Sunday Washington globe., 1901-12-29
THELEGION OF HONOR
The Celebrated Order Founded
by Napoleon Bonaparte.
RIOICULED AT FIRST
But the Little Corporal" Knew HUI
man Nature, Especially the French
Variety-Wilson's Sale Of the Decor.
alton and His Deserved Downfall
and Imprisonment.

France owes the Legion of Honor to
Napoleon. All orders of chivalry had been
abolished by the revplution and had left
gap which II was not easy to fill. They
are mere geegaws, Z" said Monge the chem
st, who had taught the revolutionists how
to make gunpowder out of plaster of paris.
"Geegaws, if you will" the first consul
answered, "but people like them. Let us
approach the question 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. II was ridiculed by many
notably by Moreau, who, as victor of Ho-
henlinden, was bitterly jealous of the victor
of Marengo. At 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 distiu.
guished yourself will award you a sauce
pan of honor" Nine. de Stael was also
satirical upon the subject 'Ah one of the
decorated" she used to ask each guest
who vas shown into her salon.
But Napoleon had gagged human nature
correctly. His Legion of Honor did meet
feltwant, and twas definitely inaugurated
on July a. 1904. Among the eminent men
of science and men of letters on whom it
was then bestowed were included I.aplace,
the mathematician; Lalande, the astrono-
mer; Cuyler the naturalist, and Legouve,
the poet. The most notable name omitted
was that of Bernardin de St. Pierre, Just
then in disgrace for championing Nine. de
Stael whom Napoleon had banished, but
he got the decoration later on the entreaty
of Queen Hortense.
After Jena Goethe was decorated. little
later high promotion in the order was given
to General Lamarque, to whom Sir Hudson
Lowe had surrendered at Capri What did
you do with him7" asked Napoleon. "The
King of Naples had him exchanged for
Neapoiitan general who was a prisoner in
Sicily" VERY we'll; there is no harm in
letting this English colonel go. He is not
dangerous" It seems not unlikely that
Sir Hudson Lowe remembered this sarcasm
when he was Napoleon's iailer few years
afterward
After Napoleon's downfall the question
of suppressing the Legion of Honor arose.
Chateaubri and, whom Napoleon had not
decorated strongly urged its abolition So
did Puzzo di Borgo, Marshals Victor,
Marmont and Macdonald opposed, After
debate it was decided to recognize and re-
tain the order not on any high moral or
patriotic grounds, but because Louis XVIII.
could not afford 70 make himself more un-
popular than he was already by stripping
people of their decorations. Chateaubriand
and Iamartne consented to accept the red
ribbon, but it was also conferred upon a
great number of worthless personages and
so brought into contempt
There have been many Legion of Honor
scandals since those days, but one of them
surpasses ali the others in magnitude
This is, of course, the Wilson scandal mae
history of which though intricate is worth
recalling
The trouble may be said to have begun
on the day on which Mile Alice Grevy fell
in love with an opera singer who need not
be mentioned here. He wanted to marry
her, aud she wanted to marry him, and the
papers we're beginning to couple the two
names in manner most embarrassing to
the president of the republic The presi-
dent, however, sent the opera singer about
his business and found his daughter another
husband, not very good husband, but the
best husband he could procure on the spur
of the moment. His choice fell upon NJ.
Daniel Wilson, who had long been one of
M. Grevy's political supporters and was a
fuancier of some mark.
No sooner was NJ Wilson established at
the Elysee than he proceeded to enrich
himself by various means. Among other
things, he founded paper called lie Mont
teRr de PE%b0SIi0h UVt0eySelle, which
really covered a traffic in decorations. The
whole story came out in a state trial toward
the end of 1887 1t was proved that Wilson
had made regular practice of selling the
Legion of Honor, or rather of inviting peo-
pie who wanted it to bribe him TO use his
influence to obtain il for them His over
lures we're presented through his jackals,
Generals d'Audlan and Caferel and Mines.
Limousin and Ratazzi, and the whole party
had to stand in the dock together.
Wilson was sentenced to two years inn
prisonment, fine Of 5000 francs and FIVE
years deprivation Of civil rights He ap-
pealed, and the court Of cessation annulled
the judgment The accused said the
judges, was obviously guilty Of everything
that he was charged with, but as his offeuses
were not anticipated by any punitive law
he could not be punished. So he retired to
the country and tried to live down his bad
name. As he ultimately got himself elected
conseiller general one must suppose that
he succeeded in this object