr.. Longfellow and Mr.. Bancroft
have been elected, was instituted on May
81, l942, by King Frederick William ",
to be conferred on any person who
lin the original terms of foundation)
throughout Europe had won for them
selves O name either in the arts or
sciences" When the limitation of its
members to Europe was modified we do
not know. The Military class Of the
order was Instituted by Frederick the
Great sjon after his accession to the
throne in l740, upon the foundation Of
an ancient order OF Brandenberg, entitled
the Order OF Generosity, and was reor-
ganized BY Frederick William III in
1910, in the course Of the general reor-
ganization Of Prussia after its downfall
at Jena and Auerstadt.
Alexander Won Humboldt was the first
Chancellor Of the Civil Order, aud the
Office subjected him to many vexations.
His acceptance Of it was one Of the in
consstencies that marked and msrred
his illustrious career. The original de-
sign was to establish the number of mem
bers at forty-six-the number Of years in
the reign Of Frederick the Great; but this
was reconsidered, anG the number was
limited to thirty. The duty Of making
out the first list OF them was nominally
left to the Ministers Eichhorn, Thile and
Savigny, but really was performed by
Frederick William ~ himself who,
Humboldt tells US, drew it up in Sanscrit
characters, "a habit with this enthusias-
tic Prince, that no one should read the
memoranda lying on his writing table" !"
Metternich, Liszt Herschel, Macauley,
Robert Brown, Faraday, ArGgo, Ingres,
Bockh, Ruckert, Teck, Jacob Grimm,
Gauss, Sehelliug, Mellon, Thos. Moore
and Msnzoni we're among the early
members.
Manzoni declined at first 70 accept the
honor, on the ground that his principles
prevented him from wearing an order
but he was overpersuaded by personal
appeal from Humboldt into acquiescing
in the nomination. Ludwig INLAND, the
sturdy republican poet Of South Ger
many, however, persisted in refusing an
election to the vacancy created in the
order by the death sf Tieck, in 1861 aud
the correspondence between him and
HumIOldt may well be perused by Mr..
Bancroft and Mr.. Longiellow before they
return their own replies to the notice Of
their election. They can find it pub
lished at large in all the independent
German journals in November, 1865.
Under date of December 2, 1853, Uh-
land "unhesitatingly" refused to accept
such an honor, "inseparably connected
as it is with position of rank, because
he should be thereby occupying posi-
ton entirely inconsistent with his princi
ples, both in literature and politics
This inconsistency, he adds, referring
to the autocratc suppression of Liberal
ism by Prussia in lS49, would be all the
more striking from the circumstance
that after the wreck of National hopes II
which l also indulged it would i'll be
come me to wear the insignia of honor
while those with whom | was associated
in the endeavor to realize these hopel
haye-merely because in the late trou
bles their zeal carried them q few step
further-incurred the loss of home, free
dom, citizenship-nay, even life itself.
1t was in vain that Humboldt argued
with him, and held out to him, among th
reasons why he should reconsider the re
fusal, the prospect OF shortly includini
members from the free land of America.
"Accede to my request" he wrote; "hav
| not some right to ask you to relieve m
from the labyrinth of embarrassment i
which / have been so undeservedl
plungedE' But INLAND was not to b
cajoled by even the personal considers
tons which prevailed with Mauzoni. Il
replied, regtetting the perplexity j
which Humboldt found himself, but hrn
Ily and finally refusing to relieve hir
from it on any consideration whatever
and he died in 1862 without shadow {
regret ever crossing his noble mind /
consequence of the decision.
--a,--o--p---
He leaned on the fence pouring OF
warm VOWS of love and admiration to Ii
lovely being on the other side. 1t wa
dark. We could not see her face, bl
she said Pray desist, You are to
, vacillating. Only one week ago yo
Il LII,