Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1901-12-17
NAPOLEON'S ORDE,
THE LEGION or HONOR ANo HOW
IT WAS FOUNDED.
Despite the nidicuie the Project at
FIRST Invited fts inauguration
Proved That Napoleon KNEW
French Human Nature.

France owes the Legion or Honor 10
Napoleon. All orders OF chiyalry had
been abolished by the revolution and
had left a gap which IL was not easy To
oil. They are mere geegaws." said
Monge. the chemist. who had taught
the rcvolutionlsts how 20 make gun
powder out OF plaster OF paris. Gee
gaws, II you Will" the first consul an.
Ewered. but people like them. Let us
approach the question frankly. All
men are cnamored OF decorations
the French more than any. They posi-
lively hunger for them. and they have
always done So"
This was at Malmaison IN 1872. In
May the conseil d'etat was Invited 10
consider the project OF the institution
OF the Legion OF Honor. II was ridi-
culed by many. notably by Moreau.
who as victor OF HOhenlinden was bit
terly jealous % the victor OF Marengo.
At dinner party he sent for his cook
and said 10 him In the presence OF bis
guests: Michel. ! am pleased with
your dinner. You have indeed distln-
guished yourself. viii award you a
saucepan OF honor" Nine. De Stael
was also satirical upon the subject.
"Ah. one OF the decoratedT' she used
20 ask each guest who was shown into
her salon.
But Napoleon had gagged human na-
ture correctly. His Legion Of Honor
did meet a felt want. and II was den.
nitely inanguratcd on July IL. 1904.
Among the eminent men OF science
and men OF letters on whom II was
then bestowed were included Laplace.
me mathematician: Ealande. the as
tronomer: Cuvfer. the naturalist. and
Legouve. the poet The most notable
name omitted was that Of Beruardin
de ~ Pierre. inst then IN disgrace for
ehsmpfoning Nine. dc Stnel. whom Ma
poleon had banished. bat he got the
deeorutisn la~ On the entreaty Of
Quees Hsrtsnse.
After iona Ge~sfDs was decorated. A
fftsie lstsy high prenctisn In the order
was given ~ Genrsi Lamsrrus 20
whom IN Hudsc. Lsws had surrvndsr-
I'd q Capt. "wNss ara yvu 10 WITH
htnr ssts1 rsps'esr- The king q
Naples had sfm S~-hsnr~d fsr q Ess-
psiftsn Esssf vts WIS q rrfssser IN
Sicily" Very WI: thew N re harm
IN letting this Bngsssh ecicnd 90. He
10 net dsns~rvus- II seems not I'M
Irkeiy tsst SIR Huarsn L~ve r,msfn-
bersd this ssrsssn vsen he WIS Ma
polssn'r jsiier a few year, sftervsrd-
Afr~r Espslesn's downfall the eues-
ten q svrprrs~fnx the L~gtsu Of Hon-
or sDs~ Osssssusvfrzd. wt~n Txps-
ieen hs6 net dscc~svd strengiy urged
IN assAts~n- - az PrSs n Bcrps.
Assxb.is vsesw. hAussrs and Nae
aessn ssp~ssA- AYR tvbsts n wrs
decided ~ recognise and rvtnin the or
der. net en- any high moral or patriotic
rreunds but becsuss Louis XVIII.
evuid nst s8erd - maize hinssif msrs
uzpepuiH thsn be WIS airss6y ~
sts,rpfng people Of thefr dscvrsttsrs.
Chste< ubvfsnd and Lsmsrtine consent
- 70 secspt the rs< ribbon. sat n vs.
ziss ssuferrcd upsn q sycst number "
WORTHLESS perpsnsges sst - srvurst
INTO eeutvmps-
There have hssr many Lexfsn II
Henor sandals snes thoss DAYS. but |
ere - them SURPRISES an the sthers m |
magnitude. This IL, % course, the VII. |
zen scandal the hirtory 81 which. !
though intricate. 10 worth recalling.
The trouble may be said 10 have be- !
run on the Gay on which Nile. Alice
Gvvy fen in love with an epers singer
whs need not be mentioned here. He /
wanted 10 marry her. and she wanted
to marry him. and the papers were be-
ginning TO couple the two names In q
manner inert embarrassing 70 the pre-
ident OF the republic. The president.
however. sent the opera singer about
his business and found his daughter
another husband. not q very coed hus-
hand, but the best husband be could
procure on the spur Of the moment
His choice fell upon NJ Daniel Wilson.
who bad long been one of NJ. Crews
political supporters and was = financier
OF some mark.
No sooner was NJ. Wilson established
at the Elysee than be proceeded 10 en-
rich himself by various means. Among
other things. he founded paper called
IL Monlteur de rExposltion Univer-
selle. which really covered a trafic in
decorations The whole story came
out In a state trial toward the end Of
1887. II was proved that Wilson had
made a regular practice 81 selling the
Legion Of Honor. or. rather. OF invit-
Inc people who wanted II 60 briee him
10 use his influence 10 obtain II for
them His overtures were presented
through his jackals. Generals fAud-
AN and CafIerel and Mines. Limousin
and Ratazzi. and the whole party had
10 stand In the dock together.
Wilson was sentenced 20 two years
a nne OF 5000 francs
md five years deprivation OF civil
tights. He appealed. and the court OF
,assation annulled the judgment. The
lccused. said the judges. was obvious
y guilty OF everything that he was
1. /