Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1901-12-23
THE LEGION OF HONOR.
Anecdotes and Scandals in the His
tory of Frances Famous Order.

Anecdotes and Scandals in the His
tory of Frances Famous Order.
France owes the Legion of Honor
to Napoleon. All orders of chivalry
mad been abolished by the revolution,
and had left a gap which it was not
easy to fill. "They were mere gew
gaws,' said Monge, the chemist, who
had taught the revolutionists how to
make gunpOwder out of plaster of
Paris. 'Gewgaws, if you will, the
First Consul answered, "but people
like them. Let us approach the ques-
ton frankly. All men are enamored
Of decorations-the French more than
any. They positively hunger for
them, and they have always done So"
This was at Malmaison in 1902. In
May the Counsel d'Etat was invited to
consider the project of the institution
of the Legion of Honor. 1t was ridi-
culed by many, notably by Moreau,
who, as a victor of Hohenlinden, was
bit erly jealous of the victor of Maren-
go At a dinner party he sent for his
cook and said to him in the presence
Of his guests: "Michel, [ am pleased
with your dinner; you have indeed
distinguished yourself. I will award
you a saucepan of honor" Nine. de
:. ,ael was also satirical upon the sub
ject "Ah! one of the decorated?"
she used 10 ask each guest VINO was
shown into he salon. But Napoleon
had guaged human nature correctly.
His Legion Of Honor did meet felt
want, and it was definitely inaugu-
rated on July IA, 1904. Among the
eminent men Of science and men of
letters on whom it was then bestowed
were included Laplace, the mathema-
tician; Lalande, the astronomer; Gu
vier, the naturalist, and Legouve, the
poet The most notable name omitted
was that of Bernardin de Saint r1erre,
just then in disgrace for championing
Nine de Stael, whom Napoleon had
banished but he got the decoration
later, on the entreaty Of Queen Hor-
tense. Afterward Jena Goethe was
decorated. A little later high promotion
in the order was given to General La
narque. to whom Sir Hudson Lowe
, had surrendered at Capri. What
did you do with him." asked Napo-
! leon "The King of Naples had him
exchanged for a Neapolitan general
who was a prisoner in Sicily" Very
well, here is no harm in letting this
English colonel go. He is not danger
GUS" It seems not unlikely that Sir
Hudson Lowe remembered this sar-
casm when he was Napoleon's jailer
| a few years afterward.
After Napoleons downfall the ques-
ton Of suppressing the Legion of
Honor arose. Chateaubriand, whom
Napoleon had decorated, strongly
urged it's abolition. So did Pozzo di
! Borgo Marshals Victor, Marmont,
and Macdonald opposed. After de-
bate it was decided to recognize and
retain the order, not on any high
moral or patriotic grounds, but be-
cause Louis XVIII could not afford
to make himself more unpopular than
he was already by stripping people of
their decorations. Chateaubriand and
Lamartine consented to accept the
red ribbon, but it was also conferred
upon great number of worthless
personages, and so brought into con
tempt When the nationalists com
plain that the republicans are degrad.
ing the Legion of Honor it is crafty
ing to be able to remind them that
the example of degrading it was set
nv son of ST OI1iS
There have been many Legion OF