The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-08-04

st. Cyr, which may be described as
| the West Point OF France, and whicn
has just been celebrating the centen-
airy OF its existence, always furnishes
the vanguard of the irfantry at every
review of the army and military
pageant. The corps of cadets goes by
the name Of the Premier Battalion of
France" In days gone by, the corps,
/ by a gigantic Moor or. negro. In the
role either of drum major, or as bear
er of a complicated instrument of bells.
cymbals. crescents and horse-taiis,
regiments of the guard of some OF
the continental armies Of Europe
Years and years ago these dusky hu-
man ornaments were done away with
at the head of the battalion Of st. Cyr
was taken by the senior cadet and most
brilliant scholar OF the academy, who,
of course, received the nickname of
lie Negre," that is to say The MIG
occasion old Marshal MacMahon. Rhile
| President of the French republic. Wis
lifted st. Cyr, whence he himself mad
4 graduated, ana on the senior pupil be-
ling presented to him. he pat,ted, ted him q on on
4 you are the niger. Well. that's right.
Continued" Meaning Of course, that
he should continue to work hard and
to retain his place at the head !. OF the
ethics, and of the name given TO the
4 head pupil of the academy, assumed
that the pupil addressed by the Prosi-
!Ident was really 4 negro, and that the
.lof an orator, had been SO embarrass-
cd on being brought face to face with
the dusky cadet that he had found no
other words than to urge nm 20 con on
|of the most popular stories circulated
a|both in France and abroad, to Illus
trate the alleged lack Of tntentsencte
on, the part of MacMahon, and is sun
|current to-day.
Few people have been more mis-
Y Judged than MacMahon, one or me
most gallant and high principled offi-
4 GERS of the French army, Scared VIII w Z
Y wounds from head to foot. VINO ha 1i
!. won his baton of marshal on the field
!. of battle, who was clever enough to
! administer the great dependency OF
4 Algeria better than 1t has ever peen
governed either before or since. VINO ll
.Ispent half his private fortune IN main
tanning the dignity, OF his office as
J president of the French repupnc, ana
!! who resigned the CHIEF magistracy pc
cause the Cabinet and parii ll q; !, ,
! majority wished to compel him 70 si XXX,
he considered as disloyal and detri, !,
mental to the interests of all MS old i
fellow officers OF the army. Els e, elue :
!. son, soldier like himself, ana IN u. az
'ItlNC COIIlIuduu VI u Cc6it91SAAS
i try is married to Princess Marguerite
lof Orleans, daughter OF the Due &c
, Charities and sister OF Princess Walae-
mar OF Denmark s.
4 Let me add that during Its hundred
, years of existence, ST. Cyr has FURNISH
4 led to the French army some au, ~,
Iofflcers, including 1900 generals and
five marshals, the latter being Canro-
!: bert. Forey, Baraguey--d' II illiers. Pelis-
sler, Due de Malakoff, and Ma g, Z.
!. |IouC de Magenta THE first GIOVerHuA
Of ST. Cyr was Prince Louis Bonaparte
younger brother of the great I'm.
, peror. Napoleon. and putatiye father J, g, q
Napoleon III. The pIace was IFs ..
|, founded as a girls school by. Mme, az
Maintenon. the morganatic wife Of Louis 2, y {
XIV. and during the great Revoiutti,o oI
1.-THE wounded. Quite a number of FOR
elgnera have received their. eduealioi
there. including about half Y g, q
i lAmericans, one of whom, nc. ll 'ls
Californian, Harden Hickey, q fter mar,
Trying Miss Nlagler OF New YORK, dlec