The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-11-20

States, but by the people fthe United states in
their aggregate individuality.
NATIONAL FLAG.
There is the national nag. He must be cold
indeed who can look upon its folds rlppli ing
In the breeze without pride OF country. II he
be in a foreign land. the flag is companion
ments. Who, as he sees 1t, can think of State
merely7 Whose eyes, once fastened upon its
radiant trophies, can fail TO recognize the image
OF the whole nation7 1t has been called
Floating piece of poetry" and yet know not
ensigns. It's highest beauty is in what it SYM
bolizes. IL is because IL represents all, That
all gaze at It with delight and reverence. It
is a piece OF bunting lifted In the air; but It
speaks suhlimely and every part has voice. It's
stripes OF alternate red aud white proclaim the
original union OF thirteen States TO maintain
the Declaration OF Independence. It's stars OF
Hnise on ueiu Ui pIus PIooGIsn Cnss uuVn vi
which receives a new star with every new state.
The two together signify union past and pre-
sent. The very colors have a language which
was officially recognized by our fathers. White
is for purity, red for valor, blue for justice
And ali together, bunting, stripes, stars, and
colors blazing in the SKY make the flag of our
country, TO be cherished by all our hearts, TO be
upheld by all our hands.
NATIONAL MOTTO.
There is next the national motto, as it ap
pears on the national seal, and on the national
money. common seal and common money
supreme sovereignty of the nation is manifest
The first is like the national flag, and stands
for the nation, especially in treaties with
foreign powers. The second is a national con-
venience il not necessity, which takes its dis
eveTywheTe Il is repTesentatye OF the Saoa 80 ioaI
Each has the same familiar motto, q plurt6uS
Unun1, Latin phrase, which signifies From
significance. on the 4th of July,
l776, the very day Of independence Benjamin
Franklin, John Adams, ana Thomas Jefferson
were appointed q committee to prepare device
for q great SEAL They were the Identical COM
ton of Independence itself Their report on
the seal was made 10th August, l776 and here
we first meet the national motto, which is in
such entire harmony with the Declaration by
which we were made lone people," Questions
Of detail interyened, aud no conclusion was
seal was adopted, being the American bald
eagle, with the olive branch in one talon and a
bundle of thirteen arrows in the other and in
his beak scroll bearing the inscription EpIuri.
bus Unun1.
There is next the national name, which of
itselI implies national unity. The States are
not merely allied, associated, coslesced, con-
federated. but they are united, and the Consti-
tuition, formed to secure q more perfect union,
is "for the United States of America" which
term was used as the common name OF the
nation. But there was still another national
designation, accepted at home and abroad. Our
natural, unsought and instructive name-a
growth and not even Notwithstanding
sive power, on the continent. It was not used
occasionally or casually, but constantly; not
ments Not an address OF Congress; not mill Mill
tary order; not a speech which does not contain
ing. At the opening of the first Continental
Congress Patrick Henry, in another mood from
that of a later day, announced the national
unity under this very name. After declaring
the boundaries OF the several colonies ettaced,
and the distinctions between Virgi mans, Penn
sylvanians, New Workers. and New Enganders
as no more, he exclaimed in words of mpre-
hensive patriotism, 81 am not q Vlrglnian, but
an American" Congress took up the strain
and commissioned Washington as Commander.
in-Chief Of the armies for the defense of
in his first general order at Cambridge, on
assuming his great command, announced
that the armies were 'for the defense of the
liberties of America" and in a letter to
Congress just before the battle of Trenton he
declared that he had labOred ito discourage
all kinds Of local attachments and distinc-
tfons of country, denominating the whole by
possible that in the lapse OF Time, history Will
vindicate the name adopted by Washington.
which may grow as the Republic, until It be-
comes the natural designation OF one country.
Our fathers used this term more wisely than
they knew; but they acted under Providential
given names to the stars, "calling them by the
greatness of His might2" Is 1t not said also
that God will make him who overcometh pill
lar in the temple and give him "a new nameP"
80 as our stars multiply, and the nation over
ciared principles, everywhere on The continent, m
Of S pillar In ss she & &Sems pie sad the 1
declare alike Its unity and Its power.
GEOGRAPHICAL UNITY.
To these "unities" derived nom history and
the heart OF the people may be added another
where nature Is the great JeacneT, refer 70 Ihe
geographical position and con1guration Of our
country, If not of the whole continent, mark.
ing 1t for one nation, Unity Is written upon II
by the Almighty Hand. In this respect, 1t diff
| fers much Il ON Europe where for generations
| seas. rivers, and mountains kept people apart
who had else, ''like kindred drops commtngled
| into one" There is no reason why they should
| not commingle here. Nature in every form is
propitious Facility of intercourse, not less than
| common advantage, leads to unity; but these
| are ours Here are navigable rivers, numerous
and famous, being so many highways of travel,
| nd q nj Il inland
| there is an unexample extent OF country
| adapted to railways; and do not forget that
| with the railway is the telegraph using tn Q
| lightning as its messenger, so that the interro-
gatory of Job Is answered, "Canst thou send
| iightnings that they may go2" The country rs
one open expanse from the frozen Arctic to the
warm waters of the Gulf, and from the Atlantic
to the Rocky Mountains and there science
already supplies the means OF overcoming this
barrier, which in other days would have
marked international boundaries. The Pacific
Railway Will neutralize these mountains, ana
complete the geographical unity OF the contt-
nent. The slender wire of the telegraph, when
once extened, is an indissOluble tie; the rail-
way is an iron band. But these depend upon
opportunities which nature supplies, so that ma
ture herself Is one of the guardians OF our ma
tionality. Our country was planned by Provl
dence Tor a united and homogeneous people
| Apparent differences harmonze. Even climate
which passes through all gradations from the
| North to the South Is so tempered as to present
an easy uniformity from the Atlantic to the
| Rocky Noun talns. Unmeasured supplies OF al
kinds, mineral aud agricultural, are at hand
the richest ores and the most golden crops, witt
the largest coal fields of the world below, anC
Sstrabo said OF ancient GRul that, by its struc
ture with It's vast plains and considerabl,
rivers 1t was destined TO become the theatre o
q great civilization. But the structure OF ou
country is more auspicious. Our plains ar
yaster and our rivers arc more considerable
furnishing theatre grander than any lima