The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1863-02-28
The Vermont Coat of Arms,

TIL recently the Coat OF Arms and Great Sea
Of The State of Vermont had no properly author
z-d form. Originally adopted 50 tar as some
marked particulars were concerned, by sort OF
tacit agreement, they remiIned simply a matter
of tradition. There was no aw defining he EN-
bins they SAeu consist of, AID how they
should he combined, and the suj-ct was left
mostly to the fancy OF type-ouuuers. Hence
it happened that the Coat Of Arms which for
VARIOUS purposes came TO be used as em6ematc
of Vermont, though for the most part they have
presented the same general features, have eX
hbued great variety Of shapes and Combl-
nations, most of them ludlcrUuSly at variance
in some respects with Ions established heradrc
rules.
In 1860, the attention Of the Vermont Hstor-
cal Socie was directed to this subject hy COM
munication frrm the Hon. Norman Williams, of
Woodstock, relating to the origin and history Of
the State Seal. The result was the appointment OF
a committee by the Society, 10 investigate the sub
ject and pre- ent a proper device for the State
Coat OF Arms and Seal. The committee consisted
OF Messrs. Il. w. Benedict, of Burlington , Nor
man Williams, of Woodstock, aud Charles Reed
Of Montpelier. During the last Session, that
committee brought the subject before the egisa,
ture, with description of what The State Coat Of
Arms and Great Seal should be--avoiding in this
dtscr ption, the Introduction of any novel or
strange features, but bringing the emblemS which
by usage had become inmllar to the eyes OF Yer
monteTs, under established rules of heraldry, Al
SO combining them and defining their colors, as to
produce proper and plea'ing etfvc. The Legis-
lature enacted law in conformity 10 these sUg
geStions.
| Under the direction of the Secretary Of State
and the supervision of the Chairman of the com
miltee of The Historical Socitty, our townSman,
Mr.. Z. h, Heyde, has just competed heraldic
picture Of the State Co4C of Arus in trick con-
formity with this law, which is 10 be kept 10 the
Secretary Of States office an authoritative rep.
resentatlon. The essential points OF piece of
heraldry are We y happily secured, as We hDk, i
Mr.. Heydes picture, while at the same time an
agreeable picture is produced, from the crcum.
stance that the symbols OF r State Seal are all
Of them natural otj ecs which we see every day
around us.
Tne pine tree, sliff and straight by ture, di,
Sdes the entire shield into Two equal port ons
| right and left the foreground, the mountains
and sky, each by It's owR natural color, tvIde he
whole iransverseIy in natural manner. The
facing the right OF the shield, and the sheaees
bend ,OSe (as the term il on be lett occupy po-
Siuon as natural as if 10 a landscape, without los
ing particle OF their heraldc significance. In
the 70, eground Mr. lie, de has introduced a very
pretty piece of landscape. The whole thing
taken together, with the crest above and the
badge and motto below the shield, produces
wonderfully pleasing effect, and We are ready to
wow 1t as our opinion that The Nerrort Goat OF
Arms, as II now stands, may safely challenge com
pafsou with any other Stale Coat Of Arms in The
Lnioo.-Fr Press.