The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-01-16
THE vroLETs OF NAPOLEON.
How They Came to BE Chosen A. a
Badge for Ills Followers.
From the New York Post

There are certain plants and flowers OF
historical importance and interest," which
have gathered around themselves store
OF anccdote and legend, and gained a 20
hucal prestige extending sometimes
through many centuries.
Such, for example, is the plantalgenista.
or broom-plant, worn by Geoffrey of An
iou as his crest. and which gave name to
a line Of kings. The rose Of England, the
shamrock OF Ireland. the thistle of Scot
land ana the lily of France are other very
familiar examples
The most extensive and popular adop-
ton of floral emblem by political par
ties has been in France, where the white
lily OF the Bourbons and the violet OF
the Imperialists have played important
parts in the politics of the kingdom; and
curiously enough, the selection of the Vio-
let As a horal badge was made by the
first Napoleon himself, and zealously cher
lshed by the adherents of his party.
Az first sight it seems as though that
imperious ruler of the destinies of Europe
could hardly have chosen as an emblem
a less suitable flower than the timid and
modest violet, with it's air of humility
But the selection is perhaps explained by
the fact that it was during a period of
reverses that Napoleon made the choice.
on the eve of leaving France for Elba,
he said to his friends, Il shall return with
the violets,' and this little sentence
mere chance expression--was sufficient
for his sympathizers.
Not only were the flowers worn by the
Bonapartists. men and women,as a badge.
but violet ribbons and jewelry in the form
OF the Hover were speedily used TO dis.
play their feelings, and Napoleon was
afterward spoken of and toasted as Papa
IA Niolette. "Aimez-vous la violette?"
was the question by which an Imperialist
might be known, for a simple reply in
the affirmative showed ignorance of the
plots for Napoleon's return to France;
while the answer, "Eh-bien! ellie reviendra
au printemps," indicated a confederate
and fellow conspirator.
When il was forbidden by law to sell
portraits of Napoleon, his friends inge-
niously evaded the prescription by pub
fishing the picture of a group of violets
with their leaves so arranged that IN
their outlines the prohles of Napoleon
Marie Louise and the King of Rome
could readily be traced by the initiated.
Byron, in his poem, fNapoleon's Farewell
to France" has this allusion to the VIC
let:
Farewell to thee. France! but when Lib
erty rallies,
Once more in thy region, remember. me
Then violet sin grows in the depth of thy
valleys,
Though withered. thy tears will unfold
it again."
Such being the significance attached to
the violet one can imagine how its popu-
larity increased when Napoleon, having
escaped from Elba, entered Paris in fri-
umph on March 20, 1875 He had indeed
returned with the violets and his reioIc,
ing friends decorated themselves with the
emblematic flower.
When the end came and Napoleon was
about to depart for ST. Helena, we are
told that he gave violet to an English
naval officer-an intimation. perhaps. OF
never-to-be-fulhlled hopes of return to his
beloved France. During the Bourbon as
tendency it was dangerous to wear vio-
let in public, as naturally 1t continued
to be regarded as the Napoleonic flower.
AT the time of the Second Empire the
popularity of the violet was again revived
and singuarly enough, when Louis Ma
poeon was a prisoner in the Fortress of
Ham package of violet plants having
arrived, some of the officials were so busy
in planting them in pots that the prisoner
made his escape. This incident probably
gave further favor to the violet, and dur
ing the reign of Napoleon III the violet
trade flourished greatly in France. $780,
900 punches, 1t has been stated, being the
annual sale in Paris alone.
At the funeral of Louis Napoleon the
coffin was covered with violets and il is
said, the mausoleum at Chiselhourst,
where his mortal remains repose. is never
without a tribute of those fragrant bios
SONS.
The violet was a favorite flower in
Greece in very early times, and is very
often mentioned in Greek literature. In
Athens, We are told, ii was for sale in
the market place at all seasons, and one
of the Greek poets speaks of the Sweet
ly smiling, violet-crowned Sappho.'
golden violet was the prize instituted
by Clemence Isaure at Toulouse early in
the fourteenth century.
The English poets from the earliest
times have loved the modest violet, and
are fun of illusions to it, Shapespeare
mentions It many times. Titania's couch
was where the ''nodding violet grows"
and the beautiful spring song in Love
Labours Lost" thus immortalies it:
when daisies pied and violet blue,
And lady-smocks all silver white,
And cuckoo buds of yellow hue,
Do paint the meadows with delight"