Evening star., 1900-11-17
In Its Present Form It is Compar-
atively Young.
HELD IN THE HIGHEST VENERATlON
How the Legitimists Lost a
Chance to the Throne.
PATRIORIC EREMON1E
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.

PARIS, November 5, 1900.
A touching ceremony of the French army
recently came near taking a ridiculous turn.
all because of the patriotic veneration for
the flag of regiment felt by those who
had the honor to guard it. good enough
young soldier, in the heat of one of those
discussions which nowadays divide ali
France. allowed himself to utter an express
sion which might not be disloyal to the
flag, according to its Interpretation. The
kind of patriotism that is always looking
for trouble seized the opportunity. A cor
poral accused him of insulting the sacred
emblem, and punished him on the spot.
Then, desiring to get all credit possible for
his patriotism. he informed the colonel
The colonel informed the general, whC
thereupon addressed to the troops the fol-
lowing order of the day:
The soldier r., having been punished
for using outrageous language with respect
to the flag of the regiment, it is with sad
ness that the general brings to the knoWi-
edge of the troops this fact, which consti-
tutes a veritable crime against the patrIe-
But, as he regrets his fault. the punish
ment OF the soldier K. shall be for this
time limited to the following reparaton:
The company that was witness to the
scandal shall be formed in proximity to
the bureau of the colonel, the flag unfurled
from its case, the soldier r. Will present
arms to it and express his regrets, swearing
to let himself be killed for the honor of the
flag, as every good soldier ought to do
IF this soldier had not manifested his
repentance of the five soldiers having
the guardianship of the flag, chosen by lot.
would have obliged him to a reparatiOn
by duel, after which he would have been
sent to a disciplinary company. The guar
dians of the flag, chosen to defend 1t
against the enemy. ought to have the
privilege of defending it equally against
insulters.
The corporal who originally took up the
insult is approved for having punished the
soldier r. on the spot.
(Signed)
THE COMMANDING GENERAL" etc
Led Up to Two Duets.
All this would be very well We're it exact,
and the unhappy soldier R. protected in
vain against it's exactitude. Patriotism was
there on the watch to take credit, and
would not be denied. He was forced to be
guilty and repent. But after he had re-
signed himself to the ceremony, the pa
triotic buster continued. The five guar
dams of the flag thus brought into notice
began taking credit for what they would
have done to him had he refused to do
their flag homage. 1t was too much
Choose one of your number exclaimed
the soldier R.. land let him start in on
me-"
The duel, which came off quietly, ended
the flag who got the punishment, limping
off the field pinked in three spots. And
now the colonel found himself on the horns
of dilemma He did not like to reprimand
the duel seeing that it was the general who
had put it into the mems heads. According
to the theories of the old ordeal by battle,
the protesting RS victory ought to have
cleared him of guilt. and the army has
never altogether abandoned the ordeal by
battle. On the other hand the remaining
four flag guardians discovered in it a new
insult to the sacred emblem, R. not having
been ordered to fight.
III fight one of you again for that"
said R., whose blood was now up.
They had another duel, and this time he
ran second flag guardian through the
stomach. 1t was getting too strong.
stop this dueling!' thundered the colo
nel land let the ceremony go on!'
Am 1 still obliged to apologize to the
fag?" inquired the soldier R.
1t seemed he must be punished whether or
no. Go on with the ceremony was the
only answer. AS he went through it with
an edifying reverence, they counted 1t as
much righteousness to him, and the
whole regiment gave him new bill of
honor.
It's First Beginnings.
The tri-color flag of the present French
republic had it's first beginnings in the col
ors of the Civic Guard or National Guard
Of the revolution Of 17s9 Having
formidable republican organization at
the same time put the three col
ors in it's hag-red and blue, the color of
the city of Paris, and white the color of
the monarchy. 1t was this cocarde of COM
promise that Lafayette forced both his
republican and royalist friends, saying:
Take it; here is a cocarde that will go
round the world"
The flag of the early republican army was
composed of a white background, on which
the blue and the red were differently dis
posed. according to the fancy of the various
demi-brigades; but all united in the adop-
ton of the Roman sheaf of arrows sur
mounted by a tri-color Liberty cap, regu-
larly disposed in the center of the flag. The
flags distributed to the army by Napoleon
in 1904 were lozenged. being made of a
white center. surrounded by four trfangles,
alternately blue and red. Those given to
the army after the campaign Of 1912. how
ever, were probably all composed of the
three vertical bands Counting from the
staff, blue. white and red. as they remain
today. Still. all through the first empire,
certain corps had their special flags and
standards of different colors. such as the
standard of the chasseurs of the guard
which was all of green silk, bordered with
gold and silver.
The government of the restoration re-es-
tablished the old French white flag, bear
Ing the arms of the house Of France. But,
with the exclusiveness beloved of the an
cient regime. the first battalion of the army
only had the right to fly the flag royal; the
second battalion had whfte-and-c crimson
flag, the third white-and-green flag.
In 1880 Louis Philippe. king Of the
French''-not king of France''-re-estab-
lished for the whole army the three colors
red, white and blue, surmounted by the
Gaulish cock and bearing the words: Hon
neur ct Patrie!" In 1S48 the tri-color flag
vas maintained. u bsre the device, '.LibeS-