The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-03-12
STORY OF THE GREAT SEAL
A STEEL INSTRUMENT JEALOUSY
GUARDED IN WASHINGT0N
D.sisns from which tho Present Great
Seal of the United states "as h'oi'e"
Papers to which Great Seal 10 Afh1ed.

Denartment and for thirty years has
had the Great Seal under MS personal
supervision. The Instrument itself Is set
nm in tho warrant room at tho State De-
partrnent and is guarded by Mr.. Bartle
and Mr. Philip so jealousy that without
a proper introduction no one can see the
inside OF It's big mahogany case. When
Mr.. Rar,le showed Il 70 the reporter he
first unlocked one drawer and took from
there the kew 10 the seal box which he
opened disclosing steel instrument
about three feet high, visa screw
thread and twisting handles much like
those Of "a letter press. he took an I'M
preston upon one 1f the round scalloped
pieces Of paper which are affixed to COM
missions and par1Ons, ana AFTER unscre"-
ing the handles showed the impression,
holding on to the piece OF paper with
both hands. M 3artle showed also the
original BRASS seal Of l7S2, and the re
yiseI seal Of lSn. which, though the same
I'm general idea. ID differently balanced and
proportional
The different designs prepared at the
beginning of the Government and since
that time. have been collected by Mr..
Gaillard Hunt Of the department, and
from them II is interesting to note the
evolution Of the seal Of the United states
as Il now is For d long while, IN fact
until 1892, very little seemed to be known
about the history and evolution OF the
seal. Some persons claimed 10 see Ma
sonic emblems on the reverse OF the seal
and many were the theories advanced
concerning the meaning of the diverse
Accordingly. James G. Blaine then Sec
retarv of state. ordered an investigation
Of the matter by Mr.. Hunt, Whlch Drought
forth the following facts;
on .Tulv (. ZIG. after the Declaration Of
independence had been read IN the con-
tinental Congress, DR.. Franklin, John
Adams and Mr.. Jefferson were appointed
a committee to prepare device for
seal of the United States OF North Amer
lea. On the diverse OF this seal all the
thirteen States were in shields around a
centre piece. only two features of II, the
'E Puribus Tnum" and the eye in the
radiant triangle are preserved IN the
shield Of to-day. The eye, representing
the perpetual watch of Providence, APP
pears on the reverse Of the seal, with
which the public is not familiar. since
the seal has been pressed on paper and
is no longer two-si1ed. as in former years,
the reverse is not seen, and SO has been
unohicially suppressed.
4 second committee was appointed
March .. 1873, and II submitted design,
the diverse Of which contained for the
first time the Stars and Stripes which are
to-day our national emblem.
This idea was taken from the national
flag which Congress had adopted two
yrars before
After this time there seems 10 have been
quite a little activity in the search for
suitable device. a very elaborate design
was prepared by William Barton, \. NJ,
agreeable TO the rules Of heraldry," but
it was evidently not agreeable 10 the
committee, for though claimed TO be full
of meaning, IL had so little merit as a
composition that II was promptly sup
pressed. Here the first design Of the re-
verse Of the seal was clearly fixed, II be-
ing the same except for the motto as the
one finally adopted.
The next design, from which grew the
diverse OF the seal OF to-day, was; pre-
pared by Charles Tomson, then Secretary
of Congress The eagle bearing the
shield on its breast grasping the olive
branch and arrows. and the constellation
surrounded by clouds, appear as they
now are.
The reverse adopted from the Barton de-
sign was also used here, and finally adopt
ell. The words on the reverse OF the seal
today. "Aunuit cel It's EOVus- ordo sec
lorum." have been taken as one motto,
meaning. "The new series Of ages IS fav-
orable 10 our undertakings" but they are
really intended TO be divided into two
notices "Annuit coeptis," meaning 1T
uhe Eye Of Providnce) is favorable TO
our undertakings, and "NOvus ordo sec
lorum," meaning simply ~ new order OF
centuries" according 10 Mr. Henry l..
Thomas. translator of The Department of
state. The words were adapted from TWO
messages i'm Virgil: "Audacibus annUe CO.
cptis" favor my daring ur deTtaking) ana
"AiagnUs ab integro seclOrum nascitur
anew. The former is found in the
Aeneid. book Q, verse go, also IN the
Georges. /, i0 and the latter I'm the
Fourth Eclogue fifth verse. Although
the form "seclorum" was adopted, the
more approved form is 'saeclorum,' ana
the word 10 spelled with the 'ae' in all,
or nearly ALL the best modern editions OF
Latin authors.
The next report WAS called "Alr, Bar
toms improvement on the Seeretarys
device" which was almost identical with
the one finally agreed upon on June -,
I7s2 This is the seal with few altera-
tions as 10 form and proportions. which
is In use to-day The diverse, which con-
tanned an unfinished pyramid with thir-
teen strata and the notices given above
was used for time, but since the
abandonment of the two-sided seal. in 1863,
n has not been used at all, and after the
change 10 the seal as 1t Is at present the
T. yerse was not even cut.
The explanation OF the different por-
lions of the seal according to the re-
norris 10 Congress and the Investigations
AZ the state Department. is as follows
TN. stripes represent the several States
All Joined in one solid compact; the motto
refers TO this union: the coloTs are those
used in the flag Of the United states
white signifies purity and innocence; red
hardness and valor; blue is the ground
of the American uniform, ana TINS color
signifies vigilance, perseverance, ana JUS
tice.
The olive branch and arrows deLot the
mower Of peace and war. which Is eX-
cmsively invested in Congress; the con-
stellation denotes a new State, taking its
place and rank among other sovereign
...v,.ers; the escutcheon Is horne on the
breast of an American eagle without any
other supporters, 10 denote that the Uni
ted Steatcs ought 20 reply on their own
virtue. In the reverse the pyramid sign!
fies strength and duration; the eye over
Il and the motto refer TO many signal
interpositions of Providence IN favor OF
the American. cause. This seal was first
found Oh commission dated september
g. 17S2. granting full power ard authority
to Gen. Washington 10 arrange with the
British for the exchange OF prisoners of
war.
The second seal was cut In lSH. Daniel
Webster being Secretary of State This
seal. which continued in use up to 1885
contained only six arrows. and ii was
smaller than the present seal The seal
tow i'm use was cut in 1855, after the de-
sign had been submitted by the Depart
ment of State 10 several hittorioal schol-
airs and authorities on heraldry. and