Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1852-11-02
Our National Fiag--Its History.

.
! Every true American clizen dwells with
proud satisfaction upon the STARS and stripes
that make up our national flag, This ieel-
ing is universal, and yet how few know the
history Of this, our counlry's emblem? We
copy The following brief history OF lis rise
and progress from late number ol The N.
Y. Tribune:
"The original flag of the United STATES
was composed Of thirteen stripes and lhir.
lieen s,ars, emblemalical of The thirteen col.
ONES which declared their independence in
tl776, and was adopted by vote Of The con
,inen,al Congress onthe l4lh Of June, l777.
E"Vermon. having been admitted into the
confederation, as one of the Unned S,otes,
March a, 1871, and Kentucky, June l.,
l792, The question of the flag was brought
lppin Congress, and on The 9Th of January,
1894, OH act was passed increasing the
sWlpss and Stars oh and sf,artaSday fixed.
10 fifteen each, TO correspond with The then
increasing number Of the sovereign States.
1.-Two years allerward, Tennessee was
admiued; then Ohio followed in 1909, Lou
isiana in 1919, and Indiana in 1916, making
The number of States nineteen.
1.-Two days before the signature of the
bill admitting Indiana, which was upon De-
cember l |, Mr.. Wendover, OF New York,
offered a resolution TO the effec! "ihai com.
niuee be appointed 10 inquire into the ex'
pediency of altering the Flag of the United
Siales;" not that ne wished 10 give up "lhe
star spangled banner" as he remarked-he
only wished ,hal STARS and stripes might be
added, TO make il correspond with The num-
Der OF States. .... d..
"llis motion of reference was agreed TO-,
and committee was appointed who made a
repon, accompanied by bill, on The Cd Of
January, which. however, conIrived TO es.
CAPE The action OF Congress that session, as
many a report and even annual Messages
Of The President do in these latter days.
AT the winter session Of 1878, on the
16lh December. Mr.. Wendover repeated his
ormer motion in near y the same terms, and
said
THAT he should make but few remarks
on this subject, not being novel one; bill
relative thereto having been reported at the
las, session, bu, laid over from The pressure
Of business deemed Of more importance.
Had The Flag Of The United States never
have undergone an alteration, he certainly
should not propose 10 make further allera'
ZION in il. But, having been altered once,
he thought it necessary and proper that an
alteration should now be made. Ii was his
impression, and he thought il was generally
believed, tha, the FIug would be essentially
injured by an alter auon on the same Prln'
ciple us that which had before been made.
Of increasing The stripes and the stars. Mr.
w. referred 10 the incongruity Of The flags
in general use no, agreeing with the law and
greatly varying with each other. lie IN
sanced the flags flying over The building in
which Congress was then sitting, and that
al The Navy Yard; one Of which contained
nine stripes and the other eighteen, neither
being conlormable TO the law. Ii was Of
some importance, he conceived, that The
flag Of The nalion should be designated with
precision, and that The practice under the
law should conform 10 It's requisilions."
His motion was agreed 10 Without opposi'
lion, and committee appointed. On The
9Th of January, 1918, about three weeks
alie Mr.. Wendover's motion was made, The
selec. commiuee made their report, which
was aImos, literally the same with 'haI oil
the preceding session. f
We copy two passages:
"The committee nre fully persuaded thai
The form selected for the American flag, was
truly emblemalic of our origin and exist
ence as an independent nation; md thai as
such, ii having mel the appreciation and re-
ceived the support Of the citizens OF the
Union. IL ought 10 undergo no change that
would decrease its consplcuiiy, or tend 10
deprive il of i,s representative character;
4 tho committee, however, believe ,ha, an in
creose in the number Of the States Of The
| Union. since the hug was altered by law
sufficiently indicates the proprie.y OF such
charge in the arrangement OF the hag o'
!. shall hest accord with the reasons that lee
Iio It's original adOplion and sufficiently poin
, 10 imporanl periods Of our national history.
/ Again :---la 1 ,t.9d pod ar1 +f.
J, "'rhe national flag being in general use
, by vessels Of almos. every description,