The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1865-02-08
THE NEW cONFEDEnATEFZAn

| past we give II not only LOT tho inter-
esting character Of the document, but
also as page in the history of our coun-
try's struggle. The bill adopting tho
new design has passed the Senate u ma
nimously and is now before the Commits
tee on Flag and Seal of the House, COM
| posed of Mcssrs. Chiffon Of Alabama,
Rivcs of Virginia, and Chambers of Mis-
| sissippi
Hon. Edr2r1 Sparrow, Chairman Of the Cbnniffre
on NiHa,y AHairs, Confedsrafe States Senate :
General While disabled for active service have
employed portion OF my leisure in trying TO i'm.
prove our national flag, and, after much attention
10 the subject and the laws of heraldry, have sub
United design to Congress, which introduced
into the Senate the 18th ul,n,o by Mr.. Semmes,
of louisiana. The bill which have drawn is as
follows:
"a MT IL hsFABtrSH rHt flag 81 1ut CoNiKrs-
R,lt STATES.
.Tt. CpAqrCss 81 tie Confederate States Of IDtc-
| RIA do ,a1st, That the flag OF the Confederate
States shall he toitowa: The width two-t thirds of
IT. length with the union, NEW used as the battle
ag) to be III width hree-ttths Of the width OF the
flag and SO proportioncd as to leave the length OF
the field on the sjdc Of the union twice the width
below it to have the ground red, and broad blue
saticr thereon bor1ecd with white and emblazoned
with mulles or pointed stars, corresponding in
number 10 that OF the Confederate States the field
to be white except the outer half from the union,
which shall be red bar extending the width of the
flag"
Before Offering the hill, that gentleman addressed
letter TO the commander OF the Army of Northern
Virginia requesting his views i'll regard to the pro-
posed alteration. General Lee replied that he
| thought it every pretty and that it certainly
added distiVctness to the nag: but, with his usual
| modcsty, SAID he miStrustcd his own Judgment IN
such matters, and that the" naval gentlemen were
the rroper persons 10 he consulted The bill was
accordingly referred TO the Committee on Naval All
| fairs and, after various plans we're submitted and
the opinions Of leading officers OF Our navy OBJ
| tanned, SAID committee unanimously recommended
lis adoption. On suggestion that 1t would DC
| we'll TO have the opinions oi ether officers OF the
army the subject, the bill was, on mct,cn of Mr.
Brown of Mississippi, referred to the Committee on
| Military Affairs, and now have tf honor to sub
nit herewith to your consideration letters l have
received from General joseph L. Johnston General
s. Cooper, Iieu.pnant-General Ewell, Lieutenant
! General Longstrcets Inspector-Gencral; Maor-Ge-
! MEALS F.z Lee, Rosser and Lomax, OF cavalry
,rigadier-Gencrals Pendleton and Long, OF artll-
lery; Colonel Crutchiield Stonewau Jac kson chief
| Of artillery; Malor-General Ueth, Major-General
| Smith, Governor OF Virginia; and Major General
Smith, Superintendent OF Virginia Military Lsti-
tite Captain W. n. Barker, acting chief OF Signal
| Bureau, and Captain WbouTn, of Signal Corps !;
| Bricadiel- General Wharton, Colonel j. S. Mosby
| and many other distinguished officers of the army
all approving this design, which, with such let
| tcrs as have been addressed to you on the sub
lec,, will furnish your committee with the desired
| information , Allow me, General, to add few
| words on the merits OF the proposed alteration.
Under the present act OF Congress- the proportions
of the IA. incorrect, i'e length being double
the width which Is against all rule; and flag
! made Will not float. The one now used over the
capitol not according 10 law but 1t is correctly
rrorortioned, having the width two-thirds Of tie
length SO tha, the proportions. at least will have
to IN changed, and while under amendment, it
proposed to improve lle field OF the flag also Ii
has been astCr,aineI 10y practical the army
and navy that tag is very easily soed from its
excessive whenesS and II Is especially liable to this
objection steam vessels, which rapidly super
seding all other ships o: war. The portion Of the
flag proposed to be changed 10 red bar is the part,
too most readily defacod. 1t is strongly urged by
naval officers OF high standing that flag is lla
bic TO be mistaken for flag OF truce particularly
in calm, when it hangs dead against the mast and
! the union is obscluod 10y the white bunting
When seen at Il distance, flag are generally dis
played against the white clouds beyond and hence
want of iisnctnc'6 /, great detect III the present
flag, the union being the only portion seen. Be
sides these capital objections to 1t, the flag is
aac loohiq that it excItcs no enotonin the hearts
| Of cur people, and looks like white table
cloth, with colored patch IN one corner than the
ensign o. a great nation, such destined to
be. Consequently We have not become attached to
| it as We should have done by this time had the
colsrs been more striking TWAS hurriedy adopted,
| at the very close OF Il session OF the last Con-
| gress as the best they could do under the null
| tplicity of plans submitted, and when the con-
| test really was whether the battle-hag should
| form part Of it. See accompanying letter from
! Colonel A. Il. Boteier, Chairman OF the Commit
tee on Flag and Sea-, Of last Congress, i'll favor Of
| this amendment. l RESPECTFULLY submit that the
| bin before the Senate removes all the objections
urged against the Confederate flag 1t gives it cor
rcctness Of proportion, distlnctness and character
renders it fit for practical use. and presents beau
tiiul standard. which, under circumstances can
| be mistaken for flag of truce or the hag of any
thurp qf,n porth ltny ,cc
p0fc-fnred appearance, and makes it look more
martial. The batte-iiag, selected by General john
ston, and recommended by himself and General
| Bcauregard, aud under which much blood has
| been spilled in struggle for INDEPENDENCE is
| fully displayed the union III the proposed flag,
| which can only be done by surrounding it with
white and the red bar, forming the outer halt of the
field from the laion Is suggested as the best desi
for its Improvement. am opposed to all stripes,
many or few, red blue; for, besides the resem-
blance they would make our flag answer to the
| common description Of the now degraded badge OF
| the hasest of tyranhies-'the Stars and Stripes"
The colors of the new flag would be chiefly white
and red, with as little as possible OF the Yankee
blpf The hera!dic significance OF these colors is
deemed especially appropriate for the Confederate
States-the white (argent being embematic OF
purity and innocence and ting red (gues of forti-
tu.le and courage. In the adoption OF ensigns by
the principal nations Of the world, 1t Is noticed by
Captain Hamilton, in his History OF the United
States Flag, that they generally initiate the ensigns
of the nations from which they sprung This rule
is complied with in the flag, as proposed, for our co
pie are chiefly descended FROM the British and French
and We get the union and the cross OF st. Andrew
from the former ana the red bar from the flag OF The
latter nation, while the idea Of having stars to re-
| pre- ent the States respectively is taken from tls
las of the old Union mainly founded by our fore
fathers. The new flag is easily made, and ii
without the complication OF any painting
| " ,ich, besides the difficulty of correct exc
IL ION, soon rots the. bunting. The proper
tons, while most pleasing to the eye, possess
the virtue Of simplictty-the white below ant
/; ON side of the union being same width as thu
rcd bar. They nave been approved by some Of tn.
bests artists in the Confederacy, and after careful
examination, have been pronounced correct by
some Of the most experienced officers OF the navy
such as Commodore Forrest, Captain 8. s. Lee
Captain Mason and Captain W. II. Parker, the lat
ter being at the head of the Confederate State