Wichita eagle., 1888-05-10
THE RED RIBBON.
A MIGHTY INCENTIVE TO fRENcti
BRAVERY IN BATTLE.

0nHvChY fS 0Ht GG.
| Order of the Legion of Honor-Its Instis
tuition by Napoleon Bonaparte-An Inn
| pressive Scene--Story of the Old Guard.
The Communists.
was down at Boulogne not long ago and
seroiied over the immense natural amphl-
theatre which spreads out on the right OF the
fort facing the English channel. where, IN
iS04, the troops OF France to the number OF
| over 100000 were looking toward London.
One particular day in August Napoleon Bona
parte drew up this army before the stones
that mark the tower that Cesar built. The
Sky was cloudless blue, the air 50 dry and
pure that across the waters the outlines Of
foreign coast stood sharply defined against
the horizon, and the frowning Notifications
OF Dover, with the English ships of war riding
at anchor, could be seen easily. The Grande
Armee was there, victors Of Arccle, of the
pyramids, all of them. every mothers son OF
them; and yivandiers, too, burnt by the sun
OF every cline, proud with glory conquered
on many soils, helmets, bayonets, swords and
culrasses flooded with the golden rays OF
summers sun, and all waiting for their en-
peror.
In the center of this mighty plain stand
ards and flags and eagles richly gllded COW
cred the green that stretched out before the
throne where the Little Corporal was to take
his stand, and which was shaded by an ar
rangement of the many flags that had been
captured from enemies War horses neighed
and stamped their feet, arms sparked. stand
ards shone oct brightly and the murmur OF
soldiers rolled in waves to the foot of this I'M
per1al throne, like unto the mighty waves
that beat in foaming breakers against the
rocks where shore and sea are welded. One
hundred thousand heroes were there to see
their general fasten with his own hand to the
breast of comrades the red and burning
flower of battlefelds; red, not like the rose
that dudes wear as boutonnieres, nor such a
red as women daub on their faces, but red
like the flame which is belched from the can
mons mouth in the heat of combat, red like
the crimson blood that gushes from the open
wound Of a saber's stroke, red like the living
hearts Of heroes He made the ribbon red so
as to perpetuate on the breast Of those to
whom he gave the cross the sublime wounds
received for their native land.
THE MIGHTY COMMANDER
Bugles sounded, the beat OF 1900 drums
was heard, and 500 cannon thundered also in
the salute thus given an emperor The earth
shook as if with an earthquake, the smoke of
gunpowder clouded the sky. and across the
shimmering sea England, behind her wooden
ships, heard the army thus proclaim the pres
ence Of one who had already conquered near
ly the whole of Europe Accompanied by
h hrof rl,oy a,,l
Napoleon mounted the steps of his throne,
and the grand army gave forth great cheer
that went over the waves and was echoed
back by the white cliffs of Albion. Then q
deep silence fell on ALL The mighty COM
mander, as grave and solemn as any god that
ever graced Olympus, stood up and glanced
over his faithful soldiers. Two marshals came
to his side, one carrying the helmet Of Bay
ard, the other that of Duguesclin, and both
helmets were filled with crosses of the new
order. On an ancient shield two generals
supported more crosses, and private soldiers
carried golden eagles that had come from
Rome The military virtues and glories Of
all the past centuries of French history were
thus united TO the glorious records Of the
present that he was writing on the face OF the
Old World.
The names of those who were to be men,
bers Of the new Legion of Honor were then
called out, and as they formed iu line those
trembled now who had never trembled in the
midst of the fiercest carnage. All the legion
aries repeated the vow after their emperor,
and as each glorious name was called it was
acclaimed by enthusiastic shouts, the roll of
drums and the cannons' sound. Thus was
the order Of the famous Legion d'Honneur
instituted under the very eyes and within
sound of its founders most implacable enemy.
THE OLD GUARD.
Some years ago l saw at the Invalides a
one armed man in uniform, who was that
same day spectator Of this morning scene.
He wore the cross on his breast, but it was
not given him until later on, and the story of
how he came to receive it is a noble one
When the emperor of Russia was visiting the
emperor of the French, Napoleon had pa
raded on the Champ de Mars several thousand
soldiers. The Old Guard were there and half
of them were bearers Of terrific wounds.
The two emperors stopped their horses to
lock at these heroic men. It was after
Austerlitz.
"My brother, what do you think of soldiers
who will stay to take such wounds as tho5efr
asked Napoleon, proudly.
"And what do you think Of soldiers who
could give then'" was the quick reply. Then
from tho ranks stepped out private, who
lifted his left hand in salute, for the right
was gone, and said:
Sire, they are all deadI" and he stepped
bacl to his place again.
From his own breast Napoleon took the
cross he wore, beckoned to the man, and then
and there pinned it over as brave heart as
ever wore q uniform. The "Star Of the
Brave" SO Lord Byron lauded it, and it is
still the acme of martial ambition, as it is
also the dream of Frencamen- why, Were
you not afraidin asked a good bourgeois of
his soldier nephew lately returned from Ton
quin. MA foil when looked on this strip
of red ribbon at my breast I didn't seem to
care about few drops of blood more or less
and | remembered that it was President
Greyy himself who gave it to me"