The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-12-07

The CONFEDERATE FLAG.--The adoption of
our present flag was a natural, but most per-
nicious blunder. AS the old flag itself was not
the author Of our wrongs, we tore of a piece
of the dear cid rag, and set it up as a stand
ard. We took it for granted flag was o d.
rssibie thing, and proceeded TO set off our pro
portion So we took, at rough calculation,
our share Of the stars, and our fraction of the
. stripes, and put them together and called them
the Confederate Tag. Even as Aaron Of old
put the gold into the fire and then came out
this calf so certain stars and stripes went
into committee, and then came out this Tag
All this was honest and fair to a fault. We
were clearly entitled to FROM seven to eleven
of the stars, and 10 three or four of the stripes
Indeed, as we we're maintaining the princi-
pies il was intended to represent, and the
North had abandoned them, we were honestly
entitled to the whole flag. Had we kept it,
aud fought for it, and under it, and conquered
1t from the North, it would have been no rob-
either have done this, |. e.. kept the flag as a
whole--er else We should have abandoned
it as a whole, and adopted another
But if we did not choose to assert our title t.
the whole, was il polite aud judicious to spill,
the Gag, and claim one of the fractions We
had al equal right also to Hail Columbia and
Yankee Doodle. We might have adopted a
part of Yankee ID ,odle, (say every third
stat "a or else Yankee Doodle. with varia-
ii,ns, Us cur national air In the choice Of an
air, We were not guilty Of this aosuIdity; but
weh.ve perpetrated one exactly parallel to il,
in the choice OF u national flag There il 10
exaggeralion in the illustration. & seems sa-
premsly ridiculous Yet il scarcely does our
folly justice.
There IL but one feature essential to q flag.
End that 10 aistinctness. Beauty, appropriate.
Dess, good taste, are all desirable. but the only
thiag smdsspessqbie is dirtinctness-wide,
plain. uum.stakA5ie distinctioa from other
> dass Unfortunately this indispensable thug
IL Just the saing which the Confederate fiav
Lcxs And failing la this, 1t 10 iamsnt.sbls
and Total failure, sbsoia,s aud Tired ENABLE
The failure 10 Ia y matter Of essence. Itis -
cossplete ~ that Of writing whieh cannot be
vcad-of = gan wsich esnnos b. shot---of q
cont which cannot be corn. 1t 10 the plsy Of
Hamlet, with the part Of Hamlet left out A
nag which does not distinga,sk-msy be =
very nice piece Of bnniing-it may be, hand
somsiy executed, tasteful, expressive, and /.
thousand other thingsi but it has no title a. all
to bssr the name Of flag.
We knew the Gag we had to Sight; vet. in.
Hssa Of getting ~ far from 1t, we vera
gali.y Of the huge nistAks Of getting az near
70 =. - possible We sough: similarity.
Aeoptang principle diamstrieslly wrong.
~ ueds lag - nssrly Ike theirs = cosid
nA1er favorable circumstances. b. distis.
SuisAs6 from + Us1sr uaisvo rsbje cirsuu.
.seaaaae. leneh = eeaAesdy osenr in psscsics.)
khsE~e AaSs 40 isdiasisgaisL.ble. "a the
sMaaDsf ~ 1aeoe > Great Britain 81 siAs
,efs { ~ 1tlIe1 n tie elber ths - ross.
4s1g = = kAd sdopts6 siIk WIS
~ fte 49, lesh (tjt4 ~ an deee eiak
- ~ SssJr9 ilg&tsv sksdS ~ pink. woal1
49, hsvs ~ ~ ~ y H. senfaaoai
WhDss ~ - - , asesoeehia6 4 tine