The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1896-06-11

INDEPENDENCE HALL PHILADELPHIA. PA.
British ANTIQUARIAN, gives well founded utter
ances TO the idea that the Washington coat
ofarms furnished the device for the flag.
He says:
"Like Oliver Cromwell, the American pa
triot was fond of genealogy, and correspond
ed with our heralds on the subject of his
own pedigree. George Washington, who
gave sanction if not birth to that most demo-
cratical of all sentiments, that all men are
free and equal was, as the phrase goes, a
gentleman of blood, of ancient time, and
coat-armor; nor was he slow 10 acknowledge
the fact. When the Americans, in their
most righteous revolt against the tyranny
of the mother-country, cast about for an
ensign with which to distinguish themselves
from the English oppressors, what did they
adopt? A gentleman's badge a modifica-
ton of the old English coat-of-arms borne
by their leader and deliverer. A few stars
had, in the old chivalrous times, distn-
guished his ancestors from their compeers
in the tournament and upon the battlefield.
More stars and additional stripes, denotlng
the number OF States that joined in the
struggle, now became the standard around
which the patriots of the West so success
fully rallied. 1t is not little curious to
note that the poor worn-out rag of feudalism,
as so many would count it, should have ex-
randed into the bright and ample banner
that now waves from every sea-"
That it could have been no easy matter
to adopt National emblem was evidenced
by the State banners, each one of the 13
having its own peculiar device, and "a diff
ferent flags represented the 13 States on land
and on sea, before the National design was
at last adopted Six of these sported a
rattlesnake in as many stages of colliDg and
creeping.
THE FIRST FLAG
to represent the United States upon the
high seas was field striped red and blue
with rattlesnake crawling across it. 1t
was the Gag which Paul Jones flung to the
breeze upon the Alfred, about 1775. The
Alfred was the flagship of the newborn
navy, which consisted of five vessels. This
ship mounted 90 0nine-pounders. The weight
of a shot thrown from her entire battery, or
both broadsides, was not equal to the weight
of a single solid shot such as is thrown by
one of our smallest monitors.
On the day Of the passage of the Flag bin
by the Continental Congress, it also resolved
that Paul Jones be appointed to command
the new warship Ranger. About a week
after the action of Congress, number OF
patriotic ladies Of Philadelphia met in the
old Swede Church in that city, and under
the direction Of John Brown, Secretary of the
new Board of Marine, arranged and made a
flag ia accordance with the act OF Congress,
with the exception that only IL stars were
placed upon it in groups of four threes. 1t
was never made quite clear why only IL stars
were placed there instead of 13. Some his
torians have asserted that the women were
superstitious and left OFF the odd star pur
posely. Others contended that the flag
makers, being unskilled in the business,
could not arrange the 13 stars symmetrically,
and so left off the odd one, not realizing the
significance of the symbolized union that
had been set forth in the act of Congress.
At any rate, the historic flag had only II
stars, and is in existence to-day TO tell in
mute and Holdering manner the tale of the
mutilated constellation.
The flag is of English bunting eight and
one-half feet long and one yard five inches
wide. Small it is, it probably cost an
immense sum, as bunting had to be i'm
ported from England, and was very high.
As soon as it was com mpleted it was presented
TO Commander Paul Jones, of the Ranger, by