The record-union., 1895-01-28
FRANCES RED RIBBON.
How the Legion of Honor Came Into
Being.
Heroes Who Have Won the Coveted
Trophy-Notable Women
Decorated.

Inc 0Tanu SOrOOu OF Inc LeSIou VI
Honor worn by Napoleon. the founder of
the order, is now exhibited as bric-a-brac
in some Napoleonic collection up town,
and will very likely find possessor here
and be hung up as trophy in some prl-
yate or public museum. If it were the
sword of Frederick the Great, which Ma
poleon took from Potsdam, but which
was restored to its place, where 1t yet
hangs, trenchenC emblem of the real
foundation of the Prussian power, 1t
could hardly be a more interesting sub
ject of contemplation. OF the order itself,
Goethe said that it was the only one OF
like kind ever founded upon rational
principle, which was doing scant honor
to the Prussian order of merit founded
by Frederick and then become one OF the
most coveted distinctions which any
royal house of the Eatherland had to be-
Etow.
The law instituting the order, origin
atlng with and supported by Napoleon,
then of the Consulate, ana opposed by
Carnot and his followers, was enacted
In May, lSU2, and the first Distribution
OF It's decorations took place at the Hotel
des InvalIdes two years atterward. 1t
was intended as a counterpoise to the
orders OF the clergy and The nobility,
and its prizes We're to De the re %ard OF
every form of merit irrespective of the
rank or place OF the recipient. In its
original institution there were fifteen
cohorts, each with its chief town and
each consisting of 7 grand officers, ~
commanders, 80 officers and 800 legion
&ry knights. II superseded the old arlS-
tocratic orders OF France: That OF 81.
Michael, founded III 1869, by Louis Nj,
a rival OF the great Burgundian Or
der of the Golden Fleece; st. EsnrIt,
founded by Henry ILL.,, I5IS, and thaC
OF st. LOUIS, which was created by the
Grand MODaTque in 1858.
The oldest order, that of st. Michael,
was distributed by Francis II. and Henry
III. with more liberality than discretion.
Under the first eighteen knights were
made at one time, equivalent 10 the ST.
muitaneous distribution by Lord Rose
berry OF eighteen Orders of the Garter.
enough to take the breath away from
every herald and Capitulary in Europe.
In the reign OF the latter II came to be
known as the general dOg-collar; Oh the
whole, il was quite Time to support its
waning prestige with q new institution,
but il was not allowed thar the famous
old order should 1all altOgether into dis
use and discredit. 1t WAS giVon rs an
auxiliary and accompanying decoration
with the new one, and, so reinforced, re-
covered some OF its Old dignity and value.
Its members wore q black ribbon and
collar of golden cocllleslells represented
in portraits Of Louis Al., Charles Viii,
Francis |. and other royal and noble per-
sonages of that period. Louis NV.
founded his Order OF ST. Louis IN 1858, its
ensign being the red ribbon atterwaru
chosen by Napoleon for the Legion of
Honor in preference 10 white, which, as
the emblem Of purity, he had 1irst IA
vOred, but finally rejected it, as it was
the badge of the BOUrDons. lie was will
ing to usurp their throne and royal pre-
negatives, but tor some obscure reason OF
taste or sentiment seemed delicate about
approaching their colors.
At the Restoration, in 1914, the Bour-
bOns did not venture to abolish the new
order, which had grown into great pop
ularity, but they restored the old ones,
and made them all as useful as possible,
giving out the new decorations in par
Iicular with q liberallty which rather
cheapened their value. They adopted the
absurd device of presenting the image of
Napoleon along with that OF Henry ".
on it's crosses, usage corrected some
years later il the reign Of Louis Philippe.
Under Napoleon the order has come TO
embrace lU5 grand officers, 800 command
ers, 450 officers and 100 knights. most OF
them, but not all, being the reward Of
military service In loZt the nom bers
had risen TO the number OF IS, 600, and il
was decreed that sentries should always
and everywhere salute the red ribbon,
whether IL was on the breast of soldier or
civilian. The constaucy and multiplicity
of Salutes became a ridiculous as we'll as
an oppressive physical burden, and the
custom was abandoned.
Louis Philippe was forced to abolish
the old orders restored by Louis XVIII,
and the three saints, Michael, Esprit and
Louis, went down together, no more to
be resuscitated. But the bourgeois King
was lavish in bestowiug the new order.
and IN lS4S its mem bership had reached
$1,000 and the Provisional Government
endeavored to suppress II as vehicle for
official corruption. y law to this effect
was passed, but il had speedily to be re-
scinded.
In 1852 Napoleon III. purified the order
and gave IL Il new set OF statutes adding
another to its graduatiOns OF honor, that
of the grand cross, the highest of its
decorations. After Sedan the Govern
ment forbade It's beStowal upon civilians,
but was speedily compelled to restore it
to its old status. The people could do
without Government, but not without
an order open to all classes. Between
this period and 1873 the enrolment
of the order showed an increase to ~, 900
members, a burdensome multitude,
greatly exceeding that or the wearers of
1he Henry III. dog-cOllar, and a reform
of its ordinancy became imperative.
1t was decreed that it should be given to
no legislator while he remained such,
Hugo from receiving the Grand Cross
when a Senator. There were likewise
other restrictive and regulative ordi-
nances, the most important of which,
passed July 25 1873, provided that only
one nomination should thencetorth be
made for every two that lapsed, a provIs-
ion which it was computed would in
forty-six years restore the order TO the
proportions designed by its founder.
4 few women wear and have worn this
high and coveted trophy, Rosa Bonheur
being one, and among others who are
not numerous, all told, Juliette Dodu,
telegraph operator, who, at the time of
the German invasion, tapped the wires,
and thereby saved a French division
from destruction. 1t will not be disputed
that the decoration was as well placed
upon her valiant and patriotic bosom as
upon that OF anyone who has worn it,
from it's uighty founder to the present
time. And ii her modest cross lay be-
side the imperial grand Gordon in the
collection uptown, 1t might be a ques-
tion which OF them would inspire the
largest measure of interest.
NATIONAL DAIRY CONGRESS-
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