The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-03-23

For Over Half Century 1t has Seen the |
Only French Decoration-Great Strife
for Membership 49, An Aristocracy of
Merit.
(From Household Words.)
Few escape it," says Mark Twain,
referring to a proposal to make nm a
member of the Legion of Honor, and
the stranger visiting Paris and seeing
the number of buttonholes there
adorned with the red ribbon is apt to
think that for once the genial Ameri- 4
can humorist was not eXaggerating
1t is to be borne in mind, however, that
by far the greater proportion OF the
members of the legion are concentrated
in Paris and its suburbs, and that IN
other parts of the country the red rib
bon may not be seen from one year $
end to another.
The Legion of Honor was instituted
in 1902 by Bonaparte shortly after ne
had Been elevated to the position or
first consul The old order OF knight
hood had been abolished as inconsls-
tent with the principles of the revolu-
ton, but Bonaparte saw that regular
system of rewards was necessary TO
keep up the enthusiasm of the army.
THE military fanaticism," he is report
ed to have said, sis the only fanaticism
which is of use to me, for it makes men
Indifferent to DEATH Nevertheless, he
did not make the new order exclusively
military, but threw it open to civilians
and even provided for the admission OF
the foreigners as honorary members
Some of the more republican councillors
of state objected to the formation OF
the legion on the ground that 1t was
new aristocracy, and asiwas their usu-
al custom they appealed to classical
history for support of their contentious
The Romans, they argued, had no in
stitution of the sort; but Bonaparte
disposed of that argument easily
enough. 1T is very strange he re-
torted, that in speaking against civil
distinctions you should quote the hlsto-
ry of the very people among whom
these distinctions were most marked.
The Romans had partrician order, an
equestrian order, citizens and slaves.
Each of these classes had distinctive
costume and different manners More
over, the Romans were awarded dis
tinctions for services rendered of the
state; they had mural crowns, ovations
and triumphs." After much discussion
the question of laying the project be-
fore the legislature was carried in the
council of state by fourteen votes to
ten. The proposal was warmly OPP
posed in the Tribunate, but was passed
by a narrow majority, as was also the
case when it went before the legislative
body. The opposition to Bonaparte on
this occasion was stronger than any he
had met With. since attaining to the
| first place in the state; but, once insti-
tuted, the legion took such a firm root
that when the Bourbons were reinsta-
ted twelve years later nothing was fur
Their from their thoughts than the idea
of abolishing IT They contented them
selves with striking the name of Napo-
| leon from the roll and substituting the
effigy of HenryIy. for that of the en-
peror on the medal of the order.
Since its institution dynasties have
| risen and faiieh ana forms Of govern
| ment have changed, but the legion re-
| mains the same. For over half a CEN
| tury it has been the only French doc
| trine, although from the fall Of Napole
on up to 1880 it occupied a somewhat
| inferior position, owing to some of the
older orders having been temporarily
restored by Louis XVIII,
| Women have from the first been elig
| ibIe for membership, although, in spite
| of the rules of grammar, a female
member is styled 'chevalier,' instead
of 'chevaliere" The two first women
to be decorated had served in the army
1 In, Ia OF f,f IL,
| Chesuuere, who was styled by her
comrades lie jolt sergent," personated
her brother, whom she considered as of
too delicate constitution for the army;
she was decorated in 1908 The other,
Marie Schelinck, an Alsatian, who had
also risen to the rank of sergeant, re-
ceived six wounds at Jamappes, and
| distinguished herself at Arcole, Arster-
| litz and Jena. The first female civilian
who received the cross was Anne Biget
who had rescued three persons from, q
burning house, and fourth from
drowning, and had tended hundreds Of
| wounded Spanish prisoners at Besan
con. To military men, the nomination
| to the Legion of Honor is not quite a
| barren affair. The Grand Cross re-
| ceived one hundred and twenty pounds
| per annum, the grand officer eight
pounds, the grand commander forty
pounds, the officer twenty pounds to
forty pounds, and the knight fourteen
pounds to twenty pounds Some of the
members do not draw their pensions,
but leave them to swell the general
| fund. The Legion has total revenue
of one million pounds, out of which it
pays all the pensions and supports two
schools for the daughters OF members.
Formerly the ceremony of admission
included the touch of sword, but this
has been abolished, and now two mem
bers of the legion, one of whom must be
of higher rank than that which is to be
conferred, wait upon the neophyte,
read to him the decree, receive his dec
laration of loyalty and kiss him. For
eigners, being merely honorary mem
bers, are exempt from this ceremony,
and may receive the cross through
their ambassadors. While the red
ribbon indicates the chevalier, his cross
being worn on the great occasions only,
q small rosette in the buttonhole is the
common badge of all the higher grades.
During the war of 1870 the member
ship of the legion was so greatly in
creased that it became necessary to
pass a restrictive measure to prevent
the distinction at ALL 1t was then fixed