The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1876-01-14

A timely article In Arp,aes. ict 1anu.
ary ist furnishes material for 4 sketch
that II would have been difficult 10 rc.
a elsewhere. Tho "s.ara and Stripes.
~ We know them now, did mot make
their appearance until very late In tho
rear 1870, and were no. adopted by
Congress a. the National ensign until tho
18th Of June, i777.
"During tho 6rst months Or the var
each State had Ito own dag. The ban.
ner Of Connecticut contained the arms
Of tho State and motto. In golden letters,
Qsi trnnsfslif sastinst --"0od, Who trans.
ported Us hither, will support u.s." The
motto Of Massachusetts, was, IAN Ap.
peal % Heaven" Her fAg was white.
hearing tho motto and ! green pine tree.
South Car ,linA had an ensign Of blue,
with white crescent, made by order OF
Colonel Moultrte. = In the fall
Of ITO Congress appoin.cd committee
to create a navy, but nothing SCENE 10
have been dono about Furnishing the
now made navy with I suitable enairn.
The captains accordingly followed their
own dcviccs, sailing, probably, under
their State nags. One favori,c device
was rattlcannke lifting Ito head and
shaking Ito rattics, with the motto,
"Don't tread on mel" Some fags added
mailed Land cllnchlng thirteen A..
rows. Tho rAttlcsnAkc came yery near
being our National emblem instead Of
tho eagle. II had often before been uscd
On fAga, and II. Appearance NJ this time
on tho ensign . tho commander IN.
chief Of our navy caused much discus.
sion Of In claima. One wriscr, thought
by some 70 bc iiunjamin Franklin gave
weiehsy reasons for adopting the rattle
snake. II ID found only In America;
WAS considered by tho anc,enM A. m
emblem Of wlsdom; IL oyo u exceeding
bright, and without cye.lids, 10 Il sIgnI.
iies slgilnLcei Il never begins M attack,
nor snrrcndcfs when Asaalled In deadly
weapons Arc concealed In tho mouth, 80
that II appears defcnseloss and Ia
wounds, though small, Are fatal, while
u never attacks without Arss riyipr
warning. In addition 10 all tins, Ia
rattlss ARC dIsslnc. from each Other. ~,
% firmly united thu. they can no. b.
separated, while they Also increase III
nuubsr. lu. tho fact that tho rattle.
snake Il . serpent, and under tho cursr
Of God, probably oAuaed liz rejection. !"
That The rattlcsnAke should have
como so near being selected for our
national emblem seems lIttlc strange
IN vls~ 81 thu present nse .oi tho term
'cspperhsadr- though II really stands
boller examination ON In merits than
docs tho Eagle bird O. freedom" How
llsn. franklin cAme - be cured of his
love for u docs not appear, but certain
Il n thai, late In ITO. he, together with
two other gentlemen, mat II tho camp
It Cambridge, Anthor'xd tby whom Il
Il not quito clear 10 create 4 National
Flag. They agreed upon thirteen
stripes ~ alternate rod and white. repre-.
ssntlav tho Colonies, and fxsd Ia ,hc
cossek witch 10 now hAsd by our
"unl6h" of s..rs, tho crotses Of ~.
0solxo and 1t. Andrews 70 show that
the Colonies, while dgh.Ing against
Enslands tyranny, stlll acknowledged
Dor sovereignty. THIS dag WA drst dis.
played from The Cambridge camp, on
uAe second Of January, ITO, the very
dag on which the Kings address 10 his
rebsllious SUBJECTS was put Into thair
hands. This - tho iirst appearance
" the "stsipss."
The earliest public exhibition Of tho
"stars md strlpos" i not 10 easy 70
determine. The design Wa popularity
credited 10 Mn. Ross, Of philadslphis
hut Il u quito clear that the design wal
furnished her BY Congrsesloaal Com.
Mite, with whom was General Washing.
ton, Ia Juno Of tho year 1910. Az lats
. October, Of tho Same ysar, however,
shs ilag hAd not como Into general w.
and the 6tste dags we're sllil lasgsl,
carried on both land aad wates. u
June o. tho next year, li177,l Congress
formally adopted Il; u ths rhilsdslphI'
celebration on tho lth Of July following
, Il received ~ public Inauguration, 81
| 6oatsd ever allsr u III ~ battles q
our counlsy. -O(AsinNaN zYm1s.