The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1893-09-05
OUR COUNTRY'S FLAG
WHY THE UNITED STATES ENSIGN
HAS THIRTEEN STRIPES.

TIfAO hin GClN y
Congress on June IA, 1877, First Passed the
Law Designating the Color of the Ma
tiona1 Emblem and the Arrangement OF
the stars and Stripes.
Beginning about five or six years ago
public schools in the old Bay State insti-
tuted what is rapidly growing into the
custom of honoring the birthday of the
starry ensign. The day, the recurring
anniversary of the historic 14th of June,
1777, the date of the adoption of the
sstar spangled banner" was celebrated
with patriotic declamations and recita-
tions and songs. From Massachusetts
the innovation, commended for the pa
triotism it aroused among the coming
citizens of the country, spread rapidly
through New England, boards of educa-
ton in some of the states officially recog-
nizing the occasion and aiding in its
celebration. 1t is also journeying on its
way southwark and westward and bids
fair to become the red letter day of the
year in our public schools. OF the 49,
1875. 900 school children about one-ifth
already pay tribute in some form to the
occasion.
As observance of the anniversary gains
in age and popularity knowledge of our
country's ensign will increase both
among our youngsters and their parents,
the children of larger growth" Few
symbolisms should be more cherished by
all good Americans than should be our
flag. And yet-is it due to lack OF patri-
otism or to our national hurry?-the av-
erage American, the schoolboy always
barred, shutters and stammers when you
ask him the simple, primary question,
"How many stars are there in the United
States fiag% After a minute of hard
thought he is apt to reply with any num-
Der from 38 to AZ. Even the third class
in history would have answered imme-
diately with one voice, "Forty-fourP
There is much more Of romance in the
history of the adoption of Uncle Sans
colors and more of symbolism in the
choice of their details than is commonly
thought. Captain Preble devoted sew
eral chapters of his 90, 900 word History
of the American Flag" to explain these
matters. Here is the story IN short:
In the opening days of June, 1777,
when the colonial troops had for more
than two years been combating under
any local flags that captured their fancy,
congress, sitting at Philadelphia, APP
pointed a committee to devise common
flag. The names of the members of this
committee have been lost in the ancient
dust Of congressional history, but it is
known that John Adams was mainly in
strumental in guiding it to its decisions.
On June IA congress unanimously adopt
ed its report, urging that 1.-THE nag OF
the IS United States be Is stripes, alter
nate red and white; that the Union be
18 stars, white in blue field, represent
ing a new constellation.
A sample flag of silk, made by good
Quaker matron, was displayed in con-
gress, having its union square and the
stars forming the rim of circle.
Red, white and blue were chosen,
firstly, because orange, white and blue
were the colors of the only other republic
of modern times, the old Dutch republic
of the preceding century, and, secondly,
because they were the colors Of the New
York regiments. An easy change turned
orange into red. Stripes were chosen
because they were a symbolism Of both
the New York and the old Dutch flags.
Stars are supposed to have been selected
because IS figures being required for the
union, they were the most appropriate
for that number of devices for blue
field.
Though this flag was unanimously
adopted and was shown to a goodly num-
Der of the inhabitants of the Quaker
City during the summer following, it
was not officially announced until Sept.
8. Paul Jones, the noted naval hero, i'm
patiently waiting for the equipment of
his fast brig, the Ranger, at Portsmouth,
N. H, was the first one outside Of the
Quaker town to display the ensign. He
ran 1t up to the masthead of his stanch
little man-o'-w war and put to sea at once
to disclose to the winds Of the mid-At-
lantic q banner as free as themselves
and to gain the honor off the Scotch
coast of being the first to introduce the
star sprent flag to European eyes.
On land, outside of Philadelphia, the
flag was first flown during the battle of
the Brandywine, floating above Lafay-
cite when that 20-year-old major gen.
eral was wounded. A month later 1t
Haunted at the headquarters of Gates,
when he received the surrendering army
of Burgoyne.
Uncle Sans first flag remained I'M
changed for IS years, though in the
meantime the government was formally
organized under a constitution, and two
new states were added. In 1895 by the
exertions of Senator Bradley Of the new
state of Vermont the number of stars
and that of stripes were each increased
to IS, the additions representing the
Green Mountain State and Kentucky.
This amended flag was the one borne by
Harrison and jackson ON land and by
Hull and Perry at sea in the war Of 1919.
In 1918 stripes were reduced to 10, and
the present law of adding new star for
each new state admitted to the Union
was passed. D. Bidwell in New
York Ledger.