The Washington herald., 1914-05-03

4nc 1pCo wv Iue 1AAilIls
had undergone many changes in the NOR
than two years since Napoleon first mar
shaled Il on the sandy heights Jf BOu
logne. 1t had been trained by master
hands in a great school OF war, from
which II went forth the best drilled. tht
most magnificent military body the World
had ever seen Its brilliant accoutre-
ments were unstained by service in tht
field, and its soldiers in their queues an6
many with earrings were as fresh anc
spirited as so many colts dashing out oi
a pasture.
Vet they were not strangers to battle
For although no foe had yentured ir
five years to meet triumphant France In
combat. a full half of those 10000 were
veterans, and a fourth of them had
fought through all the victorious wars OF
the republic for ten years.
The very name of the organization was
changed 1t ceased to be the Army Of
England" when II turned its face from
the sea toward Germany and escame the
f"Grand Army" bearing aloft on its
standards for the first time the imperial
eagles, which it was thenceforth to fol-
low from Boulogne to Waterloo, but
which, after all, is only an easy march
of Is miles.
Moreover, while IL tarried by the shore
Of the English Channel /; had expert
enced a deeper change, a change OF ale
glance II had lost its soul aud new
spirit had stolen through the ranks OF
those one-time republican warriors.
They had come together in the name
Of the French people. but they marched
TO war now in the name of one man. An
idol had displaced an ideal in their de-
votion. and they felt TO more the old
STRINGS Of patriotism in their blood.
Never again were they - fight for their
country and for themselves, but ever
after for their Emperor and mis- empire
They marched and battled no longer 10
carry liberty to otnels. b. TO win glory
for themselves; for had not eve-y man oI
them been promised a marshal Is baton In
his knapsack? Where n generous II
fansticaI passion for freedom had Elowed
an their breasts, personal ambition now
ruled.
s.Dead on the Field of Honor.
True, they still bore in a silver case
the heart of La Tour dAuvergne, that
Bayard of the revolution, that Spartan
soldier of the republic, who despised
rank, scorned promotion and accepted
no other reward for his valor tnan tne
simple title of the first grenadier OF
France. On their rolls they still carried
his name as a synonym Of modest, un-
selfish love of country; at every roll
call of the Forty-sixth Demi-brigade
there still rang out the name OF La
Tour d'Auvergne and the solemn re-
Spouse of the Oldest grenadier: Dead
on the field of honor"
As the grand army marched by his
grave n Bavaria-another French re-
public has since given his bones sepul-
ture in the Pantheon at Paris-it was
with ranks closed, drums beating and
swords lifted. Yet, for all that now
meaningless ritual. the spirit Of La Tour
d'Auvergne was as dead among the SOL
diers who pressed after the eagles of
Napoleon as the France for which he
gave his life.
Napoleon's bulletins themselves reflect
ed the change that had come over France
and the army. The conquering watch
words of his Italian campaign. LIB
erty, Fraternity, EQAality." were dis
carded. II was enough for him to say
to his army now, Soldiers, your Emperor
is in the midst of you," and to bid the
nation, "let 10000 more Frenchmen come
and range themselves under my flags"
My soldiers are my children the one
time sons OF the revolution we're fat
tered TO be told by the Emperor. Still
rade than as a father. He was yet their
Little Corporal in the same simple
uniform and three-cornered black hat
that he wore when only a general Of the
republic.
None Of the old mustaches. a high OFF,
GER told us, would have dared to speak
TO the lowest sublieutenant with the free
iom they showed to Napoleon himself as
he went his nightly round of the bivouac.
stopping to talk with the men at their
campfres, asking them what they were
in their steaming pots and smil-
ng with amusement at jesting familiari-
lies. which he would not have tolerated
NEYT SIrNnAV