Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-03-15
THE STARS AND STRIPES.
Changes that have been made In Our
National Flag-What IL Signiflss.

From the New York Mail and Express
It IL thirteen years since there have been any
alterations in the United States Dag. The adj
mission Of Colorado in 1876 increased the num-
Der Of stars to thirty-sight The addition Of
four stars for the new states win not interfere
with the symmetry Of the aag Had the original
intention Of Congress (of adding star and
stripe for every new state) been carried out,
our flag would now be a curious combination.
When the colonists first came to America they
brought the flag of Great Britain. This was
formed Of union of the three crosses of st.
George, st. Andrew and St. Patrick, and
marked the union of England, Scotland and
Ireland.
When the colonies began to rebel against the
pressure Of British law, they constructed plain
flag without bars or crosses and placed upon
it rattlesnake cut into thirteen pieces, repre-
senting the thirteen colonies, with the motto
in large capitals, "Unite or de-" But after
the thirteen colonies became more united and
determined to resist British tyranny, they
placed well-formed rattlesnake on the flag,
with the new motto, Don't tread ON me-"
Benjamin Franklin, on being asked the mean
ing of that emblem, wrote as follows;
I'm inquiry and from study, learned that
the ancients considered the serpent an emblem
OF wisdom, and, in some attitudes, Of endless
duration. Also that countries are often rep
resented by animals peculiar to that country.
The rattlesnake is found nowhere but in Amer
lea. Her eye is exceedingly bright and with
out eyelids-emblem of vigilance. She never
begins an attack and she never surrenders-
emblem OF masnanimity and courage. She
never wounds even her enemies till she gener-
Ously gives them warning not to tread on her
which is emblematical of the spirit Of the peo-
pie who inhabit her country. She appears ap-
parently weak and defenseless, but her weapons
are nevertheless formidable. Her poison is the
necessary means for the digestion Of her food
but certain destruction to her enemies-show-
s..- H.
thirteen rattles, the only part which increases
in number, and yet 30 united that they cannot
be disconnected without breaking them to
pieces. showing the impossibility of an Ameri-
can republic without union Of states A sim
gle rattle will give no sound alone, but the
ringing of the thirteen together is sufficient to
startle the boldest man alive. She is beautiful
in youth which increaseth with her age. Her
tongue is fCrked, as the lightning, and her
abode Is among the impenetrable rocks"
EVOLUTION OF THE FLAG.
The next form of the United States dag was
the stars and stripes The proper ions were
perfect when properly made, the first and last
stripe being red, with alternate stripes of
white. The blue field for the stars is the square
OF the width Of seven stripes. On June IA,
It'll. the continental congress resolved THAT
the flag Of the United States be thirteen stripes.
alternate red and white, and that the Union be
thirteen white stars on blue field, representing
represent the idea taken from the constellation
Lyra, which signifies harmony. The blue of
the field was taken from the banner of the
COvenanters of Scotland, likewise significant of
the league and covenant of the united colonies
against oppression and incidentally involving
vigilance, perseverance and justice. The stars
were disposed in a circle, symbolizing the
perpetuity of the Union, the circle being the
sign OF eternity. Both the thirteen stripes and
the stars showed the number of the united
colonies, and denoted the subordination of the
states to, and their dependence upon the Union
as well as equality among themselves. The
whole was blending Of the previous banners,
namely, the red color. which in the DAYS of
Roman glory was the signal Of defiance, denot-
ing daring and the white, purity.
On the 18th of January, 1874, by an act of
Congress, the flag was altered to fifteen red and
white stripes, and fifteen stars, there having
been two new states added to the Union, an 4
the flag thus altered and enlarged was the one
which was borne through all the contests Of
the war of 1872 On the 4th of April, 1918,
Congress again changed the flag by returning
to the original thirteen stripes and fifteen stars,
as the adding of a new stripe for each addi-
tional state would soon make the flag too un-
wieidy.
Now new star is added to the flag on the
4th Of July following the admission of a new
state into the Union. The perfect flag. with its
thirteen stripes of white and red and its blue
field, with its fifteen white stars, was unfurled
for the first time at Saratoga, October Z. l777,
by Benedict Arnold, who bore the flag during
that important engagement. After his deser-
ton OF the American army he carried his uni
form and the same flag to England, where he
died in poverty and distress in the wear 1901