Connecticut western news., 1890-06-18
subscripsion Account.
WEDNESDAY,. JUNE Is, 1890.
FLAG DAY.

Last Saturday, June IA, was Flag day. The stars and stripes were displayed from the flag g-staff on the village green, from the High School building, from Parsons store and other places in the village. Many enquired why are these flags displayed to-day? Upon being told it was "Flag day" they enquired what is Flag day, or what does it signify :? For the benefit of those who may not find it convenient to call at THE NEWS office and examine the engraving or chart entitled "Origin of the Stars and Stripes" we will briefly state that seven years ago the New York Life Insurance Company distributed a limited number of engravings or charts, and pamphlets showing the origin of the stars and stripes and giving an accurate account of the Washington genealogy. On the engraving or chart is shown "The Washington Arms and Crest" "Ths Washington Shield" "Emblazoning on Coach," Washing tons Book Plate," "Washington's Seal" Washington's Last Watch Seal," "The Washington Penny of I791, D" Fac-Simile of Brass in Solgrave Church, Northamptonshire, showing spaces left on plate for date of death, which were never filled by the Execu- tors," "The Washington Pedigree, D" commencing with Laurence Washing ton in 1538. The stars and stripes appear on all except the brasses, the penny and the pedigree, the latter of course being in type. The stars and eagle appear on the penny but the stripes are missing. The eagle appears also in all other places where the stars and stripes appear, except on "The Washington Shield"
 Near the lower margin of the chart is this explanation "During the early days of his presidency, Washington presented to Mrs Ross, of Philadelphia, ideas for a national flag, and she adopt ed and adapted his own stars and stripes.' With Washington died the fiye-pointed star on the coinage, but upon the flag it has always been retain ed-the same star that to-day may be seen in the old porch at Northampton shire, where 1t was chiseled in stone upon the bar which half suggested our flag, nearly four centuries. ago. That Geo Washington's coat of arms and crest furnished the original idea for the stars and stripes and spread eagle, our national emblems, and that these were the heraldic insignia of the old English ancestry, which is traced back to time that was contemporaneous with Colum- bus, are facts hitherto virtually un- known. Fac-similies of the brasses shown above are owned by the city of Boston but aside from the exhibition of these in the State House there, and some fragmentary letter-press by Ameri- can and English historians, no attempt has ever before been made to put this remarkable story, so intimately connect cd with our national history, into per manent and collective form"
 The foregoing is sufficient explana- ton of the origin of the stars and stripes. With regard to Flag day" we can furnish no better explanation than the following, which we copy from the New York Mail and Express of June IA:
 It was happy thought that selected the 14th of June for Flag Day" Just one hundred and thirteen years ago to- day it was resolved in the Continental Congress that the flag of the United States be thirteen stripes, alternately red and white that the union be thirteen stars, white in blue field, representing 8 new constellation.
 That resolution marks the birthday of the Stars and Stripes, and deserves to be duly honored by every patriotic American.
 The battle of Bunker Hill was fought under the old "pine tree flag" of Mass achusetts The flag of 1776, before the Declaration of Independence, consisted of thirteen stripes. with union in which were combined the crosses of St George and St Andrew. After the Declaration the necessity of 8 national flag was recognized and the first emblem of the Stars and Stripes was made in Philadel phia by Mrs Betsy Ross, under the per sonal direction of General Washington
 In the year 1794 two new States Kentucky and Vermont, having mean time been added to the Union, it was resolved that the flag contain ffteer stripes and fifteen stars and accord ingly it was so fixed, and the flag of the United States for the next fifteen year: 90 remained, and our troops in the wal of 1872 fought under fifteen stripes
 In ISIS the number of States wa! twenty, and Congressman Philip Wen dover, of New York, suggested an altera ton of the flag accordingly. After muct deliberstion it was finally Resolved that from and after the fourth day O July next the flag of the United State' be thirteen horizontal stripes, alterna tely red and white, and that the unior have twenty stars, white in blue field that on the admission of every new State into the Union one star be added to the union of the flag, and that sucl addition shall take place on the fourtl of July next succeeding such addition. This resolution was signed by Preslden Monroe, April 4th, and has since re mained the law.
 The Stars and Stripes differs iron the flags of all other nations, not onl. in being more glorious and more beau tiful, but also in being progressive while they are fixed. There are fou moro stars in our blue union this yea than there were there 8 year ago, ant tueuty-nine more than were there whel the emblem WIS frst adopted. The blu nf thn union remains unaltered th'