The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1911-07-03
LEGION OF HONOR.
The Order That Was Founded b,
the Great Napoleon.
THRIvsn DESPITE RIDlcULE.

Human Nature.
| France owes the Legion OF Honor 10
| Napoleon All orders Of chivary had
been abolished hy the revolutions and
had iefl gap which it was not easy
10 oil They are mere geegaws." said
Monge, the chemist, who had Taught
| the rcvoutiouiSts bow to mike gun.
! powder ont of plaster OF paris. Gee
sawS, II yan will" the first consul an.
swered. "hat people like them Let us
approach the question frankly An
men are enamored of decorations.
the French more than any They posi-
lively hunger for them. and they have
always done Sc"
This was NJ Malmaison in 1909. In
May the conseil detat was invited to
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 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 distin.
guisheJ yourself. ! will award you n
saucepan of honor" Nine. 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 gagged human ma
ture correctly. His Legion of Honor
did meet felt want and ii was def
nitely inanGurated on July n. 1901
Among the eminent men Of science
and men of letters on whom II was
then bestowed were included Laplace
the mathematician; Talande, the as
tronomer; Cuvier. the naturalist, and
Legouve, the poet The most notable
name omitted was tsat OF Bernardin
de st. Pierre, Just then in disgrace for
championing Mime, de Stael, whom Ma
poleon had banished. but he got the
decoration later on the entreaty OF
Queen Horense,
After Napoleon's downfall the ques-
ton Of suppressing the Legion Of Hon
or arose. Chateaubriand, whom Napo.
leon had not decorated, strongly urged
its abolition So did Puzzo di Rorgo
Marshals Victor, Marmont and Mae.
donald opposed. After debate it was
decided to recognize and retain the or
der, not on any high moral or patriotic
grounds. but because Louis NNIIl
could not afford to make himself more
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 i@rsonages and SO brought
into contempt
There have been many Legion Of
Honor scandals since those days. but
ore of them surpasses all the others In
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 mentioned here. He
wanted TO marry her, and she wanted
to marry him. and the papers were he
ginning to couple the two uames in q
most embarra ssiug 10 the pres.
ideut Of the republic. The president !
however, sent the opera singer about
his business and found his daughter |
another husband, not very good nus
band, but the best husband be could |
procure OH the spur Of the moment. |
Ills choice fe!! unon NJ. Daniel Wilson |
who had long been one Of NJ, Grevys |
Of some mark
No sooner was NJ Wilson establish. |
I'd Mt the Elysee than he proceeded to |
enrich himself by various means, |
Among other things he founded pa
per called lie Monteur de 'Exposition |
Lniverselle, which really covered d
traffic In decorations The whole story |
came out IN state trial toward the |
end OF 1887. it was proved that Will |
son had made regular practice Of |
selling the Legion OF Honor. or. rather. |
)f inviting people who wanted it to |
Dribe him to use his influence to obtain |
L for them. His overtures were pre-. |
sented through his iackals. Generals |
! Audlan and Cafferel and Mines. Ii. |
and Ratazz. and the whole |
party had TO stand In the dock to. |
yetber
Wilson was sentenced to two years |
fine of 5000 francs
md i've years deprivation OF civil
tights He appealed. and the court of
annuIled the Judgment. The
accused, said the judges, was obvious.
" guilty of everything that he was
charged with. but as his otfenses were
not anticipated by any punitive law I
be could not be punished. So lie re- /
tired TO the country and tried 10 live
iown his bad name. AS he ultimately |
got himself elected conseiller general
,ne must suppose that he succeeded In
his object. Pail Mall Gazette.
Wanted TO Unload,