The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-09-03

furnished suggestions for the beautiful
flower designs which are now seen in
the various public squares and in front
of the public buildings in st. Paul.
Capt Harries has followed up his
former article with another one, CIV
ing the history of the flags of the Con-
federacy, which is herewith produced:
ITO many of the rising generation
the color and shape of the Confeder-
ate flag is an unknown quantity.
There are even old soldiers who cannot
describe it, because they were never
near enough to one to distinguish it's
form. There are a good many of these
flags in the archives of the govern
ment at Washington, whose folds have
kissed the breezes on many a battle
field The idea that Adjt. Gen. Drum
had in wanting to return them to the
respective states in the South was
something like that of Senator Charles
Sumner in proposing to obliterate from
the battle flags carried by the regular
army of the United States the names
of the battles which were inscribed
thereon.
Senator Carl Schurz, in his eulogy on
Charles Sumner said: AT the opening
of the session of congress in the winter
of 1872, Senator Sumner introduced two
measures, which, as he thought, should
complete the record of his political
life. One was the civil rights bill and
the other a resolution providing that
the names of the battles won over fell
low citizens in the war of the rebellion
should be removed from the regimental
colors of the army and from the army
register. This was his thought: No
| 49, NOV AZ ~
antiquity down to our days, ever
thought it wise or patriotic to preserve
in conspicuous and durable form the
mementoes Of victories won over fell
low citizens in civil war. Why Not?
Because every citizen should feel him
self with all others as the child Of a
| common country and not as a defeated
foe. All civilized governments of our
| days have instinctively followed the
same dictate of wisdom and patriotism.
| The Irishman when fighting for old
| England, at Waterloo, was not to be-
| hold on the red cross floating above him
| the name Of the Boyne; the Scotch
| Highlander, standing in the trenches Of
| Sebastopol, was not to be reminded by
the colors of his regiment of Culloden;
no French soldier atAusterlitZ or Softer
| inc had to read upon the tri-color
! any reminscence of the Vendee; no
| Hungarian at Sadowa was tainted by
| any Austrian banner with the surrender
| of Villages; no German regiment from
Saxony or Hanover charging under the
| iron hail of Gravelotte, was made to
remember by words written on Prus-
sian standard that the black eagle had
| conquered them at Koniggratz and San
| gensalza; should the son of South Cara
| lima, when in some future day, defend
| ing the republic against some foreign
| foe be reminded by an inscription on
| the colors floating over him that under
| this flag the gun was fired that killed
his father at Gettysburg? Should this
| enlightened republic, proud of standing
in the front of human progress, be less
] wise, less large-hearted than the anc-
| tents 1000 years ago, and the kingly
governments of Europe are today. Let
| the battle flags of the brave volunteers
| which they brought home from the war
| with the glorious record Of their victor
| les be preserved intact as proud orna-
ments of our state houses and armories
| But let the colors of the army under
| which the sons of all the states are to
meet and mingle in common patriotism
| speak nothing but union, not union of
| conquerors and conquered, but a union
| which is the mother of all, equally ten
| der to all, knowing nothing but equali-
| ty, peace and love, among her children.
"a mighty mother turns in tears
The battle pages of her years
Lamenting all her fallen sons
cat the first session of the provisional
congress the committee on a flag and
seal, made its report which was more
| or less shaped by the many expressions
| on the subject. The report said:
Whatsoever attachment may be
| felt from association for the stars and
| stripes ian attachment which your
| committee may abe permitted to say
| they do not -share) it is manifest that
| in the Inauguration of a new govern
| ment we cannot with any propriety or
without encountering obvious difficult
| ties retain the flag of the government
! from which we have withdrawn. AS to
| the 'glories of the old flag we must
bear in mind that the battles of the
revolution about which our fondest and