St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-07-02
THE AMERICAN FLAG
The Origin, Growth and Signifi
canoe of the Stars and Strines.

canoe of the Stars and Stripes.
Rev. Marion d. Shutter preached
yesterday morning before the congrega-
ton of the Church of the Redeemer at
the Grand opera house. His text was
Psalm k, 4.
History is one. There is no real dis
function between sacred and secular.
The divine purpose runs through all
ages and embraces all lands. America.
no less than Palestine, is holy ground.
AS good blood flowed at Bunker Hill
and Brandywine as upon the plains of
Jericho and mountains of Gilboa. The
same hand that led Israel from the
house of bondage led the colonists from
the kings dominion and broke the
shackels of Southern slaves. Washing
ton and Lincoln were divinely com
misSioned, as were Moses and
Joshua. Fourth of July, Emancipation
and Decoration days, together with
some others, might well be added to the
festivals of the church in this country.
Our Sunday schools might enlarge the
scope of their instruction to include an
from American history. 1t would be as
inspiring and profitable as study of
''burnt offerings" or the construction of
the Tabernacle"
L shall take for my text this morning
the Stars and Stripes. Thou hast
given banner to them that fear Thee
that it may be displayed because of the
truth" l shall speak of the origin,
growth and significance of our ma
tional ensign. 1t has history. 1t SYM
bolizes the history of the nation. 1t
represents and teaches great principles.
While the associations of the past gather
round it, we continue to display it be-
cause of its perpetual and ever-present
truth! Every star that lights the field
OF blue upon that banner and every
of meaning" The speaker then traced
the history of the flag from the various
colonial banners down to the time when
national ensign was adopted. He
spoke of the circumstances under which
the stripes first displaced the unbroken
red of the flag of England and the
stars were substituted for the combined
crosses of st. George and st. Andrew.
He spoke of the symbolism of the red,
white and blue, and the lessons to be
learned from the history and colorS of
our flag. He then concluded as fol
lows:
"Our flag is growth and not crea-
ton, not something arbitrarily manu-
of our people, and identified with our
history. In the beginning it unified
the colonies. 1t helped to make one
homogeneous nationality out of the
different peoples who had come to these
shores from Holland. France, Spain and
England. When the stars and stripes
were lifted up every other standard was
forgotten. The folds of this flag still
wave a welcome to the oppressed of other
lands, inviting them to secure refuge:
but upon the eternal condition that this
flag shall be their flag when they come:
that it shall be hOnored and respected;
that it shall receive supreme allegiance;
that it shall witness the beginning of a
new political career. Let it float over
forgotten feuds, over the graves of old
world strlfes and principles. Let it see
the resolution of Ruth formed in the
breast of each one who seeks its pro-
lection: "Whither thou goest 1 will go,
thy people shall be my people, and thy
God my God!"
Last Fourth of July l stood upon his
toric ground. Old Trinity church in
New York city is at the head
of Wall street on Broadway.
In the churchyard there is a
monument erected to certain patriots
who during the Revolutionary war had
Deen imprisoned IN tnat city Tor their
patriotism. Graves of other memorable
dead were all about. l stood in the
shadow of that monument at the hour
of noon, when from the tower of old
Trinity the chimes rarg out Hail Co.
lumbia, ''Star-Spangled Banner" and
other national airs. The passers-by
paused to listen, and the inspiring music
ran through the thoroughfare of Nam
mon and that thoroughfare of business,
and for the moment the noise of traffic
and the clinking upon the tables of the
money-changerS were unheard. l felt
in the rapture of that moment that the
sentiment of patriotism in the breasts of
our countrymen was stronger than the
worship of Mammon, and would rise at
any critical moment to the grandeur of
sacrifice. l felt, in that day of all others,
surrounded by the memories of our
heroes and statesmen, as never before.
the meaning of that line, "The land of
the free and the home of the brave!'
Through my mind passed the words of
the PsalmiSt, ''If forget thee, o Jeru-
salem, let my tongue cieave to the roof
of my mouth and my right hand forget
her cunningr'