Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1888-07-20

rious denunciation,
shamefully insulted NJ. Floquet. A duel
shortly followed. and Boulanger received a
wound, while his opponent was practically
unhurt
Boulanger's first appearance was as fop-
pishly theatrical military STUDENT his fell
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 common soldier. The war in Italy
1850 gave him 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 he led a battalion of Algerian trail
leurs against the Annamites In Cochin China,
and cooperating with the Spaniards won
brilliant victory. He was again terribly
wounded, receiving a lance thrust in the left
side, just below the heart. He here gained
the cross of Isabella the Catholic. He was
made captain and came back to Paris
hero even among old generals.
he reverted to his early style, and became
so foppish that respect for his bravery
even could not restrain the laughter Of
satirists. His wounds distorted his body SO
that he had a 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 80 campaign; the green Italian
cross came next, contrasting with the yellow
of the Spanish decoration. This tunic had
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 he 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 man in the school who would not
have followed him to death. When 1870
came he was made major at the age of 49,
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
successfully made lieutenant colonel, colonel
and finally commander of the Legion of
Honor. Even when the revision Of rank
was instituted his record saved him, and at
80 he 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 a mobilization of the army. He
astonished Europe by his success. In fact,
he had the department troops lin America we
should call them militia) in such a perfect
state of preparedness that at the click
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 Crom
well another that he was organizing great
European war in which lie was to enact the
role Of Bonaparte; and still another, to which
his free expressions of contempt for the ole
families gave strength, that he thought the
time had come to set up a new dynasty IL
France, and that a successful soldier in the
prime of life, Boulanger in fact was tht
man to start it. And while they wondered
President Jules Grevy and Ill his cabinet fel
with great ruin, carrying Boulanger witt
them.
NJ. Wilson, Grevy's son-in-law, had beer
selling decorations and military honors; h,
and several others were disgraced, anC
President Grevy was driven from office fol
! attempting to shield them. The final out
come was the choice as president of NJ. Sadi
Carnot, a rather neutral character, who
these who voted for him were very sure
would not interfere with their variou