The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-04-25
NAPOLEON'S ORDER.
THE LEGION OF HONOR AND
 HOV IT

Its Inauguration Proved That Ma
 poieon Knew French Human Ma
 ture.
 France owes the Legion Honor to \ Napoleon All orders of chivalry had sG been abolished by the revolution and had left gap which it was not easy to fill "They are mere geegaWs, said < Monge, the chemist, who had taught Z the revolutionists how to make gum powder out of plaster of paris. Gee gaws, if you will" the first consul an swered but people like them. Let us s approach the question frankly. All men are enamored of decorations the French more than any. They posi- lively hunger for them and they have always done so."
 This was at Malmaison in lS02 Ill May the conseil d'etat was invited to consider the project of the institution of the Legion of Honor, It was ridl- culed by many, notably by Moreau who as victor of Hohenlinden was Dit terly jealous of the victor of Mafengo 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 distin- guished yourself. I will award you < saucepan of honor" Mime. de Stael was also satirical upon the subject "Ah. one of the decorated?" she used to ask each guest who was shown into her salon.
 But Napoleon had gauged human na- ture correctly. His Legion of Honor did meet a felt want, and it was def- ritely inaugurated on July IA, lSO4 Among the eminent men of science and men of letters on whom It was : then bestowed were included Laplace, < the mathematician; Lelande the as- tronomer; Culver, the naturalist, and Z Legouve, the poet The most notable { name omitted was that of Bernardin de St. Pierre just then in disgrace for championing Mme Stael whom Ma poleon had banished, but he got the decoration later on the entreaty ot X Queen Hortense.
 After Jena Goethe was decorated. A little later high promotion in the order was given to General Lamarque, to whom Sir Hudson Lowe had surrender < ed at Capri What did you do with
 bim?" asked Napoleon, "The king ot Naples had him exchanged for Nea- politan general who was a prisoner in Sicily'' "Very well there is no harm fn letting this English colonel go. He < is not dangerous" It seems not un- likely that Sir Hudson Lowe remem- bered this sarcasm when he was Ma noleon's taller a few years afterward
 After Napoleon's downfall the ques- lion of suppressing the Legion of Hon. or arose. Chateaubriand, whom Napo- leon had not decorated, strongly urged < its abolition So did Puzzo di Borgo, Marshals Victor, Marmont and Mac E sdonald oppose After debate it was decided to recognize and retain the or der, not only on any high moral or pa triotic grounds, but because Louis XVIII. could not afford to make himself more unpopular than he was already by stripping people of their decorations. Chateaubriand and Lamartine consent ed to accept the red ribbon, but it was also conferred upon 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 surpassed all the others in magnitude. This is. of course, the Will son 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 Crew fell in love with an opera singer who need not be mentioned here. He wanted to marry her. and she wanted to marry him, and the papers were be- ginning to couple the two names in manner most embarrassing to the pres ident of the republic The president however, sent the opera singer about his business and found his daughter another husband, not very good hus- band but the best husband he could procure on the spur of the moment. His choice fell upon M. Daniel Wilson, who had long been one of M. crews political supporters and was fnancier Of some mark.
 No sooner was M. Wilson established at the Elysee than he proceeded to en- rich himself by various means. Among other things, he founded paper called 5Le Moniteur de IExposition Univer- seIIe, which really covered traffic in decora tions The whole story came out in a state trial toward the end of 1887. It was proved that Wilson had made a regular practice of selling the Legion of Honor, or, rather, of invit- ing people who wanted it to bribe him to use his influence to obtain it for them. His overtures were presented through his jackals, Generals d'Aud- Ian and Cafferel and Mines. Limousin and Ratazzi and the whole party had to stand in the dcok together
 Wilson yves sentenced to two years imprisonment a fine of 5000 francs and five years privation of civil rights. He appealed, and the court of cessation annuled the judgment. The accused said the judges, was obvious ly guilty of evrything that he was charged with, but as his offenses 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 counsellor general, one must suppose that he succeeded in this object.--Pall Mall Gazette. F54