The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-07-11
ON THE AMERICAN FLAG.
GRAFTON by THE REV. w. c. HILL
AT HILO.
The origin ana Meaning of the Emblem
Discussed, with "a Brief Review of
Its History and Teachings.

Every nation has n flag or symbol of
the common sentiments of the people.
In earliest times these emblems were
crude in form but forceful jim meaning.
The ancient Romans bore a bundle of
hay ON pole; then that gave place to
the forms of animals. Different con-
querers chose emblems of their own
conquests Augustus used the globe to
symbolic his empire of the world. Con-
stantine adopted the cross to commem-
crate his vision. The Assyrians held
aloft the immage of running bull
having the wings OF bird, the head
and arms of a man shooting an arrow.
the symbol of brutal thought, intelli-
gence, swiftness, righteousness and
power.
The earliest flags proper were
color; but as the nations multiplied
colors were combined to secure distinc.
ton. Flags of single color
have by common consent the
same meaning in all nations
Every race works out some problem and
becomes the representative of some
idea which gives direction to its life and
form to its civilization. With the
Egyptians that seminal idea was life;
with the Persians it was light; with the
Greeks it was beauty; with the Romans,
law; and with the Americans it is
Liberty and justice for all Our
lar government for all coming genera
tions, and presents a prophesy of what
the government is to be when the whole
world is wrapped in the peace of one
dominion.
The Hebrew poet sang, "Thou hast
given banner to them that fear Thee
that it may be displayed because of the
truth" To us also is given a banner to
be displayed because of great truths.
Our flag is a flag of ideas and principles.
The American nation is more a realm of
ideas and principles than of mountains
and plains. 1t has been so from the
beginning, for it was founded by men
of lofty ideas and fixed principles, who
cared more for these than they did for
the soil which they titled or the homes
in which they slept, as they showed by
abandoning them for principles sake.
The meaning of our flag can best be
understood by studying its origin. AS
our existence as nation had its origin
in the English colonies, SO our national
ensign had for its basis the flag of Eng
land, the mother country from whom
the colonies revolted. The yoke was
thrown off, but the impress remains on
our character; the flag was repudiated,
but the colors were retained.
For century and .half the flagEof
England tloated over the American
shore. During the stirring times imme-
diately preceding the revolution the
styles of the American flag were as cha
otto as were the affairs of the country.
Some dozen or more different ones were
carried on different occasions, each in
dicating in one way or another the
state of mind of the people. One was
a pine tree with ian appeal to heaven"
Another was snake with thirteen
rattles and the motto Don't tread on
u.s." On the 14th of June, which is
flag day and is celebrated as such by
the Sons of the Revolution. The
American Congress resolved "that the
flag of the thirteen United States be
thirteen stripes alternate red and white,
and that the Union be thirteen stars,
white on a field of blue, representing a
new constellation
1t remained unchanged for about
eighteen years after its adoption. BY
this time two more States vermont
and Kentucky, had been admitted to
the Union and the flag then received
two more stars and two more stripes
In 1918 five more States had been added
! and the flag was likely to become very
wide. Congress therefore resolved
there should be thereafter thirteen
stripes and star for every State. Nc
} act has since been passed by Congress
altering this feature of the flag The
thirteen stripes represent the number OF
, of States whose valor achieved oul
independence, and to-day forty foul
stars mark our increase as nation
: and they tell of the possession of equa
sovereign power, for they are Sc
} similar in appearance that NJ
. man can go to the flag anc
! point out the star upon its bed of blu,
> that represents the Empire State from
that which represents the weakest Stat,
in the Union. Every State has a sta
+. and every star stands for two Senators
However the States may differ in size
wealth, population, opinions or history
in one thing they are equal-each i
sovereign.
Those thirteen stripes record a victor,
that swells every heart with Joy an,
fills every tongue with praise; the vic
y tory of thirteen colonies, numbering il
;. all perhaps 5000, 600 of people, scattere,
along a narrow strip bordering the AT
!. lantic coast, with every harbor accessi
BILE to foreign ships, fighting for indie
!. pendence against the mightiest nava
: power and one of the mightlest militar
powers on the face of the earth, an,
that great power battling us with relent
less determination. The contest seeme
;, as unequal as that of hen with wa
horse. And yet against that mighty ma
;, ton this handful of people won their wa
= in the happy phrase of Lincoln, "a gov
ernment of the people, by the peopl
and for the people," AS the natio
came bleeding but victorious ont q