Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-12-26
THE LEGION OF HONOR.
Anecdotes anG Scandals in the His
tory of Frances Famous Order.

/
tory of Frances Famous Order.
France owes the Legion of Honor
TO Napoleon. All orders of chivalry
nad 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 reyolutionists 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 deco1ations-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 victor of Hohenlinden, was
bit erly jealous of the victor of Maren-
| go. At dinner party he sent for his
cook and said to him in the presence
of his guests: Michel, l am pleased
with your dinner; you have indeed
distinguished yourself. I will award
you a saucepan of honor" Nine. de
= ,aei was also satirical upon the sub
| ject. All one of the decorated?"
she used 20 ask each guest VINO was
shown into he salon. But Napoleon
had guaged human nature correctly.
7 Of fnlf
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 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 Hor-
tense. Afterward Jena Goethe was
decorated A little later high promotion
in the order was given to General La
marque, 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 Neapolitan general
who was prisoner in Sicily" VERY
well. there is no harm in letting this
English colonel go. He is not danger
GUS" 1t seems not unlikely that Sir
Hudson Lowe remembered this sar-
casm when he was Napoleon's jailer
a few years afterward.
After Napoleon's downfall the ques-
ton of suppressing the Legion Of
Honor arose. Chateaubriand, whom
Napoleon had decorated, strongly
urged its 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
tC 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 a 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
by a son of st. Louis.
There have been many Legion of
Honor scandals since those days, but
one of them surpasses all the others
in magnitude This is, of course, the
Wilson scandal. the history of which,
though intricate, is worth recalling.
The trouble may be said to have be-
gun on the day on which Mile. Alice
Grevy fell in love with an opera
singer, who need not be advertised
here He wanted 20 marry her and
she wanted to marry him, and the
papers were beginning to couple the
two names in a manner most en-
barassing to the president of the re-
public. The president, however, sent
the opera singer about his business,
and found his daughter another hu3-
band-not a very good husband, but
the best husband he could procure OH
the spur of the moment. His choice
fell upon NJ. Daniel Wilson who had
long been one of Mr.. Crews political
supporters and was fnancier of
some mark. No sooner was wi. Will
son established at the Elysee than he
proceeded to enrich himself by various
means. Among other things he found
ed a paper called lie Moniteur de
PEXpositiOn Universelle, which really
covered traffic in decorations. The
whole story came out in q state trial
toward the end of 1887. 1t was proved
that Wilson had made a regular prac-
tice of selling the Legion of Honor,
or, rather, of inviting people Tho
wanted to bride him to use his in
fluence to obtain it for them. His
Overtures were presented through his
iackals, Generals d'Audlan mad CAT
farel and Mines. LimOusin and Rataz-
ri, and the whole party had to stand
i'll the dock together. Wilson was
sentenced to a two years imprison-
ment, a fine of 5000 francs, and five
years deprivation of civil rights. He
appealed, 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 offenses were not an
ticipated by any punitative law, he
could not be punished. So he retired
to the country and tried to live down