The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1891-1893, 1893-03-15
UNCLE SANS GREAT SEAL.
THE HISTORIAN OF THE
STATE DEPARTMEEr.
The Seal IL Carefully Guarded by the
clerks aud It's History Never

Told.
New York sun.
The grea. seal of the United States,
which is contained in a massive nah @
any box in the stste department sp6
carefully guarded by the clerks whose
duties are TO see that It's impress is prop
erly affixed to state papers, is OF much
interest to visitors to the depart nent.
but its true history was never written
until a few months ago, under orders
frc N the cabinet. an account of it was
prepared by one of the historians Of III,
department and printed at the govern
ment's expense for distribution among
state libraries and prominent persons
The pamphlet wss prepared witt
all the care that its importance
| carried. bound in rich covering
with the stamp of the seal i'm
| printed upon the outside. II tells tn
final attempt to perfect seal made by
order of the continental congress which
appointed committee. consisting OF
Thomas Jefferson, John Adams aud Ben
| jamin Franklin. who were tIld To 90
ahead ard prepare 3 device for the ma
.ional seal and cost of arms After sew
eral months labor the committee sug
gested design most elaborate In execu
ton. but which did not meet with very
general approval This device repre-
sented Pharoah sitting in an open chario
with crown on his head and a sworC
in his hand, passing through the wsteri
OF the Red sea in pursuit of the Israel
ties Rays from pillar of fire in
cloud, expressive of the Divine pres
ence and command. beamed upor
Moses. who stood on the shore and ex
tended a hand over the sea, which cause'
it to overwhelm Pharosh. Underneath
was the motto. rebellion to tyrants i
obedience to God "
Later on another attempt was made t,
arranSe device by q second committee
which resulted in one not quite SO elabC
rate and pretentious This design con
tanned constellation of thirteen stars
with the same number of alternar
stripes. This, too, met with disapprovs
and the matter was let alone for som
years. Then, after more experiments.
device was submitted that suited, an
was adopted on June 90 1882
The first seal was cut out of brass, an
E was first used upon the commission gran
|
ington TO arrange with the B ish for q
s exchsr ge of prisoners This device W
! IN use for fifty years. and varies lit
e from the present seal except in &C tail
* cutiOn.
The second seal was cut in Philadt
: phia in 1S41, and. by some mistak
4 seven of the thirteen arrows which
n should have had were left ont T
present seal was made by Tiffany
1885 by order of Secretary FIeylin
!, huysen after the design had been pass
!. upon by committee of historical SC 2,
n Irs and aUthori'its on heTaldiy. Il
y not true as generally supposed, that t
seal is affixed to all appointments ms
Is by the President, as its impress is ?
: only upon commissions of cabinet of
cerers, ceremonious commune ,tio
e from the President to heads of forei
governments, conventions, treats
le and formal agreements of the Pre-
1e dent with foreign powers, pardc
to or communications of sentence, w
of rants, and miscellaneous comm
d sions of civil officers, whose appoi
ments are not now especially dir, cted
/, be signed under a different seal
. .reaties to which the seal is affixed b,
be- the impression made also with "
IN wafer, with red white and blue CT
" running through it. The treaties
then packed in boxes of highly polish
and expensive woods, to be sent to
~ country negotiating them with Us. I
~ treaties of some foreign governments b
20 been sent in boxes of gold and sily
~ richly ornamented. in some instano
- with valueble stones These boxes
, carefully stored in the archives of
o. department.