The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1865-06-01
SEAL OF THE UNITED STATES.

with all our consideration.
SEAL OF THE UNITED STATES.
The Great Seal of the United States is
one of peculiar interest, and therefore we
feel warranted in giving more details Of
its design and history. Soon after the
declaration Of independence, Benjamin
Franklin, John Adams and Thomas jeff.
erson were appointed committee to pre-
pare great seal for the infant republic;
and they employed French west Indian,
named Du Simitiere, not only to furnish
designs, but also to sketch such devices
as were suggested by. themselves. In
ono of bis de.igns, the artist displayed on
q shield the armorial eDsig igns OF the sew
aral nations from whence America had
been peopled-ombraceing those Of Eng-
land, 1cotland, ireland, France, Geem-
any and Holland. On one side was placed
Liberty with her Gap, and on the
other was riheman in uniform, with his
rifle in one hand and tomahswk in the
other-the dress and weapons being po-
culiar to America. 3D..
Franklin proposed, for the device, Mo.
ses lifting his wand, aud ; dsviding the
Rcd sea, aud Pharaoh aud his hosts over
whelmed with the waters lEor a motto,
the words of Cromwell, "Rebellion to ty,
rants is obedience to God. a, .A, g
Adams proposed the choice Of II
cules; the hero resting on club, Virtue
pointing to her rugged mountain On one
h Il
Sloth, glancing at her flowery paths of
pleasure, wantonly y reclining on the
ground, displaying..ho charns, both of
her eloquencc and person, to seduce him
into vice. Jefferson proposed tho ChiL
dren of Israelin the Wilderness, led by
cloud by day and piller of fire by night;
and ou the reverse, Hcngist aud Horsa,
the saxon chiefs, from whom we claim
the honor of being descended, and whose
political principles and form of govern.
mcnt we have assumed.
franklin and Adams then requested
Jefferson to combine their ideas in Il
compact description of the proposed great
seal, which he did, and that paper, in his
own hand writing, is now in the. of
flee of the Secretary of State at Wash
ington. This design consisted of a
shield with six quarterings, parti one,
cupi two, in heraldic phrase. The first
/ gold and an emamclcd rose, red and white,
. for England; the secoud white, with a
thistle, in its proper .colors, for Scotland;
+ the third green, with harp of gold, for
ireland; the fourth blue, with q gelden
lily flower, for France; the fifth gold, with
! the i'm pcral black eagle, for Germany;
and the sixth gold, with the Beigic
crowned red lion, for Holland. These
denoted the countries from which Amer
| lea had been peopled. He proposed to
place the shield within a red border, on
which there should be thirteen white es-
cutcheons, linked together by gold
chain, each bearing appropriate Initials;
in black, of the confederate States.
Supporters, the Goddess of Liberty on
, the right side, in corslet Of armor, in
alusion to the then state Of war, and hcl-
ding the spear and cap in her right hand,
while her left supported the shield.
On the left the Goddess Of Justice, lean
ing on sword in her right hand, and in
her left balance. Tho crest, the eye
of Providence 10 aradiant triangle, whose
glory should extend over the shield and
beyond the figures Motto: Z RuriIas
, Imam -"Many in one.' Around the
whole, "SEAL OF THE UNITED STATES
|, OF AMERICA, MDCCLXXVI." For the
reverse he proposed the device Of Phar-
aoh sitting in an open chariot; crown
on his head anda sword in his hand,
passing through the divided waters Of
the Red Sea in pcrsuit Of tho lsraeAtes,
Rays faom piller of fire in a cloud, ex.
pressive of the divine presence and con-
mand, beaming on Moses, who stands on
the shore, and extending his hand over
the sea, causes it to overwhelm Pharaoh
and his followers. Motto: Gre bel.ion to
tyraots is obedience to God"
Jefferson's device was highly approve
ed by his coadjutors, and the committee
reported on tho 10th of August, l776;
but for some unaccountable reason, their
report was neglected, not having been
, even placed on record; and the affair
was allowed to slumber until the Z4th Of
March, 177o, when Messrs. Lowell Of