The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1892-08-12
THE AMERICAN FLAG.
Why the ''Star Spanglsd Banner" Was
Chosen ~ Onr National Ensign.

Why the .'Star Spanglsd Banner" Was
Chosen ~ Onr National Ensign.
Up to the June of 1777, the troops Of
the various American colonies which
had declared their independence of the
mother country had fought under any
ensign which CHANGED to please their
fancy. Most of the New York forces
had fought under a flag in which the
stripes and the orange, white and red
of the old Dutch republic were promi-
nent; the Connecticut soldiers had dis
played red flag with the inscription,
IAN Appeal to Heaven" on one side,
and the Latin motto of the colony,
'Qui transulit sustinet" (He that has
transplanted us will sustain us), on the
other; the South Carolina men at one
period used a palmetto banner, and
other colonial forces had flown flags
which had special and local significance.
Commodore Hopkins had put to sea in
February, 1777, with the first revolu-
tionary feet, displaying a flag of thir-
teen alterna tie red and white stripes,
with the red and white crosses of st.
George and ST. Andrew charged on a
corner, This flag was used more than
any other one at the time, June, 1777,
when the Continental congress, in ses-
sion at Philadelphia, appointed COM
mittee to construct a common flag for
the colonies.
On June IA this committee made it's
report. It advised that "the flag of the
thirteen United States be thirteen
stripes, alternate red and white; that
the Union be thirteen stars, white in a
blue field, representing a new constella-
ton" The report was thereupon put
into the form Of a resolution, and the
resolution was unan imously passed
without discussion.
1t Is very interesting to study the de-
tails of the construction of our flag and
to learn the various explanations that
have been given for them, in the alb
sence of authoritative records. Let us
SO study them:
Why were stripes chosen to compose
the main body of the flag? One expla-
nation which has frequently been
offered is the fact that stripes-and
stars, also-were prominent feature
of Washington's coat of arms; but as
good Americans we fancy that that cir
cumstance had little weight with the
committee of the sternly democratic
continental congress of 1777. Another,
and probably the correct one, is the
fact that the New York soldiers were
fighting under the folds of a banner
consisting of the stripes of another re-
public, the most conspicuous republic
of modern times viz, the United Prov
inces of the Netherlands, commonly
known as 'the Dutch republic" Choice
of stripes was, accordingly, tribute to
a sister republic, and it was also COM
pliment to the important New York
contingent in the colonial army--a con-
tingent then suffering from discourage
ment, as New York City was occupied
by Howe, and Burgoyne was marching
down from the north. Thirteen stripes
were fixed upon as the correct number
| on account of the number of the colo
MES.
Those who explained the selection of
stripes by the presence of stripes in the
Washington coat of arms explain tAe
selection of stars by the fact that stars
are prominent in that coat of arms But
this explanation is usually rejected. A
more generally accepted one is to the
effect that the adoption of one large
star in the canton, or union, was urged
as symbolic of the shining in history Of
the new republic, then surrounded by
the night of affliction and doubt; and
that thirteen stars were ultimately
chosen as indicative Of the thirteen col
onies. In the can ton of the flag, as used
for many years, the stars were arranged
in the form of circle in order to typ
lily the endless character of the republic
The colors, red, white and blue are
a modification of orange, white and
blue, the colors of the Du tch republic,
and the ones used by New York's
forces. They were chosen by the flag
committee for the same reason that
stripes were decided upon. Red was
later explained to be typical of the
blood patriots were ready to shed;
white, of the purity of their cause, and
blue of the favor of Heaven.
Contrasting colors, white and either
blue or red, were necessary to be util-
lied for the colors of the stripes. Red
was preferred to blue because it was
more distinct at distance For this
same reason, red, instead of white, was
chosen as the color of the topmost
stripe, and consequently of the lower
most also. Red and white having thus
been already used, the color assigned
the union was necessarily blue. and
the stars in the union were appropn-
ately made white. The union was
made square and was brought down to
the eighth stripe that its blue might be
showed against white ia contrasting
COLOR, the color of tina t stripe.-N. Y.
Ledger.
New Wrinkle.