The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1896-06-18
SYMBOLISM OF THE FLAG.
Address by John McElroy. Commander of
the Department of the Potomac, G.A.R.,
Mt Washington, ID. e., on Flag Day


| intangible thoughts. They are something like
ST. Paul's definition of faith THE substance
of things hoped for, the evidence of things not
seen."
Memories cling around them, love idealizes
them, lofty aspirations bourgeon and blossom
from them, like flowers from the naked stalks
| which the Winter has left.
Next to the cross of Christ our Flag is the
most potent symbol that to-day floats before
| the eyes of men. 1t has a deeper meaning to
greater hosts than any emblem outside those OF
| religion. Next TO them it can summon the
greatest number of gallant, devoted men to
the highest daring and self-sacrifce.
Out of every 90 men who inhabit this EARTH
one proudly owns his allegiance to the Star
/ Spanged Banner. The other - are divided
| among several hundred banners. Our Flag is
sovereign over one full tenth of the earth's dry
| land.
The highest function of a symbol is its serv-
| ice as a GU deepest for the path of duty. His
tory is eloquent as to how well our Flag has
| fulfilled this exalted function.
The century and quarter since it was born
amid the throes of the struggle for liberty and
National existence, has been infinitely the
most IN omentous period in the worlds history.
If we represent the progress of the world since
the birth of Christ by a yarhstck, the first
inch upon it would measure the progress up
until the time of the appearance of our Flag;
accomplished and gained since. We live in
deeds and not in years, and measured by them
humanity has lived and done inconceivably
more in the 10Th century than in all the Is
which preceded it,
The christening OF orr Flag was the thun-
deriDg declaration TO Kng.rldden, priest
ridden. feudal lord-riddcn world that 'all
men created equal and endowed by their
Creator with certain inaienabe rights, among
which are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of
Happiness" At this trumpet sound the en-
shaved and oppressed millions of every land
and tongue raised their sad eyes to see the day
OF Freedom stand tip toe tho misty mount
ain-tops of the future Aud around that Flag
they band of sternly .resolute men. who
solemnly pledged their lives, their fortunes,
and their sacred honor to making that decla-
ration glorously good. Through all the six
score momentous years since then, while the
history of Europe has been changing like
Kaleidoscope, they have seen that Flag main
tanned steadfastly as the highest symbol of the
largest liberty, the truest fraternity, the most
sincere equality, the most rigid justice that the
mind of man can conceive. Under its benef-
cent folds manhood has been rising to that
stature which God intended it should take
but little lower than the angels.
Elsewhere the tide of progress might ebb for
space; revolutions might for awhile go back.
ward the tyrant might re-forgo his letters;
the oppressor might regain his power. But the
Star-Spangled Banner always went forward.
It's trumpets had no notes for the retreat-only
for the adv
This is its symbolism for the 100000
OF people who cherish it in their heart of hearts.
Its sacred bazonry represents 10 them IL
decades OF glorious Development of humanity.
ii represents TO them little bands OF earnest,
devoted, God fearing men and women. leaving
all that ancestral homes, kindred and cviliZa-
tion had 10 hold them. 10 dare the terrors OF
savaEe-haunted wilderness to establish there
communities in which humanity could be
higher freer and holier than under the pesti-
lenta shadows of Old World institutions. 1t
represents struggles of the utmost heroism with
every form of danger, with pestilence that
staked at noon-day. with the merciless toma-
hawk OF the savage. the pitless sword of white
enemies, with the unsubdued forces of Nature.
Ii represents to them triumph over all of these
-savares defeated aud well.n nigh extirpated
white enemies driven from every foot of our
soil, aud continent subdued to the of
men Tor happy homes ana the development OF
great enterprises for the benefit of all mankind.
Carping critics sheer the love OF the Flag as
sentiment merely. Certainly, it is only scnti-
ment. These pnrblind cayiiefs seem unable 10
realize that it is sentiment which moves aud
rules the world. sen tifoeut is what distinguishes
man from the lower IN mails The less sen timent
man has the nearer he is to the brute; the
more, the higher he is III the scale OF manhood.
Religion, love of justice and right, of parents
wife. and children, honesty. moraIty-all
merely sentiments. Not only the individual
man, but peoples and nations molded by
sentiment into what they are and sentiment
moves masses of mankind with the resistless
energy of the cyclone and earthquake in the
physical world.
The symbolism of our Flag is more authori-
tativc than any comnands-more inspiring
than any coquence of words.
In the chill nists of the morning regiment
of infantry lines up on its Flag and looks with
anxious eyes upon a neighboring hilltop. SER
rated with brenstworks, bristling with shining
rife barrels, frowning with black -muzzlcd
cannon, swarming with the nsolent foe.
Ihither their Flag must go, and thither must
they follow IL, though that hilltop he the
mouth Of hell, and though there be as many
horrors and devils there as there are leaves
upon the trees. The thousand men who touch
elbows to the right aud left of the Flag are
plain, ordinary boys, products of American
homes, American school rooms, American
churches. They are boys with fathers and
mothers, sisters and sweethearts back in tho
homes whence they came. They make little
pretense OF being soldiers. War is not trade
they love. 1t is vocation forced upon them
by convictions OF duty. They do not swagger
or boast and many OF the characteristics Popu-
crowd Of ordinary young Americana. For all
that they incomparably the finest soldiers
that ever stood upon tho battlefield.
For minutes of anxious expectancy that
seem to lengthen into hours. they lean upon
their rifles and gaze at the enemy. aud at the
flag floating above their heads. What the next
Is minutes may have in store for them God
alone knows. Every may be standing
before His judgmcnt-seat within that time.
Many will certainly be there. That matters
not to them. Duties are theirs; consequences
are Gods. They merely feel that as Americans
have always followed that flag wherever it led,
so must they, whatever befall. With it lie
honor duty, MANHOOD away from it, shame,
ignominy, disgrace worse than death.
The order comes, "Forward-Guide on the
Colors-AIarch !" and the limo sweeps onward.
Tho black mouthed guns below angrily, and
shells bursting with terrific crash tear great
gaps in the line. They are closed instantly by
the survivors pressing inward toward the Flag.
Nearer aud the Internal hail of canister hur-
ties aud shrcks through the living wall, tear
ing aud rending, mutiiating and Staying. Every
minute the line sh6rtens by the living closing
into the places of the fallen Ever forward
goes the Flag, though oue-third Of those who
started are lying on the bloody slope. Then
begins the deadly, searching hail Of the rises.
not so noisy as the cannons, but vastly more
terrible. Men drop and the line shortens at