Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1879-04-25
The French National Flag.

/ ipunhs
The French National Flag.
Probably no national flag has under
gone 10 many vicissitudes as that Of
France, which has lately been the sub
| ject OF official consideration. IL was in
493 that Clovis, first King Of France,
chose for his standard the cope, or
cloak, of ST. Martin. ST. Martin, of
Hungarian origin, was elected Bishop
Of Tours in 374, and died about 400.
The first saint to whom the Roman
Church offered public veneration, he is
alleged to have divided his cloak with n
naked beggar nj Amiens, and this,
beng miraculously preserved, became
n most precious rehc, and III war was
carried before the monarch. The word
for it in French being chape, the ora
tory in whichlit was deposited came to
be called chapelie, and its custodian n
chapelir. II will thus be seen that the
banners of knights have very ap-
propriate resting-place in holy fanes, rs
in the chapel Of ST. George, at Wind
sor, and the cathedral Of st. Patrick,
at Dublin. st. Martins standard,
| WHICH NlCCttsltd lIIC tJBtt WAC tIlt
richest Of the flags ever borne by
France. II was made Of tatlety--a
kind OF rich, glossy silken stull'-em-
broidered with the ellgy Of the saint.
Under Philip Augustus tho royal stand
ard was white, thickly powdered with
golden lilies, and remained 80 until the
time Of Charles W., when it invariably
consisted Of three golden Aeurs-de-lis
on IN azure field, with II white cross in
the middle. In tho middle ages the
hosting Of u white flag was regarded MS
significant of defeat, or rs signiiylng in
the ease Of the bcsieged that they
needed help; but, strange TO say, ii
subsequently became in France the
personal ensign Of coloncls-gener-
ais, officers Of very high grade,
until Louis XIV, thinking that
these gentlemen took too much upon
themselves, suppressed the rank, and
assumed the white flag himself. In
1889 the white standard gave place to
the tri-color. There have been several
versions Of the origin Of this renowned
ensign, but that lately given by the
journal Des Nbdts, and copied by the
Journal ODiciel, is to the effect that Gu
mile Desmouins, having snatched
poplar loaf from the garden of tho Pa
lals Royal, held it mp before the excited
crowd, and proposed green Ms the ma
tional color, telling them that they
must have M emblem whereby to rec
ognizo each other. But then it was re-
mcmbered that green was the livery Of
the Count D'Artois, the most detestcd
Of the royal families. Subsequently,, it
was resolved to take the COlors Of the
City OF Paris. the red and blue, which
had already figured in popular move
mcnts, and tho white WIS added in de
ference to the scmi-loynl National Guard
ut Paris. After the Bnstile surrendered,
Bailly and Lafayette formally present
ed Louis XVI, with II tri-color cockade
ia the hall Of tho Hotel dc Vile, and il
became the national ensign by legisla-
tive decree. The standard of Napoleon
L. was golden eagle on nm azure field
studded with golden bees. What was
known M tho Flag of Elbn, which in
1914 ho presented to the National Guard,
and used next year in France, is now
how are the mighty fallcn at Nine.
Tussnud's waxworks in London, togeth-
or with his travelling carriage, taken ut
Waterloo, and many other interesting
relics. 1t il tri-color, embroidered with
silver, and was taken by the prussians
The Imperial standard of the Second
Empire was the tri.color, powdered with
golden bees, with the eagle Of the en-
pirc on the white. The visitor to Wind
sor aces in the Guard Chamber two lit
tie French flags Of considerable historic
interest. Over tho bust of John Chur-
chill, first Duke Of Marlborough, is the
white lag of the Bourbons; over that Of
Arthur Wellesley, first Duke Of Wei
lington, is the tricolor. They arc re-
newed every year ON the anniversaries
OF Blcnheim and Waterloo, and are the
tenure by which the descendants Of
these warriors hold the estates given
them 10y their country.