The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1890-01-22
SCHOOL FLAG PRESENTATION.

SCHOOL FLAG PRESENTATION. I
Pursuant to notice. the pupils of our Union
Schools marched in procession chGperoned by
their teachers, to the high school building on
Bowery street. at 2: 81 p m last Friday.
The room was packed to overlooking with
pupils of all grades. fanked in the halls with
large numbers of parents and prominent citi-
zens who always manifest an interest in the
cause of education The exercises were as fol-
lows:
ist- America. sung by the school.
Pres 'ntation address. by d. Clewell.
3D. The Star Spangled Banner" pupils.
4th-Acceptance of the flags by D c Cool
man in behalf of the Board,
RED, White and Blue" sung by the schools,
closed he exercises in the building, the throng |
adjourning to the open al to witness the un-
furling of the flag. as it was run mp to the top |
of the fagstag in front of the building.
The address of D. NJ. Clewell, the generous |
donor of the flag, was replete with noble
patriotic sentiments. well told. in practical
language. adapted to the capacities Of the chill
dren which we give in full:
Gentlemen of the Board of Education, Superis-
tsndNats, Teachers and 'apiLs Of the Public
School. and Ladies and Gentlemen:
1 assure you ali it is a pleasure to me to greet
you on this occasion. Let me thank you fo'
your kindly interest and presence here today
If my action in presenting these flags will do
any thing to stimulate your pati iotism and in
crease our love of country. and awaken in us
true sense of all the blessings we enjoy under
this the best and noblest government under the
| SUM- may we not believe that we all will be
better and truer subjects of this great Republica
1t is not my purpose nor inclination to make
any extended remarks; but it is altoge ther
proper at this time to Imnress on all your mirds
| eOhat the Flag symholizes-' The Stars and
Stripes ''-the emblem of our national unity
| The official origin of the grand Union Flag is
| involved in partial obscurity After the dec
| laration of Independence. the emblems of Brit
ish union became inappropriate. but they were
retained in the flag until the following year
On June ID 1777. Congress resolved that the badge
of 1a States should be 13 stripes. alternate red
| and white; that the Union be 10 stars white
| on d blue field. representing a new coDstella-
tion This is the first recorded legislative action
| for the adoption of National Flag.
| The flag thus adopted NAMED unchan ged
until 1894. when Congress resolved that from
and after May 1, I795 (at which time Vermont
ard Kentucky had been admitted into tire I'm
ion) the flag of the United States be Is stripes.
al ornate red and white; the Union be 10 stars.
white on blue field. This was the flag used
in the war of 1e12-14.
The act made no provision for future altera-
tions and none were made until 1918. although
several States had been admitted into the I'm
ion. So that our f1g, as it now is. dates from
that year. 1s1s excepting that the number OF
stars on the blue field has been increased to the
present number, 42. representing the AZ States.
| The blue Union. which now contains % stars
when used separately. is called the Union j ok
| On the flags used by the War Department the
f stars are generally arranged in one lBrge star
In the Navy flags they are invariably set il
parallel lines, same as the flags given you.
noticed in the paper of yesterday thu thu
War and State Departments. having decided t.
=. follow the lead of the Navy Department. tn,
flag of our country will display in the Union a
= stars, arranged in rows of stars each-thi
decision to take effect on the 4th of July next
1t occurred to me that it might interest tn
younger portion of those present and 1 tru,
q will not be uninteresting to those of you VIII
. may possibly remember something of the situ
: alton at the time l am about to refer to. Il
/. 81, at the outbreak of the war, was your;
man. employed in Dry Goods Stor
| here in Ravenna. l remember, as if it wer
yesterday, those stirring thrilling times. Tn
!, great uprisiI G of the loyal North-the call 70
. troops the volunteering of soldiers-our friond
and neighbors to battle ior their country-th
- public meetings without number IN every tow
and town hip in the county and state, and al
= | over the Nortn. And natural result. a
instant and great demand sprung up for the flal
: But then there was no ready made flags, W
now have. You can't imagine the almost abso
. lutte ignorance of the people at that time in re
gard to correct make up of our flag. OF cours
j.. it was known. in a general way. that the star
= = and stripes were constituted of red and whit
alternate stripes and stars on field of blue
h But how many stripes, and how wide-hoy
many stars. and how arranged-the proper di
mensions of the flag, &c.-W ere questions fey
could intelligently discuss. And the great an
. immediate demand for material L we'll re
member how first we sold all the red and blu
calico. cambrle-then the red and blue wool de
LANES and merinos; after that.the red and blu
fannels; and after the stock of these was ex
hausted, then parties would take any and ever
thing the nearest the colors that could be oh
u tanned. There could be no delay. The patriot
ic ardor of the people was great that the
T. could not contemplate holding war meet
. ing" and listen to patriotic speeches, amids
Is the soul-stirrng strains of martial music. with
o out our " good old flag
IS So, my dear children the first flags your faith
S ers and mothers looked upon, with fearful eye!
g and whose prayers and benedictions went fort
!. to- were pretty generally gotten up in the wa
have told you.
will never forget my impressions of the frs
3 flags of this description saw, upon the occa
! sion of the burial of the first voluteer sOldie
L who was brought home fl ON the seat of wal
T. His name was John Haven. He was membe
of Cotter's Battery. and was buried in Shalers
Z yile in the Summer of 1861. The funeral oC
Ionr-a ndav ia N
II assembled on the public square. at the Center
The people came from ten and twenty mile
distance. They came in long professions of
4, and 6-horse teams-the wagons filed wit
men, women and children-with these flags
/; have told you of, flying from every wagon
IS ifes and drums playing This was the first res
e visible aspect to US that this W as really war
distinctly remember seeing flag on one of th
many wagons, at the head OF a long procession
|. that the stripes, instead of being red, wer
Il: made of a redish- Thrown cloth. A companio
:: with me called my attention to it. At first. h
= was inclined to ridicule it, till 1. who took
the situation at glance, explain ed to him tha
7, the reason they used the brown material, in
stead of red was simply because 1t was the bes
/. and nearest the color thai could be obtained q
the time. And you can we'll believe that fla
was just as much thing Of beauty, and just a
,; Regulation Flags presented to you today.
j.; So. my children. my countrymen' let thes
flags be an object lesson to us all every day i
/; the year, and in all the years. And you, m
:: dear children, you go in and out of your re
spective schools. look up and salute your flag
tor it is yours in double sense-and thank Go
every day of your lives. that it is your heritag
Ito have been born and live under its protect
:: ing folds-and never, never forget he hundred
of thousands of precious lives-the very fowe
of our country-the hundreds Of millions 9
treasure that your flag cost; that made it posi-
Bile for you-for US alto be citizens of the gres
Republic And as you look up and see its grace
ful folds floating in the breeze. and your youth
:. full eyes reflect its heaven born colors. ma
your hearts swell with patriotic love and loyal
ty for your country and Its emblem, the Flag
y our National Unity. And may your patriot
ardor cause you to invountarily exclaim:
n "Breathes there man with soul SO dead,
n Who never to himself hath said
This is my own, my native land''