The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-02-19
The National Flag.

end TO the infamous custom.
| The National Flag.
January /, 177G, is supposed t0be the day
upon which the Stars and Stripes we're adopt
ed 40 the emblem of what are nowthe United
States. This has been reiteratedvery many
times by the newspapers, and flags have beer
displayed, bearing the Stars and Stripes, and
an age of one hundred years claimd for them
We dislike to take the poetry GU Of all the
recent talk about the Centennial American
Flag" but we think the true history Of that
institution will be found about as follows:
1.-THE emblems of British having become
inappropriate after the declaration of indie
pendence, it was ordered by Coigress, June
IA, l777, that the flag of the IL United States
be 10 stripes, alternate red andwhlte; that
the union be - stars, white in d blue field,
representing a new constellation 1t isnot
known precisely to whom is due te credit OF
Suggesting the stars for the union The idea
is supposed to have emanated from John
Adams, who was then chairman d the board
of war; and it has also been urgai with con-
siderable plausibiity that the stars anu stripes
the coat OF arms of the Washington family,
the shield of which presents win lie or silver
field traversed by two red bars with three
spur rowels or stars in the upper portion.
The resolution of June 18th wa not made
public until Sept. 3, 1777, and tie stars and
stripes first figured consplcuGuslt at the sur.
render OF Burgoyne in the succeeding month {;
in December OF the same year THY were car
ried tc Europe by Paul Jones on lis ship, the
Ranger. The flag, having been Instituted ON
the representative principle, 10 designate the
states of the united republic, reclaimed unal-
tered until 1904, when, on motion If Mr.. Brad,
ley, Senator from Vermont, which state, with
Kentucky, had recently been admitted into
the Union, it was resolved that tr,m and after
May l, 1894, The flag of the Unied States be
Is STRIPES and that the union be 10 stars,
etc. The act Of i794 contained no provis.
ions for future alterations, ana until 1918
none were made, notwithstanding that in the
meantime the states OF Tennessee, Ohio, Lou.
lsiana, Indiana and Mississippi were added
TO the Union On the admission q Indiana
in 1916 a committee was appontal, on mo-
ton of Mr.. Wendover Of New York, ITO in.
ouire into the eXpcliency OF alteringthe flag"
by whom the whole subject was carefully ex.
ahmed. The proposition to carry out the
principles OF Bradley's act of 1904 which
contemplated the addition of star and a
stripe for each state admitted into the Union,
was deemed Objectionable on the ground that
nothing would be lett to recall the past, and
by similar course of reasoning return to
the 10 stars and the Is stripes precribei by
the act of l717 was considered equally i'm
practicable, rs the past would then only be
recognized and the present ignored. The
flag of 1894 was, if possible, more objection
able than either of these. The credit OF cs-
rablishing the device finally agreed upon,
and which is intended to illustrate AT once
the origin OF the republic and its progress in
material prosperity, is Cue to Capt Samuel
C. Reid, of New York, who who gained dis
tnction by his defense of the private armed
brig, General Armstrong, against greatly
superior British force at Fayal in Sept. 1914 {;
and his suggestions were embodied in the re-
port of the committee subm tilted Jan. ., 1917.
This proposed to retain the 3 stripes, alter.
nate red and white, in concentration of the
10 colonies which took the field in the strug.
gle for independence, and to make the mum
Der OF stars white on a blue field, represent
ing the Union, correspond with that of The
states, with the provision that a new star
should be added on the 4th of July next sue
oil embodying these provisions was also re-
ported, but the subject having been LAID over
until the next Congress, owing To press of
business, a new committee reported through
Mr. Wendover bill identical with the former,
which on April 4, 1918, became law. The
flag thus established was first hoisted over
the hall OF representatives at Washington on
the 18th OF tine same month at . =. NJ, although
in accordance with the act, its legal existence
could no; be recognized until the 4th of July
and down 10 the present time il has
continued 10 be the national standard Of the
American Union"
The proper event 10 have been celebrated
On the first, was the rising of flag by " ash
iugton on the heights about Boston, as he
look command of the armies. The event is
described by Bancroft---and the flag spoken
IF as containing thirteen stripes, but the
place where the constellation of the Union
low rests. was occupied by the combined
,rosses of ~. Andrew ana 81. George