Legion of Honour

Legion of Honour, an order of merit instituted by Napoleon in 1802 as a recompense for military and civil services. It was ostensibly founded for the protection of republican principles and the laws of equality, every social grade being equally eligible. The constitution and incidents of the order have been repeatedly changed by the successive executive powers of France during the course of the 19th century. At its first institution the order embraced four classes; to these a fifth was added in 1852. At the same time the original star was changed into a cross. At the present time there are five classes—grand crosses, of whom there are 70; grand officers, fixed at 200 members; 1000 commanders; 4000 officers; and 25,000 chevaliers or knights. Foreigners are eligible as members, but they are not counted in their respective classes. In each class three-fifths of the members must be soldiers or sailors. On the obverse of the five-rayed white enamelled cross is a female head representing the republic, surrounded by the words République Française, 1870; on the reverse are two crossed flags and the motto Honneur et Patrie. The cross is suspended by a wreath half of oak, half of laurel, leaves. The ribbon is watered scarlet silk. The military members receive each a pension: those of the first class get 3000 francs a year, those of the second 2000, of the third 1000, of the fourth 500, and of the fifth 250 francs. Candidates in time of peace must have served in some military or civil capacity for twenty-five years; exploits in the field or severe wounds constitute a claim in time of war. Two distributions take place in the year. The nomination of military persons takes place on parade, and of civil in the supreme courts of justice. No ignoble punishment can be inflicted on a member of the order so long as he belongs to it. To rise to a superior rank it is indispensable, at least for natives of France, to have passed through the inferior grades. In addition to the order 40,000 medals are distributed amongst the rank and file of the army. Each medal entitles its bearer to a pension of 100 francs annually. The total annual expenditure of the order amounts to seven million francs. The vast numbers holding this order, and the insignificance of many of the persons on whom it has been conferred, have detracted much from its value. At the date of the battle of Waterloo there were 48,000 members, of whom only 1400 were civilians. In the reign of Napoleon III. the order embraced 64,800, and in 1872, 69,179 persons; but a law was passed in that year that only one new member should be added for every two vacancies in the civilian ranks and one for every three or four in the military. This reduced the membership to 53,848 by 1890. The order gives free education to 400 of the daughters, sisters, and nieces of its members.