The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1889-05-25
THE STATE SEAL.

INQUIRER.
The foregoing reads like very easy
equest to comply with, but it has re-
Iuired several hours research to give q
he information desired, and what we Il
rave obtained is not altogether salts !
aetorY. T
The Constitutions Of 1917, 1882, =
1861, 1865 and 1868, all contain the
words, "There shall be seal of the .
State, which shall be kept by the Gov /
arnor.r ETC., but all are silent as to what
the seal shall be. No session OF the {
so far as we have been
able to find, has ever considered the
subject. II was not until the assemb-
ling of the Secession Convention, in
1861, that the matter received any at
tention. On page Ss of the Journal,
we find that the Committee on State
Constitution, to which had been re-
ferred resolution instructing it to in
quire into the propriety of preparing
an appropriate flag aud coat of arms,
emblematic of the independence and
sovereignty of the State, asked to be
discharged from the consideration
thereof, and recommended reference
to special committee. This commit
tee, consisting of Messrs. Clapp, Elicit,
Thompson, Ramsey and Young, re-
commended "the one accompanying
the communication of the Governor,
EXCEPT that the recumbent figure de-
signed to represent the father Of wa
ters, be omitted, aud cannon and
plow, appropriately engraved, be sub
stituted.n This was agreed TO, but
there was no ordinance adopted on
the subject until the convention, at Its
adjourned and final session, resumed
the subject. On 30th March, a Mr.. Nj.
L. Carlisle presented for the inspection
of the convention, an enlarged photo
: graph of the Estate Seal, or Coat Of
J Arms with the suggestion "that i
! was not adopted, and that It perhaps
) would be forgot Here is Mr.. Car
j isles description of the seal
"The magnolia represents the beaut.
of the State in which the bird of lib
crty has chosen to build her nest an'
; rear her young. Tho nest is cautious
: ly approached by serpent, which
without molestation has been tolera
ted to obtain position whereof.
: he imagines to make IN easy conques
!. of his prey, and is in the attitude o
II striking the fatal blow, when tn
: mother, ever watchful, and seeing tn
u actual danger of her young, seizes tn
D serpent In her talons. The serpent be
. ing represented as writhing In tn
i agonies of death--a just retribuuo
$ for his tomerity. And SO with th
South: she had tolerated the serpen
until II became dangerous to her pcac
) and prosperity, when her future safet
$ prompted the fatal blow that leave
Q him powerless in her grasp. The col
, ton, the plow and the steamer repre-
q sent wealth, agriculture and commerce
|, while the citizen soldier, arms and fol
8 tiiications, represented our defenses.a
u On the same day resolution Wa
4 offered, and rejected, giving to M
i Carlisle tho exclusive right to phot'
a graph or lithograph the State Seal,
's modified by resolution of the CONVEX
= ton, as follows;
!. oThat the Governor BIO authorize
10 and requested to have prepared Coz
n of Arms and flag for this State, accorC
IL ing to the recommendations Of the r,
port of the special committee havin
charge of those matters, made to Il
. late session of this body, except that
V the design representing the eagle, u
OF nest of eaglets and serpcn be omitte
y. and he shall cause the said Coat
y. Arms to be engraved as the Seal
Of this State'
as This left the seal with the followil
Ut device: eagle, cotton, magnolia, ca
u u non and plow--the father of waite
of nest of eaglcts and serpent having be
IN stricken out. But the Constitution
ire Convention of 1865, repealed amo
al other ordinances, the one to provide
~ - Coat of Arms and flag for tho Sta
of Mississippi, approved March
he 1862 thus leaving the State witho
OIL q Seal or Coat of Arms, so fai as a
NJ, legislation on the subject Is concern'
n. "The Great Seal of the State Of Miss
ez; sippi,D that has been in use by the 81
eral departments Of the State Cove
ment-devised by whom, or when,
orv know not--is the eagle, with cere
in his talons. The printed seal, p
ain vided by the type-founders, Is
ton eagle, with shield, rising from a 70
i, and this, or some other fancy dew
wn is often used ON official documents
] TO which the "Great Seal of the State
impressed.
'ad- 1t would be well for the next Lei
lature to declare what is, or shall
fair the Great Seal of the State OF Mis-
dry sippi.-Clarion Ledger.
)me Epoch.