The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1882-08-31

banner. Mohammed's earliest standard
wa the white turban which he captured
from Boreide, and he adopted subse-
quently the black curtain which hung
before the door of his wife, Ayesha,
which passed to Omar, the Abbassides,
Seiim l., and finally to Amurath I'LL.
who took it to Europe. This black
eagle," which IS inscribed with tho
words, "Nasrum min Allah''-"The
Help of God''-was instituted dI-on, In
contradistinction to the great white BAN
ner OF the KorUlshites. Another account
insists that the SGnajak-i-shertf Is q
green flag, brought down from heaven
to the prophet by the angel Gabriel,
and it Is kept, in fair covering of green
taffeta, inclosed in case of green cloth,
in the mosque of Ayoub at Constantine
pie. A third authority recites that it Is
carefully preserved in the seraglio In q
case built into tho wall. "The stand
ard" we read, "is twelve feet high, and
the golden ornament, O closed ball
which surmounts it, holds COPY of the
Koran written by the caliph, Osman III.
In times of peace it is guarded in the
hall of the Noble Vestment,n where are
preserved the prophets dress and other
relics. Still another authority declares
that it is "an innocent piece of rotten
and faded silk, which used to be covered
with sacred writings, and which once
was green in color. The only legible
word remaining upon 1t is 'Alem'-
world-which appears In secluded fold
near the staff. The flag is never un-
furled-nor, indeed, can it be from rot
tenness-but is kept rolled on it's staff
and covered with a green satin cover,
the whole packed away in gold or
gilded box"
When the holy standard is to be
brought out, it is carried in its green
cover through the streets of Constanti-
nople, and after the city walls are passed
it is "in the field" 1t is then slowed
away in the gilded box once more and
this is carried with the army much as
the Jews used to take the ark of the COW
enant to the wars. When it is in the
field every Moslem is in duty bound to
follow in its train. The usual procla-
nation is: "This is the prophets BAN
ncr; this is the standard of the caliph-
ate. 1t is planted before you and un-
furled over your heads, o true believ-
crs, to announce to you that your religion
is threatened, that your caliphate IS in
peril, and that your lives, your wives,
your children and your possessions are
in danger Of becoming prey to cruel
enemies. Any Moslem, therefore, who
refuses to take up arms and follow this
holy flag is an infdel amenable to
death" When the flag was brought
out in 1868, according to Baron Tolt,
the Christians had no difficulty in rent
ing windows and housetops from which
to view the ceremony, but when the
proclamation was made: "Let no inf
del dare to profane with his presence
the holy standard Of the prophet, and
let every Mussulman, if he sees an un-
believer, instantly make it known!"
their hosts pushed them over the roofs
or drove them out of the houses to be
butchered by the soldiers and mob. The
scene was different when few years
ago, in order to obtain Christians as
volunteers, "nags of brotherly love"
were paraded through the streets Of
Constantinople, which bore in white
upon crimson ground the cross and tho
crescent.--N. Y. World.