Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1855-07-10
National Eagles.

Mr.. Macnyre, in his curious and interesting
work entitled the Cross and Crescent as Stand
ards IN War, says; Eagles have been tortured
into extraordinary attitudes, and The most ex-
travagant looking monsters have been made out
oil that bird. But there appears 10 be in those
ANIMALS, as represented OH the standards of great
nations, something significant. and may be pro-
Pheilcal. The North American Eagle is strong,
healthy lke bird, flying nj full stretch of wing with
The branch OF alree IN hs rig talon and bundle
OIL arrows tied up IN his lett. The European
eageSare unnatural monsters, generally with two
heads, or IN strained attitudes, with ched
wings. The bayonet-wearing nalons-ihe Aus
| TRAN, Russian and Prussial,-have the black
eagle holding the crosscrowned globe, the sceplre
and the sword. Russia and Austria have double.
headed black eagles yellow field The
STANDARDS are so much alike as at Tie first glance
not 10 be distinguished from each other hui there
Is, however, marked difference between them
Inc RUSSIAN eagle holds lis scepre in lis right
talon and the globe in its left. The Austrian
eagle IS overwhelmingly the globe in It's right
laioh, and sceptre and sword are in lis left
Inc Austrian bird is IN perous position the
sword ana the sceptre IN the left talon are held
oul al an elevation OF lorty-fve degrees, and are
manestly too heavy for The strength ofthe animal,
ana those emblems of imperial and military power
are plctorialy falling from lis grasp We are
describing accurately heraldric representation.
OF The Austrian power, and il would be consolaory
10 suffering humanity were the hieroplypbiral
siah standard he pronounces TO be n mere banner
OF pretence The Russian standard of the
double-headed eagle" he says, lis banner Of
pretence, and this fact is very important 10 be
remembered 10 the present between Russia
ana turkey. Ii Is dynastic and hereditary
policy OF Russia 10 gel possess OF ConstantInope
ana establish IN that great city the seat Of imperial
power. The Russian double headed eaol, was
the arnorla bearing of the Greek Emperors and
was assumed ty John Vasiovich in 1867 fourteen
ntf..rf h.a or
turks on has marriage with Sophia, the heiress
OF the Greek Emperors. Besides The double
headed eagle, the Russian banners are also in
scribed with the figure OF the Cross Saher so
that In the present conflict between the Russian
ana the Turks the Cross and the Crescent are in
terrible collision
The ancients had as high an opinion of the
eagle as is entertained by the moderns. "The
standards OF the eagle" says Mr.. Macintyre, was
hrst used by the great Cyrus. IL was gold
eagle heldup on The top Of a long lance and on
marching to The battle Of Sards the orders TO The
army We're, to have their eyes fixed on the ensign;
and The watchwords given for that decisive en-.
gagement were these remarkable words glove
our Saviour and Leader" Although this is the
hrst notice, We believe, of the figure OF the eagle
being used as military standard, we know that
there Is IN that blrd-in lis iorm in its lofty and
daring flight, and in lis habits, something that
powerfully affects the imagination; aAdthe eagle
has been used in the prophetic Scriptures a.
an emblem Of the great military powers which
from Assyria, Babylon, Persia and Egypt, were
TO conquer the Jewish nations, aud trample under
loot ITS three-colored banner Of blue purple and
scarlet.
he military standard Of the eagle thus becomes
The symbol Of the various people OF the vast plains
watered by the Euphrates, the Tigris aud the
Nile and those people acted prominent parts on
The great theatre oflhe ancient world Ever since
the age oil the great Cyrus, the eagle a national
symbol, or IS a standard in war, has been very
generally used in various countries ofthe world
down 10 the present lime. The most celebrated
OF the war standards under that sign was the
Roman egionary eagle, and hence "Agpkan the
name OF the bird, was given 10 that division of the
Roman army but IL not until The republic
was toitering 10 its fall under the social wars,
which led 10 The csablishment.of imperial power
under the Caesars, that the eagle was FIRST conse.
Grated by Marius, 10 be the sole standard at the
head OF every legion; and hence it became the
ensign OF the Roman Empire. Previous TO the
adoption OF the eagle, there hsdbeen four animals
on the Roman siandard--lhe mino.
taur, the horse, the wolf and The boar Boston
Tinlss.