Wichita eagle., 1888-07-29

TlOuS CeuuuCldtlOn,
shamefully insulted NJ. Floquet. A duel
shortly followed, and Bouanger received a
wound which leaves him at the point OF
death
Boulanger's first appearance was as a fop-
pishly theatrical military student; his fel-
lows laughed at him till he went to the oppo-
site extreme, and as a second lieutenant he
affected, as far as allowed, the dress and
style of a common soldier. The war in Italy
1850 gave him a chance. His bravery
brought him wounds and glory, for he was
shot clean through the body and gained the
Sandman cross of ST. Maurice and Lazare
and the rank of first lieutenant Two years
later ne led battalion of Algerian trail
leurs against the Annamtes in Cochin China,
and cooperating with the Spaniards won a
brilliant victory He was again terribly
wounded, receiving lance thrust in the left
side, just below the heart. He here gained
the cross of Isabella the Catholic. He was
made a captain and came back to Paris a
hero even among old generals.
He reverted to his early style, and became
so foppsh that respect for his bravery
even could not restrain the laughter OF
satirists. His wounds distorted his body so
that he had lateral movement in walking,
the left side being advanced. Over his heart
he wore the cross of the Legion of Honor,
with its red ribbon; next came the red and
white of the SO campaign; the green Italian
cross came next, contrasting with the yellow
of the Spanish decoration. This tunic had a
horizontal cutting, which silk strings ena-
bled him to tighten or slacken at will. This,
his friends said, was done from the necessity
of letting air in upon his wounds and pre-
venting too great a compression by his
clothes. His enemies said it was done to
complete the mise-en-scene.
He became captain of the military school,
and ne Systematically began studying the
future officers Of the army and perfecting
the plans by which his ambition was to be
realized. His rule was rigorous, but there
was not a man in the school who would not
have followed him to death. When 1870
came he was made ma jor al the age of 81.
The siege of Paris helped him in four months
to four Of the highest steps of the military
system and the Legion of Honor. He was
successively made lieutenant colonel, colonel
and finally commander of the Legion of
Honor Even when the revision of rank
was instituted his record saved him, aud at
80 be became general.
Then the politician appeared, and he used
his knowledge of his compatriots to put each
in the position where he would best serve the
purposes of Boulanger.
As minister of war he carried out his pet
scheme of mobilization of the army He
astonished Europe by his success. In fact,
he had the department troops Gn America ws
should call them mihtia) in such a perfect
ctn.o Of IyoS hot N,a ,lt,.i-
OF the telegraph they could have
donned uniforms, taken up arms, seized
the farm horses and carts, and been
at the central stations in a few hours,
ready to be hurried by railway to any desired
point. Then strange and contradictory ru-
mors began to agitate the French
One was that he desired to initiate Monk,
who restored the Stuart kings after Crorn-
well; another that he was organizing great
European war in which be was TO enact the
role of Bonaparte; and still another to which
his free expressions of contempt for the old
families gave strength that he thought the
time had come to set up a new dynasty ir
France and that n successful soldier in the
prime of life, Boulanger in fact, was the
man to start it. And while they wondered,
President Jules Grevy and all his cabinet fell
with great ruin, carrying Boulanger with
them.
NJ. Wilson, Grevy's son-in-law. had been
selling decorations and military honors; he
and several others were disgraced. and
President Grevy was driven from Office for
attempting to shield them. The final out
come was the choice as president of VI. Sadi-
Carnot. rather neutral character, who,
those who voted for him were very sure.
would not interiors with their various