The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1911-07-21
LEGION or HONOR.
The Order That Was Founded by
the Great Napoleon.
TH2lvED DESPITE RIDICULE.


Human Nature.
France owes the Legion of Honor to
Napoleon All orders of chivalry had
brah abolished by the revolution and
had left II gap which it was not easy
to ill They are mere geegaws." said
Monge. the chemist, who had taught
The reyolutionlsts how to make gun
powder ont of plaster Of paris. "Gee'
Gaws. If you will" the first consul an
swerpd. "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 have
always done So"
This was Mt Aialmaison in 1902. In
May the consei d'etat was invited to
consider the project of the institution
OF lhe Legion Of Honor. 1t was ridi-
cnled by many. notably by Moreau,
who ns victor Of Hoheninden was Bit
tprIy jealous Of the victor Of Marengo
At dinner party he sent for his cook
aud said to him In the presence of his
guests: michel. | am pleased with
your dinner You have indeed distin-
gIishpd yourself. will award you a
Snucppan of honor" Nine. de Stael
was also satilical upon the subject.
All one of the decorated| she used
a. m chnun intn
her salon
But Napoleon had gauged human ma
ture correctly His Legion Of Honor
did meet felt want. and it was def
nitely inaugurated on July "A. 1904,
Among the eminent men Of science
and men ot letters on whom 1t was
then bestowed were included Laplace
The mathematician; Lalnnde, the as
tronompr: Cuvier. the naturalist. and
Lpenuvp. the poet The most notable
name omitted was that OF Bernardin
de 81 Pierre. Just then in disgrace for
rhAnniuniDg Nine. dc Stael. whom Ma
poIron had hanished, but he got the
decoration later on the entreaty Of
Queen H0mpnse.
After Nnpoleon's downfall the ques-
ton of suppresSing the Legion Of Hon.
or arose. Chnteaubriand. whom Napo.
IeAn had not decorated. strongly urged
It's abolition. So did PuZZo di Borgo.
MnrShnlS Victor. Marmont and Mac
donald ON pspd After debate 1t was
=. e., tn. pptofn tho r.
der. not on any high moral or patriotic
Grounds. but hprause Louis XNll1.
could NOT afford to make himself more
unpopular thnn he was already by
stripping people Of their decorations.
thatmlll,riNnd and Lamartine consent
"a ~ nrrpnt the red ribbon. but 1t was
also conferred upon Il great number of
worthless personages and SO brought
into contempt
There have been many Legion Of
Honor srlndalS since those days. but
one nt lArn surpasseS all the others In
magnitude This Is. Of course. the
Wilson scandal, the history of which.
though intricate, Is worth recalling.
III" trouble may be said TO have be-
cam on thr Cay on which Mile. Alice
Grrvy fell IN love With nm opera singer
Whn need um Ep mentioned here. lie
wualrd to Emrry her, and she wanted
10 iaarry him. and the papers were be-
ginulng t. couple the TWO names in
mnnnrr most embarrassing to the pres,
idrn OF ,hr republic. The president.
however spnl The 0peru singer about
his business and found his daughter
another husband, not IL very good hus-
band. but the best husband he could
procure On the spur Of the moment.
His choice fell upon NJ. Daniel Wilson,
who hNd long been one of NJ. Grevy's
political supporters aud was 6nancier
of some mark
So sooner was NJ. Wilson establish
ed al the ElySee than he proceeded to
enrich himself by various means.
Among other things he founded Il pa
per called l.e MUniteur de l'Exposition
Univprsrle, which really covered
traffic N DECORATIONS The whole story
came out IN II state trial toward the
end ct 1881 Il wns proved that Will
son nad made Il regular practice of
scl.tG the Legion OF Honor, or. rather,
OF mvititG people who wanted 1t to
hrIhm MIN Ia use his Influence to obtain
II tor them Ills overtureS were pre-
senlh through nIS iackals. Generals
d'ACdiNn ana Cutlere and Mines. Ii
muusm aud ihtazzl. ana the whole
party nud to stand IN the dock to-
gethry
Wilson was sentenced to two years
imprSoumrnl, Il tine of 5000 francs
and tvr wears deprivation OF civil
rights llr Appealed. and the court of
ca''SNltnh Nnhuiled the Judgment. The
accu~rd said tnr Judges. was obvious.
ly guilty ut everything that he was
ehurprd with, but us his otrenses were
MOI nutltlpated p%.auy punitive law
hr eV,nd mt hes hespiinished SO he re.
t.rr ~ Tie ,nuntry ana tried to live
dnwn MS hud name, AS he ultimately
ful mmSel' rrgted couseller general
pnc inn>t suppose that ne succeeded In
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