The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1894-10-24
OUR COAT OF ARMS.
Governor Til,,nan Hss Large On Paint
log Of II Made.

kAk Oh 1I 141QSs
COLUMBIA, s. c., Oct. 18,-Mrs. A. j.
| Robertson OF this city has completed
for Governor Tillman large oil paint.
Ing Oh caoyass OF the Coat Of Arms Of
South Carolina and small plaqueT
painting of the great seal OF the State
The paintings will be huag In the exc
cutiye Office and will remain there.
They are the first ever made and Will
60 down to the generations as .he Of
fetal pitcures. The object IN having
them painted was to perfect, ss near as
possible, the figures, emblems, etc. /,
| which have renamed without perfec-
tlon for so many years.
The history Of the seal Of the State
Is known bnt nobody has any knoWl-
edge of the history Or exact meaning Of
the Coat of Arms. Il will remain 8
mystery.
The Secretary of States Office furn-
ishes the folio wing history or the seal:
"The Great Seal of the State Of South
Carolina, by order OF the General AS.
semoly, March, 1776, was designed oy
William Henry Drayton, assisted by
some OF the Privy Council, after the
Fort on Suiltyan's Islands had defssted
the British feet. waich event suggested
some of the devices.
"rhe Palmetto tree represents the
fort, which was constructed OF the
Palmetto trees that grew on the island
they still grow there. There are two
shields pendant under the branches OF
the Palmetto. 'Msrca 20; ;h,' the day the
State Constitution was adopted, Is In
scribed on the one, on other
July 4, 1776, which refers to
the Declaration Of Independence.
The sun rising with peculiar
splendor refers to the 2Ssh of June, -as
| q fair dag-also baspeaks good fortune
to the State; q torn up oak, with its
branches Topped of, lies prostrate at
the base Of this erect Palmetto. The
twelve spears, poin Is raised, represent
ing twelve colonies, are bound cross
| wise to the Palmetto-the thirteen
colony-and upon the baad which
unites them Is Inscribed G lis Sspara-
Bit Beneath the prostraGe oak Is in.
scribed Meliorem Lspss Locavtt, and
in large figures underneath 1873 At
the top of exerque ara the words South
Carolina, the bottom, 'Animis
Opibusque Parsti.' Rsverss-A woman
walking on sesshore, over swords and
daggers; in right hand laurel branch
In her left the folus Of her robe; she
looks with hope to the sun rising in
great spiendor over the sea. The azure
sky is above, aud at the top Of exerque
are the words, Dam Spiro Spero.' In
| the field below Is the word 'Spes, show.
ing that the design above 1t represents
hope.
"The first use made of this seal was
by President Rutledge, Msy 2, 1777,
who issued pardon under the seal OF
the state"
If as much was known of the Coat OF
Arms Governor Tillman would be q
happier man. He has rsnsacked every
history to 6nd out something about 1t
and has offered areward OF S2s to any
person who would give him the infor
nation desired. He is no wiser than
when he began.
The Coat OF Arms, as is known, Is
made up of the seal Of the State as q
centre. Supporting the seal on ths
right side Is the 6gure OF 8
revolutionary soldier; on the left q
female figure; above the seal and be-
tween the other figures, the figure of ar
angel blowing trumpet, supposed TO
be herald angle communicating It'd
ings of some kind to the world.
\ The Coat Of Arms Is presumed tx
have been adopted after the seal, as the
centre Of it Is the seal.
I According to instructions for Gov.
ernor TiIlman, Mrs. Robertson has
painted, as near as she could do 80 from
the facts known, the face OF Genera
Moultrie on the figure of the soldier
and the face Of iReal descendant o.
Emily Geiger on the female figure. II
the female picture the right leg i
thrown forward and Is exposed to the
knee. This was painted this way be-
cause is some manner there has arisel
a conflict as to whether the right lie.
or left leg should be thrown forward
Some Of the metal cuts used by the
State in the past have been printed ont
way and some another. Owing to tn
i.posltion of the female it is impossib bl'
tnat the left Leg could be advanced
Consequently Governor Tt!lman hat
the right leg put rward, and Ia th
future no other position will be official
! Register.