Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1893-06-23
8ass!lzllRi4S
FLAGS AND UNIFORMS.

whersin .Coicred Men Difrer From white
Men - 10 Uniforms and Liveries.
Colored servants who IN past ysars
have found pleasure and contentment In
attendance at the state camp will learn
with dissatisfaction that they can no
bnger wear the discarded uniforms Of
pither officers or privates, but must at
ire themselves in the habiliments of or
dinary civilians. II is announced that
any colored man, acting in the capacity
II steward, body servant or helper, who
violates this rule will be summarily or
1ered out of camp This calls attention
to the singular fact that colored men,
who have 90 recently escaped from the
bondage Of servitude, should, Of all 9th
srs, delight in any uniform or livery
which is generally accepted as badge
of inferiority.
It is well known fact that such,is the
pleasure derived by them from wearing
informs that in those cmployments in
which many of them engage material
ceduction In salary is agreed to cheer
,ully, provided the use of one be per-
nitted. Thus q colored band in uniform
;an be secured at o cheaper pr., . than a
band the members of which are not so
,mbellished. Colored porters, conduct
)rs and coachmen viii work for less If
N livery.
A peculiar thing about this partiality
IS the fact that it is exercised without
my reference to the Significance Of the
Uniform or livery The craving Is for
5be right to wear a,particular set of gar
nents-not for the honor which the use
Of them may betoken. The soldier ia
pleased with his uniform not merely be-
cause it is picturesque, becoming OF
tasteful. 1t may be all these, but he
ioes not forget that it perpetuates patri-
otic services. is symbolical Of bravery
and prowess and invests the wearer with
of performing his share
in the public defense. Thus the soldier
admires his uniform for what it repre-
sents in just the same way as he reveres
the flag of his country without reference
to the arrangement Of its colors.
There is indeed little art displayed in
national flags. Substitute an eagle fo,
q crown and shield, and the Italian flag
becomes the Mexican. Substitute the
Geneva cross for the star and crescent
and the Turkish flag becomes the Swiss
Substitute black belt for blue one
and the flag Of the Netherlands becomes
the flag of the Germans. Turn the belts
perpendicularly and replace the blue
and the, flag is the French. Yet we have
seen within few weeks in the naval
demonstrations hereabouts how intense
are the emotions which can be stirred by
the appearance of a flag among those
susceptible to patriotic feelings.
No such feeling seems to actuate oul
colored fellow citizens. They appear tC
be Indifferent to, the sort of uniform
which is given them, provided it is Z
uniform. The colored water carrier and
pail bearer is satisfied to wear cast of
uniform of any kind. He does not ex
act, suggest or even notice whether II
corresponds with the one worn by the
regiment he follows. This is something
peculiar in this amiable and fantastic
trait of character so frequently observed
among colored people, but we leave the
solution Of it to some philosopher of the
negro race who has not studied the, char
aoteristics of his race in vain. New
York Sun