The Hawk-eye and Iowa patriot. (Burlington, Iowa) 1839-1843, 1840-01-30

/ loWs: f1enryy Van buren,, Jefferson, Lee
Des Moines, Johnson, Cedar, Scott, Mus
icatlne, Louisa. Washington, jackson, Du
| Buque, and Clayton.
For the Supreme Court, you will en-.
grave large Seal, the device Of which
will be well executed Eagle, bearing
IN Its talons pair of well balanced scales:
with nth this circular inscription, "Seal Of the
Supreme Court of Iowa.
For each of the District Courts in the
Counties above named you will engraye
a Seal somewhat smaller than the one in
tended for the Supreme Court, the device
on each of which will be the same as that
/ OF the seal Of the Supreme Court, an Ea-
'gle bearing a pair Of balanced scales, with
this difference, that the eagle on the seal
OF the Supreme Court will be drawn in
an ascending attitude, bearing the scales
IN It's talons, while on the seals for the
District Courts the Eagle will be drawn
as # flying forward, bearing the scales in
ITS beak-around each of which said seals
! for the District Courts you will engrave
I, in plain letters this circular inscription,
lt"Seal Of the District Cour. Of
County naming the County, and in all
cases in different and palmer letter than
In the balance of the inscription, for this
reason, the seals viii be all the same with
the difference Of the Counties, hence the
necessity OF making that distinction plain,
| mean the distinction between the Couu-
ties by the plainness of the name Of each
! Tie device on the seals of the Com
missioners courts in each county will be
an Eagle resting on the beam of a
plough. To draw an Eagle a, rest. will
| am aware, test your skill as an engra-
yer, but you can, trust, accomplish the
task; but if it be too difficult, you may
engrave. the Eagle as 1uttering or in the
act Of alighting upon or raising from the
beam as you may prefer; on each of
which seals youwiIl engsave this circular
inscription commissioners cour. of f.
County" naming the county as before di-
rected, in palmer letter or different letter
from the rest Of the inscription.
And now the greatest difficulty still
remains--I refer to the Probate seals
or seals OF the Probate courts.
The device on each Of these seals, will
be this.-An Eagle spreading its. wings
over a Co6he, with this inscription on
each seal "Probate Seal of -- coun-
ty.'' This last seal or seals for the courts
of Probate will demand your utmost skill
as an engrayer.
l have labored for long time to arrive
at appropriate devices, devices not only
i'll good tste, but also representing appro-
pirate and distinct ideas, Ii. close relation
ship with the objects in view.
| would, therefore, represent the Su-
preme court as rising superior to the
District courts, in its calm aud exalted
judgments; fixing its eagle eye on the sun
Of Justice in its upward flight, bearing
tie balanced scales to the region whence
equity descends upon man.
The Eagle of the District courts is
presumed to ply nearer to the earth and
sometimes within the moral atmosphere
which derives its heat from the tumult of
conflicting interests and passions above
the reach of which the Judges Of the Su-
preme court are understood to soar.
The county commissioners of Iowa.
like those of Pennsylvania, are charged
more especially with the common interests
of the counties, which will ever be found
to cluster around the Farmer and the
plough.
The courts Of Probate here, are charg-
ed with duties peculiar to the Orphans
courts of Pennsylvania, they deal with
those multifarious interests, which unite
the rights, expectations and duties Of the
living with the remembrance of the dead
and hence the device which | have f.
nally chosen.
/ have one remark to make which 1
would impress upon your mind indelibly
in this matter, and that is, the necessity
of drawing the figures distinctly with due
regard to ease, posture and proportion.
AS principal figure, there is nothing SO
appropriate as the Eagle. the enduring
of oar revolutionary 4ori- !
gin, whilst, as you will have perceived
it is the other accompanying figure in
the cases already stated which is intend i
ed to impart peculiar significance to the
seals of Iowa.
You will also observe that / have not
the figures. This would be
in bad taste, because seals which are in
tended to represent erery thing, or many
things, generally represent nothing and
mean nothing without an elaborate ex-
plantations; and the necessity Of explana.I
ton, with regard to seals is the most un-
favorable criticism that can be pronounced
upon their device or execulion.-Besides,
a multiplicity of figures increases the diff
Guilty of the task imposed OH you, which
without compromising my official inte
gritty, l would willingly diminish rather
than augment.
The last device comprises nothing more
than simplicity and significance. and the
best engraving consists in the. strictest fl
deity TO the device. But even where
figures are not numerous they may be al
most conlounded by want of taste and
judgment in their execution.
In the foregoing communication have
L 4 = Z 3