The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-10-10
The Eagle as National Emblem.

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This time-honored monarch of the
feathered tribes, which in the myth
ology of Greece and Rome was deemed
worthy TO rank as the chosen associate
of Jupiter, was ever regarded as an en-
blem of dignity and might. OF all the
feathered tribe the eagle scars the high
est; and of all others also, it has the
strongest and most piercing sight. When
we recollect that an eagle will ascend
more than mile in perpendicular
height, and from that great elevation
will perceive its unsuspecting prey, and
pounce on it with unerring certainty
and when we see some birds s,rutinizing,
with almost microscopic nicely, an OBJ
ject close at hand, we shall at once per-
ceive that he possesses the power of
accommodating his sight to distance in
a manner to which our eye is untitled,
and of which it is tot,lly incapable. If
we take a printed page we shall find
that there is some particular distance,
probably ten inches, at which we can
read the words and see each letter with
perfect distinctness; but if we move q
page to a distance. of forty inches We
shall find it impossible to read it at all /;
scientific man would, therefore, call
ten inches the focus or focal distance Of
our eyes. We cannot alter this focus
except by the aid of spectacles. But an
eagle has the power of altering the focus
of the eye just as he pleases; he has
only to look at an object at the distance
of two feet or two miles in order to see
it with perfect distinctness. The ball
of the eye is surrounded by fifteen little
plates, sclerotic bones. They form a
complete ring, and their edges slightly
overlap each other. When he looks at
distant object, this little circle of bone
expands, and the ball of the eye being
relieved from the pressure becomes
fatter; and when he looks at very
near object the little bones press to-
geSher, and the ball of the eye is
squeezed into rourder or more convex
form. The effect is very familiar to
everybody. A person with very round
eyes is near sighted, and only sees
clearly an object that is close to him; and
person with flat eyes, as in old age, can
see nothing clearly except at distance.
The eagle, by the mere will, can make
his eyes round or fiat, and see with equal
clearness at any distance. The species
of the eagle are many. The largest is
the imperial eagle of South America.
In 1841 an eagle was trapped in Ras-
shire, Scotland, which measured from
tip to tip of the wing eight feet two
inches, and the span of his claws was
seven and quarter inches.
The origin of the device of the eagle
on national and royal banners may be
traced to very early times. 1t was the
ensign of the ancient kings of Persia
and Babylon. The Romans adopted
many other figures on their camp stand
ards but G.. Marius, B. O. 102, made
the eagle alone the ensign of the legions,
and confined the other figures to CO.
horts. The Roman eagles were gold or
silver figures in relievo, about the size
OF pigeon, and were borne on the
tops of spears, with their wings display
ed, and frequently with thunderbolt in
their talons. When the army marche
the eagle vas always visible to the le-
gions, and when it encamped the eagle
was placed before the praetorium or
tent of the general. The eagle on the
summit of an ivory staff was also the
symbol of the consular dignity. From
the Romans, the French under the EN-.
pire adopted the eagle. The emperors
of the Western Roman empire used 6
black eagle, those of the East a colder
one. Since the time of the Romans
almost every State that has assumed the
designation of an empire has taken the
eagle for its military symbol. Austria
Prussia, Russia, Poland and France al
: took the eagle. The two-headed eagle
signifies double empire. Charlemagn,
was the first to use it, for when he be
came master of the whole of the German
empire, he added the second head to tn,
eagle, A. d. 8O2, to denote that tn,
empires of Rome and Germany wer,
united in him. The eagle is an emblem
of fortitude and magnanimity, and ha
been universally preferred as the cont
mental emblem Of sovereignty. Eagle
are frequently found on ancient coin
and medals especially on those of tn
, Ptolemies of Egypt and the Sciencida
of Syria. An eagle with the word coaaSe
, cratic indicates the apotheosis of al
! emperor.
The United States have adopted tn
bald eagle, which is very largely dis
! tributed over North America, and is re
! markably noble in aspect. The eagle @
/, the new silver dollar does not seem t.
resemble the bird OF our country. Th
artist should have copied from the gol
: eagle of the United States, which is
i most excellent likeness of the Haliet,,
. pelagicue.
During the Franco Prussian war tn
: Germans captured 112 eagles, three c
. which were decorated with the cross {
!, ! the Legion of Honor. This decoratio
is only given to the eagles of thos
French troops who have particular
distinguished themselves in war, by COZ
quering standards, etc. In the whol
French army there were only eight thu
decorated at that time.
1 On one occasion the bird of Jove
did not keep up to his "laudator
9 character :" this was when Louis Nap'
leon, with fifty-six men, landed at Boz
I logne to make second rash and despe
ate attempt to gain the French thron
T He carried tame eagle, which had bee
: taught to come at his call and aligl
Z upon his banner. 1t was thought tn;
u the presence of this emblem of the nj
) tion would raise the enthusiasm of IL
= French, and that they would flock
: his standard by thousands, and clai
b him as the "child of destiny" Bl
: the eagle would not perform ; and mo
every one laughed at the ridiculol
blunder.
o A Bridal Feast.