Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1888-03-23

ment Of that committee to devise seal
was about the coolest thing Of the day.
| Why, the bantling was not then four hours
old, and nobody felt that it would live yet
/ they proposed to prepare a coat Of arms,
as heavy in weight of sovereignty rs was
Saul's coat-of mil in brass Let me see,
who composed the committeei 2"
! Franklin, Adams ard Jefferson" said
the Squire, who spoke Of Franklin az zone
supposed to kuo| everything" Of John
Adams as "thc plump Bostonian with
bald head, >" though only forty years of age ;
and of Jefferson as that tall bean stalk.
| the youngest of the three, who was only
two and d-thirty years Of age. But he had
a world of book-wisdom under that wiry
red hair of his said the Squire
Uncle Billy remembered hearing Jeffer-
son talking with Morris about the seal
few days afterward, and showing Morris
few weeks later some sketches Of a device
made by a West India Frenchman named
Du Sinitere. The Squire then remember
that on one hot afternoon Franklin and
Adams came into Atkens little back room
with the French artist, and, using the small
| table there on which Paine wrote, examn-
ed several of his sketches
But they came to nothing said the
| Squire. "The subject was dropped for
while. The war grew hotter and hotter.
| The members of the committee were en-
gagged at different posts of duty. Other
committees were appointed. The subject
was briefly considered in Congress from
| time to time, and new but unsatisfactory
devices were presented. It was not until
six years after the adoption of the Declara-
ton of Independence that Congress ap-
proved design for the Great seal Of the
| United States"
''Who did make the approved device of
| the seal 2" asked Uncle Billy, With about as
much eagerness as the young listener felt.
Was it not my friend VIII Barton, Dr.
Ben's younger brother 2"
NO, no, Billy" the Squire replied, ra-
ther impatiently she had nothing to do
with it until the whole matter was placed
in Secretary Thomson's hands,
The Squire went on to say that at about
the middle of June, 1882, Thomson showed
him and Arthur Lee and Elias 3oudinot an
elaborate device by Barton. 1t was too
elaborate, but in it was device for the re-
verse of the seal which pleased them, which
was finally chosen for that position. At
the same time Thomson showed them a very
| simple and appropriate device made by an
English noblcman, and which he had re-
ceived from John Adams then in England
| They oil agreed that it was the best device
sc. offered. Thomson reported it to Con
gres,. and it was adopted. $50 you see,
said tine Squire, I'VE are Indebted for our
national coat-of -arms-the device on our
Great Seal-to a titled arist1crat Of the
country we were then at war with. "
What was the name of the Englishman p
both Uncle Billy and my kinsman asked
with much eagerness. After giving mi
mute description of Barton's device, the
Squire said
among others in England who held
friendly relations with John Adams was Sir
John Prestwich, a baronet Of the west of
England, who had been a friend of the
Americans all through their long quarrel
and their struggle with the British minis
try and the crown. He was an acrol plish
ed antiquary. While Adams was ,ouvers-
ing with Sir John one dav on the bright
prospects Of the Americans, the former
mentioned the fact that his countrymen
had not yet adopted a national oatof'
arms. The baronet suggested that an es-
cutcheon bearing thirteen perpendicular
bars or stripes alternate white and red,
like those on the American flag, with the
blue field and spangled with thirteen stars
the number of the United States, would
make a simple and appropriate device He
further proposed, in order to give it more
consequence, to place this escutcheon on
the breast of displayed American eagle,
with supporters en1lens5ic of self reliance.
Adams was pleased with Sir Johns sugges-
tions, commune i,sl them to his friends in
Congress, and the design was approved
and adopted The arms are described in
hera.dic phrases in the Journals of Con
gres5 Of June 20, 1872"
Barton's device for the reverse side of a
4 loot .t,I,