The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1898-06-18

! coat of arms would seem to indicate that
the origin of the design of the national
ensign came from another quarter.
Whatever might have been its origin
! it is evident that the first suggestion of
| stars as a device for the flag of the new
chusetts Spy March 10, IVA. In a song
| written for the anniversary Of the Bos-
! ton massacre these words occur:
| A ray of bright glory now beams from
afar,
| The American ensign now sparkles a
star
Which shall shortly flame wide through
the skies.
To Benjamin Franklin, however, be-
longs the honor of beginning the move
ment of national flag symbolizng the
union of the thirteen colonies. He was
the originator of the Grand Union
| flag, which was adapted from the Eng
| lish ensign under which the Americans
| had fought in the Italian and French
wars, and for which they still had the
| sentiment Of loyalty born In the true
soldier. This flag had six white and
seven red stripes, designating the thir-
| teen colonies, and the crosses Of ST.
| George and St. Andrew, combined as In
| the British jack, were placed in an up
per corner. The Royal Savage, an
| American boat on Lake Champlain, car
| :-l,t ,io
| to the arrangement. 1t was in 1175 that
Franklin designed the flag, and it has
| been asserted that the thirteen stripes
were here first suggested. But there is
another instance, which the best author
tiles claim is the first, of an American
banner bearing the thirteen stripes. In
| 177J Captain Abraham Markoe presented
to the Philadelphia troop of Light Horse
flag which is still preserved by that
organization and displayed at it's an
| nivcrsary banquets. The design of this
flag consists of an armoral piece in the
center, with the motto, For thee we
strive and thirteen small stripes ar
ranged in an upper corner. The Phila
delphia troop of Light Horse was organ
lied in IVA, shortly after the first con-
tinental congress assembled. On it's
tiltieth anniversary, Nov II, 1924, David
Paul Brown. when called upon for a
toast, gave impromptu:
For fifty years at fray or feast
Der deadly foe or gentle guest,
Triumphantly unfurled.
And fifty more Our flags shall wave
In memory of the good and brave
Who dignified the world,
And tyranny and time defy :
In freedoms immortality.
When General Washington was on
his way to take command of the army
at Cambridge in 1875, accompanied by
Generals Lee and Schuyler, he was
escorted by the troop of Light Horse
from Philadelphia to New York. 1t is
therefore possible that the design of the
standard of the troop was impressed on
his mind and may have had something
to do with the selection of the thirteen
stripes that afterwards appeared on the
national ensign.
But varied as are the stories as to the
originator OF the stars and stripes a!f
seem to have united on the point tina.
the design was worked into practical
form by Philadelphia scamstrcss.
Washington and the other members of
the committee, it is said took draft of
the device they had decided upon to Mrs
Join Ross, who was the proprietor of a
little upholstery store at S9-aftcrwar,ls
changed to 23?-.Arch street Mrs. Ross
was somewhat dubious as to whether or
not she could properly make the flag.
but promised to do the best she could.
1t has been stated that she requested
that another drawing OF the design be
made and that Washington seated him
self in her back parlor and made n
second draft of the proposed banner.
There is ono feature of the flag that
still remains as constant reminder of
the preference to French rather than
English style by Mrs Ross. She no.
tced that the stars on the design had
| SIN pOllllS, lHc same hummer tlut the
stars on our coins bear today. and she
suggested that the flvc-pointcd star of
the French was much neatcr. Her sug-
gcstion was needed and she was instruc-
ted to make the flag in that way. Since
that time the stars on the American flag
have always had the five points.
This was In l77G, and after the design,
made by Mrs. Ross was adopted by con-
Gress she received regular employment
making flags for the government, and
continued In the business for many
years. In this first design the stars
We're arranged in circular form-indiCat
ing the perpetuity of the union-and this
arrangement was maintained till two
more states-Vermont and Kentucky
were admitted. Then in 1894 congress
altered the flag so that it consisted OF
fifteen stripes and the same number o.
stars, the latter being arranged in Tire,
rows of fves After that Tennessee
{, Ohio. Louisiana, Indiana and Mississpp
came into the union and all demanded