The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1865-04-01

the banner of their patron, ST. Denis. -
This was made of red silk, without orna-
ment of gold or silver, and was the stand
ard which became so celebrated in French
history as the oriaamme. This was borne
until the end of the fourteenth century,
when the English, victorious at Agincourt,
having assumed the red cross, the French
adopted the white abandoned by their en-
emies. 'sThe three national colors, adopted
at different periods of French history, were
at last blended into the tricolor by the
leaders of the great Revolution (; but they
had already been used by some Of the
French soveregns in their flags and live
ries Francis L., Henry H., Francis H.,
and Henry III, chose them for the party
colored costumes Of their pages. In the
days of Henri-Quatre, they were blended
in the uniform of the halberdiers, and in
the attire of the royal valets de pied. When,
towards the close of his reign, Holland &C
complished her independence she solicited
Of the great monarch permission to take to
herself the French colors he consented
and the flag which he dispatched, as a
proof of his goodwill, to the Stakeholder
at Amsterdam, was q tricolor since which
time Holland has carried no other.
tury, nearly hundred years before the out
ders bore for brief period the three col
ors this was at the epoch of the Triple
Alliance between the kings of France and
Spain aud the Eleetor of Bavaria. When
the three armies were combined, it was
thought best to give their soldiers cock
ade whose blended colors should indicate
the union Of the three countries. 1t was
thus that the white Of France, the red ol
Spain, and the blue of Bavaria were united
in that War of the Succession which hum
bled the pride of Louis XIV. on the mem
| orable fields of Blenheim, Families, Dude.
narde, and Malplaquet.
However, it is not to these circumstan-
ces, nor to any desire to emblematize the
different eras of French history. that the
tricolor Of the Revolution owes its origin
In 1889, the green flag, popularized by Ca.
mile Desmoulins at the Palais Royal, fell
| into disrepute, because green was the color
of the liveres of the Count dArtois, one
of the most unpopular of the Bourbon prin.
ces. The people looked for other insignia
and appropriated the two colors of the CT
ty of Paris, red and blue, already celebra
ted in more than one popular emeute. The
new popular standard soon united with
these the white, which had been assumed
by the National Guard of Paris, still faith
full to royalty and its emblems 1t was
some months after the capture of the Bas
tile that the tricolor was definitely adopted
| This selection Of colors received the formal
sanction of the National Convention.
The English Flag.
"Thc national flag of England was fol
some centuries the red cross, dating from
the period of English ascendancy in France
Previously, the royal color had been white
but after Henry VI. had been crowned a
Paris, the victorious English borrowed tht
device Of the vanquished enemy. b
''rhe Union is composed of the red eros;
of St. sGeorge, the Scotch cross of ST. An
drew dating from the incorporation Of the
two Kingdoms in the reign of Anne-ant
the Irish cross of ST. Patrick. The roya
standard of England has varied its devices
according to the devices of her kings
The House Of York had u famous badge
the rose en- solcl Henry VII. exhibited
the rose and crown. Our Plantageneti
were fond of the leopard whence came
Napoeon's threatening illusions, and his
boast, that 'he would drive the leopard in
to the sea- The lion was first borne by
Richard L., whence, probably, his nona-de
gtterre of Ceur-de- Lion /"