National Republican., 1873-11-18
French ElnRL

A curious little book, entitled "Frcnch
Flags" was published In Paris year ago.
1t contains some interesting particulars in
reference to the trl-color and the " Mhltc flag.
The authors object was to show that the for
mer flag Is much the older of the two, and
that there exists on this subject, as on many
others, q slight discrepancy between popular
belief and historical evidence. The case may
be presented as follows:
King Clovis, marching on Poiticrs to fight
the Visigoths, passed through Tours, and
took there as banner st. Martins cope,
which was blue. The frst color adopted by
the Frcnch-if this name cun be applied to
Clovis and his companions-was, therefore,
blue, and blue 1t remained until the acquisi-
tion of the Yexin. By this acquisition the
kings of France became the protectors Of st.
Denis abbey, the banner of which, known as
the orifamme, was red, and this banner be-
came kind Of national flag, just as the name
of St. Denis became one Of the battle cries OF
French armies. At Bouviues, in I2i4, the
blue royal flag was carried at the head Of the
French knighthood, while the red ori1amme
was the standard Of the commoners, to whom
the victory In the battle was mainly due.
Subsequently the custom prevailed Of carry
Ing two banners before the French King, one
blue, with golden lilies, the other red, with
| flames OF gold. There was no other royal
banner at the coronation of Charles VII, at
Reims. The white nag was the personal BAN
ner of Jeanne Dare. \ national hag Is an
invention proceeding from modern idea.
Under the feudal system every lord had his
| own personal coat-of-arms. After the cstab-
| lishment Of permanent militia every regi-
an rttaI hn ,nlnr nf IA "a
far down rs 17S0 many of them had pre-
| served their own particular banners. The
| white color, however, superseded them all,
as being the royal color, from the fac. that
when Louis XIV. suppressed the functions of
colonel generals, whose distinctive sigl was
white standard, such standard was re-
tained as the emblem of command; hence Ii
became the sign of regal power, aud dis.
placed all others.
On the other hand the colors of the city of
Paris were red and blue. So when Gen. La
fayette, In 1889, offered to Louis XVI the tri-
colored cockade, the combination Of the
three colors was cmbleinatic Of the union of
the power Of the King and the powers OF the
nation. But the flag, which from that mt =
ment signiaed the union In question, did not
at once replace other emblematic signs. The
flags are known which were carried by the
ninety battalions Of the Partisan militia when
they took part In the fcte of the federation.
A lew only combined the three colOrs, and
not one of them was designed according TO
the present fashion. The famous flag Of the
Twelfth Half-brigade, when Gen. BOnaparte
led when rushing to attack the bridge Of
Arcole, was not any more three-colored than
the English Union Jack. and the flag Of the
Fifth half-brigade, carried by Augcreau, had
republican ornaments on white ground.
This will give n sufficient idea Of the au-
| thors attempt TO put the question as to the
differences between French flags In Its true
light. 1t may be questioned whether sim
pie love Of truth alone actuatcd him. lie
had, perhaps, another object in view. II 1t
was to show that the three colors had been
sanctioned by royal adoption long before
they were taken as the ensign Of the French
revolution, and that consequently q certain
Prince may consent to accept the throo-cOl-
ored flag without surrendering or rcpudiat-
Ing anything he has labored In vain. He
may be right in his statements; some OF them
arc certainly curious and correct; Int no
amount OF historical testimony will change
the Significance of national colors. Emblems
have no value beyond the meaning attached
TO them, and in spite OF history the white flag
means ancient rule, aud the tri-colored nag
means modern Francc.-PhH. Press.