Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-09-26
LEGION OF HONOR.
Tho Order That Was Found BY the
Great Napoleon.

France owes the Legion OF Honor 10
Napoleon. All orders of chiValry mao
been abolished by the revolution anu
had left a gap which 1t was not easy
to fill "They are mere geegaWs, saiu
Monge, the chemist, who had taught
the revolutionists how to make gun
powder out of plaster of paris. Gee
gaws if YOU will" the first consul an
swered, but people like them. Let us
approach the question frankly. All
men are enamored of decorations, the
French more than any. They POSI-
lively hunger for them, and they nave
always done So" o
This was at Malmaison in 1902. In
Nav be conseil d'etat was invited to
consider the project of the institution
of the Legion of Honor. 1t was rldl-
culed by many, notably by Moreau'
who as victor of Hohenlinden was plt-
terly jealous of the victor OF Marengo.
At a 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. l will award you
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 saloon.
But Napoleon had gagged human
nature correctly. His Legion of Hon
or did meet felt want, and IL was
definitely inaugurated on July IA.
1904. Among the eminent men OF
science and men of letters on whom IT
WAS then bestowed were included La
place, the mathematician; Lalande,
the astronomer; Cuvier, the natural
ist, 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 Napoleons downfall the ques-
ton of suppressing the Legion OF Hon
or arose Chateaubriand, whom Ma
poleon had not decorated, strongly
urged it's abolition. So did PuZZo dl
Borgo. Marshals Victor, Marmont and
Macdonald opposed. After debate IT
was decided TO recognize and retain
the order, not on any high moral or
patriotic grounds, but because Louis
XVIII. could not afford to make hlm-
self more unpopular than he was al
ready by stripping people OF their de-
cOrationS Chateaubriand and Lamar
tine consented to accept the red rib
bon, but il was also conferred upon
grear 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 all the others
in magnitude. This is, Of course, the
Wilson scandal, the history of which,
through intricate, is worth realizing.
The trouble may be said to have be-
gun on the day on which Mile. Alice
Grevy fell i'm 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
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 a very
good husband, 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 NJ. Grevy's political supporters and
was a financier of some mark.
No sooner was NJ. Wilson establish
| ed ut the ElySee than he proceeded to
| enrich himself by various means.
Among other things he founded a pa
per called lie Moniteur de rEXposition
Universelle. which really covered a
|
came out in a state trial toward the
| end of 1887. 1t was proved that Will
son had made a regular practice of
selling the Legion of Honor, or, rath-
en- oC inviting people who wanted 1t
| to hriDe him to use his influence to
| obtain it for them. His overtures
were presented through his jackals,
Generals dAudian and Cafferel and
MINES. Limousin and RataZZi. and the
whole party had to stand in the dock
| together.
| Wilson was sentenced to two years
| Imprisonment. fine of 5000 francs
ana five years deprivation of civil
rights. He appealed, and the court of
cessation annulled the judgment. The
accused. said the judges was obvious
| ~ guilty of everything that he was
| charged with. but as his 0ffcnSeS were
not anticipated by any punitive law
he could not be punished. SO he re-
| tired To the country and tried to live
down his bad name. As he ultimate
| " got himself elected conSeiller gen
cral one must suppose that he sue
ceeded i'm this Object.-Pall Mall Ga
' Zette.