The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1877-06-07
e.headed esgle Of Constantine

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were united under his rule. This
emblem was adopted by Ivan !,
on his marriage with a princess
of the Greek imperial house. On
the breast of the eagle, which is
black, are emblazoned the an.
cient arms of Russia, st. George
and the dragon, on a red field.
This imperial flag is used only
on great occasions. The common
naval flag of Russia is a Greek
cross in blue on a white field.
The holy banner of Russia. or
of the Greek Church, represen-
te, in the illustration at the head
ofd our telegraph column, is in
imitation of the military stand
ard adopted by Constantine the
Great in commemoration of the
appearance of the cross in the
sky when he was on the march
against Maxentius, the claimant
to the throne of the Western EN-
pire. On the eve of the decision
battle that ended in the defeat
of MaxentIus, and the union Of
the whole Roman Empire under
Constantine Ca. ID. 3l2), the En-
peror, it is stated, saw, as in a
vision, the cross in the sky, with
the words, "By this conquer.
He was the first Christian Empe'
ror, and his great deeds and
great conquests are associated
with the standard Of the Greek
Cross.
On Constantine was bestowed
the title Caesar" and many
writer's have claimed that the IT,
tie Gar had its origin in the IL
tie bestowed on Constantine the
Great. The Russians represent
the religion and the spirit of the
old Greek Empire, any under the
holy banner Of Constantine and
the church make wal against the
enemies of the old Eastern or
Greek Empire.
Turkey, like Russia, has two
flags, one the imperial standard/
representing the power Of III
Ottoman Empire, and the otl/r
the flag of the Prophet, SYM /ol-
izing the Mohammedan religion.
The National or imperial flag is
red, with a white crescent and
star. This flag was the device of
Diana Byzantine, the patronesS
of Byzantium (COnstantinOple),
and was hoisted first by NOLAN
med H., after the capture Of Con
stantinople by the Turks in
1853.
The Mohammedan flag, or the
flag of the Prophet, is dead black.
There are two stories as to the
origin of this flag. Tradition has
it that the original flag of NOLAN
med was made from the white
silk of the turban belonging to
the chief of the Koreish, The
tribe to which his parents belon,
ged and the first tribe he van
pushed. He soon substituted
the black flag, however, making
it from the curtain which hung in
front of the door of his favorite
wife; and this is the sacred relic,
which, passing from Mohammed
to Omar, the second caliph Of the
Moslems, after many changes Of
hands came into possession of the
Sultans of Turkey. 1t was
brought into Europe by Sultan
Amurath III. about the close OF
the sixteenth century, and has
been religiously guarded by his
successors ever since.
When it is unfurled a religious
war is proclaimed, and the Mo
hammedans throughout the
world are called upon to defend
the faith. The black flag has
been associated with the most
relentless and cruel wars of his
tory; with the wholesale slaugh-
tiers and piratical acts OF the Turks
when animated by a spirit of ia
natical hate, and has become the
of war to the death, Of a
war in which no quarter is gran
ted, no prisoners taken.
But the flag OF the Prophet is
not responsible for the bad repu-
tation Of the "black flag" of muir
.erous warfare. The character
Or the early wars waged in the
name Of the Prophet suggested
the black flag as the emblem of
war to the death. The unfurling
Of the flag Of the Prophet means
now that the Sultan of Turkey
calls on Mohammedans of all
nations to assist him with men
md money.-Eschango.
Reputation I'm Tennessee.