The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-12-10
VERYCOMMON In EUROPE
ORNAMENTS THAT PEOPLE STILL
FIGHT FOR.
Iron Dukes Tribute to the Mnivaney's
Lucknow Kavanaugh"-When suPe-
rior Becomes an Inferior-A"V. c.

Orders are so plentiful in Europe as
TO be almost common" although the
aristocrat will ever hunger for Garter
Golden Fleece, Black, or the still more
coveted Red Eagle, says the New York
World. But the solders-the British
! Tommy Atkins. the French Dumanet, and
the German Hans-aspire respectively,
and with equal ambition, 70 Victoria
! Cross, the croix a. honneur as the Cross
Of the Legion Of Honor is generally styled,
and the plain, little Maltese-shaped Iron
Cross.
The order Of the Iron Cross OF King
Frederick william ILL.,, which was found
ed In 1913, marning. as 1t does, the crisis
Of that struggle with France upon which
the foundations Of the German empire
were laid, Will always remain famous in
the fatherland. At the time of its insti-
tuition ii was said that many noble Prus-
sian ladies vowed that they would wed
none but knights Of the Iron Cross.
The Victoria Cross. which is conferred
for Conspicuous bravery or devotion 10
the country in the presence OF the enemy"
consists likewise of a Maltese cross Of
bronze, with the royal crest in the CEN
ter, and underneath an escroll bearing
the inscription For Valor" 1t is open
TO all ranks and has, on rare occasions,
been won by civilians, most prominent
among whom was the late Mr.. Il. TX.
Kavanagh c'Lucknow Kavanagh'O, who,
during the Indian mutiny. voluntarily pro-
ceeded through the city Of Lucknow in
disguise 10 the camp of the commander
in-chief, and guided the relieving force
to the beleaguered garrison in the res
idency. Since its institution, there have
been some four hundred soldiers of the
distinction, strong proportion OF these
brave men being Irishmen They have
maintained that record for bravery to
which no less a soldier than the Duke OF
Wellington once paid tribute in the fol-
lowing terms:
'Your lordships are well aware for what
length of period and under what difficult
circumstances Catholics (who formed
one half of my armies) maintained the
empire bouyant upon the flood which
overwhelmed the throne and wrecked the
institutions of every other people; how
they kept alive the only spark of free
dom which was left unextinguished in
Europe.
MY lords, it is mainly to the Irish
Catho lics that We owe our proud predom-
nance In our military career, and that
l personally am indebted for the laurels
with which you have been pleased to
decorate my brow.
1--WE must confess, my lords, that with
out Catholic blood and Catholic valor
no victory could ever have been obtained.
and the first military talents might have
been exerted in vain"
The Irish soldiers have not deteriora- |
ted since that day. and the Mulvaney
of to-day is the Mickey Free Of old days.
The Victoria Cross carries with it two
proud privileges. The wearer of it is en- |
titled TO be first saluted by his superior.
provided, of course, the latter is not also |
the possessor Of the cross.
The other Is that a guard must salute |
the ''V. c." when a wearer of it passes |
by. Guard turn out! Salute Victoria |
CrosS! is sweet music TO Mr.. Thomas |
Atkins or Mr.. John Tar. and a story goes
like all stories, that once upon a time
in Malta, a drunken sailor rolled past
a guard room thirty times in one night,
i'm order to fully enjoy this privilege, after
which he rolled into the gutter TO be taxi
en- on board his ship where he was put
into "clink" for thirty days in order
that he should have time TO mediate upon
the vanities of this world
The Victoria Cross of the British In
dian native army is known as THE Or
der Of Merit" and IS open 10 all ranks
1t is conferred for conspicuous bravery
In the field and carries with it an increase t
Of one-third of the pay of the recipient.
On his death his widow receives this al
owanCe for three years. The badge is
star, inscribed For Bravery" worn on
the left breast.
The Cross of the Legion Of Honor ex-
ept when worn upon the battlefield, is
nowadays often mere empty meaning
ess bauble. Daniel Wilson trafficked I'm IL
Inder the presidency OF his father-in-law,
Jules Grevy. 1t has long since been
greatly discredited. 1t was so even so
ar back as the time of Charles X, for
oonsard tells how under his reign. a
minister having an extra cross at his dis
)csai, and not knowing. upon whom 10
lestow 1t, wrote on slips Of paper a num-
Der of names taken at haphaZard, put
he slips into his hat, and called upon his
secretary 10 assist fate In deciding who
should receive the cross
Napoleon, when first consul, instituted
his order intending no doubt TO found
IN order Of aristocracy which was not
hereditary. Its motto is "Honneur ct
oatrie." The grand collar of the order
$ supposed to be worn by the chief OF
he State only; but as a matter of fact,
however il might look on a royal mantle,
would be out Of place around the neck
# man en- habit noir, and so IT is mere
Y deposited with the chief of the State,
o indicate that he Is the grand mas
er of the order, and it is by him trans
nitted 10 his successor. To this the
ate Jules Grevy, who was avarice in
arnate. demurred, and it was with no
title difficulty that the jewel was recover
q from him. Ii was with an eye 10 ,
usiness that in 1881 he Reconstructed the
rand collier which had ceased TO exist
/ the fall of the empire ,
Some forty women have been decora- &
ed; of this number, no less than twenty
tx were religieuses-a striking testimony :
0 the worth of these good creatures. /
ladame Dieuafoy, who affects mascu- !
ne attire-wears her rosette in the but ,
Dnbole of her redingote. Rosa Bon I
eur is also a legionaire The first 7
'oman thus honored was Sergeant Vir- I
inie Ghesquiere, who fought in Portugal 7
uring the wars of the empire. and whose q
tx was only revealed after she had re- I
eived a wound which did not prevent v
er from becoming almost a centenna- /
an. 4
Soeur Resale, the favored sister Of
harlty, to whom IL is proposed nowadays =
} erect statue, was decorated by Ma 4
oleon Ill, February q 1852. Her >
fe Of charity and devotion has rendered =
er memory immortal among the popula- q
on Of Paris Her real name was q
eanne Marie Rendu. She was born in the +
IRA in 1871 and died in 1856 A larger ]
oncourse Of people followed her to the +
rave than in the case Of Theirs Gam
eta, or Victor Hugo.
Ine order OF the Santissima Annunzia-
l. the Garter" Of Italy, which was re- D
.ndy conferred on the Duke Of York, ,
as founded In 1872 by the Count OF Sa- ;
~. Tie device Is a seni-circular fat T.
ate OF gold, bordered by a GORDON IRON =.
"a