Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-11-12

BLkGE AND IMPOSING CERENoNIAI1-HoNoRS TO
| AMERICASs-THE RED RIBBON OF rRE LEGION
/ OF HoNoR-MARsBAL MCNAHoNS GRAND RAIL-
| A JAN At vERsArILEs-A SPECTACULAR suC-
| CESS But OTHERWISE FAULURE-OrHER EN-
TREATMENTS.
| Especial Correspondence of The StaT.l
| PARIS, Oct 25. 1878.
| The Paris season has begun AGAR aud the
| IN stel ial and Official circles have been lately
| ard will be for some time, enlivened by a round
OF receptions and gaities. They are given in
c.ose succession. as il is desired to have as much
| as possible OF importance take place before the
| closing OF the Exposition. Before speaking of
| the recent great feteS however. a few words
about tie decoration of the Legion of Honor.
| Every body knows that it is not the same Legion
Of HI nOr as Of Old. but il is none the less desired
! by all Frenchmen and many foreigners, and is
much easier obtained than formerly. II is not nee
essary now to perform deeds of braveryat the risk
OF life, or to accomplish some great state benefit.
to be allowed to wear the little red ribbon in the
button hole; Not but that it is given for such
| services and should be duly appreciated in those
| Instances. but at the same time ii is often OBJ
| tanned by those who can bring influence to bear
or who are energetic enough to obtain the nee,
! essaTy ntuence-just like Office seeking at
| hCme-and there is 30 distinction made; the red
! Febons are all alike.
DECORATED AMERICANS
over hundred decorations have recently
| been given to fofeigner5-in some cases de.erI-
'hIS. t'cHL' shit lll'N AtIlNltT vi AgTitiA
| tule and Commerce informed Governor Mct,nr-
nick that III addition 70 the awards granted u
Tie nlted states by the jurieS the French
| government proposed 10 offer various persons
connected with our department the decoration
or tie Legion Of Honor and officially asked h.'l
10 suggest names. This. after some relar: ion
tte Governor coulte0uSiy declined 10 10. S:as ing
! Jat the commissioners sent by our government
| were tCo numerous 70 expect recognition for all.
| and !:e had no good grounds TO make a sc.e .t!oa
Of names for distinction He further added that
t,f n N ia har on ' fl,.l
! cNhlhltofS, jurors. ana members of his imn.
| didte staff. II was therefore left to The French
SuthorltIes 10 make tier own selections. On
sunday last Governor Nice Ormick was informed
| that the following had been decided upon
Commissioner General McG ormick. command
| err President Barnard. OF Columbia COLLEGE y
l., anG assistant commissioner general, to nave
the rank OF "officier;'' President White of Coz
nell University. and ". W. story. the sculptor.
Prof: VIM. p Blake. OF Yale College, and Dr. E.
| II. Knight, honorary commissioner from The
District OF Columbia. (who, by the way, has
been one OF the ha aidest and most reliable work
II. Mccormick and Walter a. Wood the famous
manufacturers OF agricultural implements. who
we've given tie order of ..chevalier' in 67 pro-
noted to lhe rank Of .of1icier." Chas. /. Tiff
fany. OF Tiffany Co, Y. Y: Thos A. Edison,
Ct \. j. Elisha Gray, Of Chicago; Henry Brew
| ster, the well known carriage manufacturer
and F. A. Bridgman, who received the gold
| medal for his painting. Funeral Of a Mummy,
| IN our art exhibit. were made !'chevalieTS.'' OF
persons received the decoration OF "cileyalipr:-
a. IL. Grard. secretary: Henry Petit, architect:
J. d.. Phibrick. superintendent of the educa-
tlonal exhibit; I. x. Pickering. superintendent
OF machinery: d. NJ. Armstrong, of the art gal
lery, ard b. III. Buckingham, attacno OF the l.
! :. navy.
AS in all suc! eases, there is a good deal Of
surprise expressed ar certain selections. and al
! certain emissions. as well. but the most sur
r,ising thing after all is that the French made
! 50 few mistakes. GOV. Mccormick was al first
| disposed 10 decline the decoration. but finding
It wculd b" considered diScOurte0us To Tie
| French government TO 90 so, he said 20 the
| minister, when invited TO appear late On sun
| day night. that Ee appreciated the high honor
| intended 10 be conferred upon him. and that te
| would hold the decoration subject TO the acton
OF congress, there being law positively pro-
! hlbiting any officer OF he United states from
accepting foreign distinction OF any kind. Il is
harC l. probable that ha VIII ever ask Congress
10 act in the matter, as he is not afflicted with
| tie Eiania for decorations. which seems to seize
! 50 many Americans living in Europe It is Chilly
about the exposition now, and il is fortunate for
| some of TIE decorated that oyercaatS have but
ton hCles in the LABELS, or their health might
suffer. That rcd ribbon must Show under any
| TcuESt anceS.
| AMERICAN ART.
| Mr.. Bridgnlan doubtless received tie deror2-
/ tiCn on account Of having been awarded the
! highest prize OF any artist in our art gallery
| The picture is generally considered Very fine
one. The scene is laid in Egypt, and the hour
iust at sunset, when everything is surrounded
! pleasant and dreamy thoughts. The Nile is
| touched by the fading rays of the setting sun,
and its still waters reflect them with marvel
| lousy striking effect. The procession of Egyp-
ttan boats with their grief stricken occupants in
| various fantastic attitudes is very fOrcibly
drawn, and The whole worl, bears the impress
OF long study. and is marked by careful delinea-
tlon OF details IT took a second prize last year
/ at the Salon and was Immediately afterwards
purchased by James Gordon Bennett for ss.ooo,
| think. In our little art gallery hangs another
| painting, however. marine View, which is
generally considered TO have no superior of its
| kind in the whole exposition. w. r. w. Dana
is the artist, ard the title of his work .Son-
| tude." It cannot come under the general crit-
cism CT not being strictly american in its char
| acter. II represents simply the heavy rolling
| waves OF mt0-ccean on stormy night Moth
| ing breaks the monotony. excepting the faint
rays OF tie moon struggling through the angry,
| drifting clouds, and touching the crests OF tie
| dark masses OF water with soft tender light
| No central chject appears 70 catch TIE eye and
! ara" the attention FROM some otherwise Ip-
| Parent, Cefect. IL causes Elany Il careless sight
| seer 10 stop with wonder and almost ave
| These who know say that solitude is the
Work OF po" el1H hand. and would, in ITSELF
| make a name, but that the attempt by medic
| ere artist would lave been his ruin. A young
! man who was a passenger in the same vessel
with Dana few Years ago remarked when he
| saw this picture. ''ThatS what he was painting
| in his mind when he stood on the bridge until
| nearly morning, time after time. watching the
hold On for his life. He wasn't the fool we
| thought him. Solitude" only obtained a sill
| yer medal, but the artist can congratulate him
| self upon having Won higher prize-the admi-
| ration OF the public. But to return.
| AWARDING THE PRIZES.
| The medals viii not be ready for distribution
until January, and the grand prizes and diplo-
mas OF honor only were actually given out on
| Monday. The ceremony, by far the best man
| aged Of any since the beginning of the exposf-
tlon, was held in the PalaiS de 7 Industrie This
| immense building which was erected and used
for the Universal Exposition OF IS, has been
retained for public demonstrations, and was
| peculiarly adapted for the one on the 21st. Its
| entrances gave admission to 5000 persons with
| perfect ease. and as these persons were divided
| into classes and admitted by different doors
| there was scarcely any confusion Nearly every
individual in the building had seat. In the
| remote parts, however, 1t was Impossible to
hear the speakers and difficult to see them. This
| was not from want OF management but on ac-
| count OF the size of the building. The decora-
uons were in good taste and the platform Of the
| marshal and other dignftaries was very large,
and at the proper elevation to allow them to
overlook the immense aSSemblage. Soon after
! ~ O'Clock the Senators and Deputies arrived
| and took seats back of those reserved for the
| mafshais and foreign princes. Gambetta was
| conspicuous figure, and the observed of all
observers. Jules Grey, who, it is generally
| supposed will be the next President OF the re-
l H