The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-06-05
A OF THE NATIONS.
FEN or THEN OF EARLIER ORIGIN
THAN N Last CENTURE.

IHAN TN LAhf CEHlOhI
BeEianInEa or National ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Onee woman's Part In uhr-FiaE Etiquette
aud Troubles Caused bT detailing Uhder
False CoIsra - ssme Queer Mistakes.
Bunting is playing a great part In New York
decoration to-day, and has played n greater
part in decorating hittory. There's material
for a good book in tho stories OF deeds that
have been done In all countries and In all times
to save national emblems from falling into tho
hands OF enemies. The record would be a very
long one, for. even in early Egyptian days,
nen defended the standard at any cost, but
those early standards were Of metal, and the
waving flag belongs to times comparatively
modern. while few OF the national flags in use
to-day can 10 further back than the last cen.
fury for their oriRin.
During the middle ages banners were indi.
vidual rather than national, and each king and
knight bore his own device. When national
emblems were used they were of a religious
character, and many OF the modern flags bear
traces of this religious symbolism. For CEN
turtles tho national standard Of England bore
the cross OF st. George where the union Is now
placed. This was in grateful recognition Of st.
Georges help at the siege Of Antioch. The
English soldiers, 30 says the legend, were faint
and wavering, when an innumerable host NJ
Ghlg bOllltlos III "Hll1s NtbNOhhbht iuA w
st. George, put tho enemy to fight, and thought.
fully showed the hungry Englshmen where to
ind food. From that dav the English sworo
by st. George and mono other, until, under
James l., Scotland and England were united.
Then there was trouble for Britons and saints.
The obstinate Scots refused to admit that
there was any saint in the calendar who could
compare with st. Andrew. To be sure, he
had never led endorsements to their aid, hut
they had fought under his white cross on a
blue ground ever since he had appeared to
Achains, King Of Scots, before Il great battle
with Athelstane, and had promised victory to
the Scottish arms. ,rhe Scots wouldn't allow
the cross of st. George to outrank the cross of
81. Andrew, and the difficulty had hardly been
settled when ireland came into the union, and
st. Patrick was a candidate for donors. The
partisans OF both st. George and st. Andrew sot
their faces against tho intruder, and said that
he was no saint and that by rights he didn't
own a cross, because he never laid down his
life for the faith. However, tho Irish contend.
ed that under English rule their cross was
heavy enough to do for st. Patrick. too, and
now the union flag of Great Britain bears the
crosses Of the three saints, though the Scotch
and Irish still quarrel because heraldic authori-
ties gave st, Patrick's emblem advantage.
The history Of the Stars and Stripes is too
wen kho"h u Americans 10 neeu mucn com-
ment. At the beginning of the Revolution
nags OF many dinerent designs sprang up and
1t was not until 1777 that Washington and his
advisers decided upon a national flag which
was the basis of the present emblem. A Mrs.
Ross Of Arch street, Philadelphia, carried out
the design, which proved so satisfactory that
IL was adopted by Congress and has not been
changed save in the number Of the stars and
stripes and the arrangement of the former.
RED. white and blue are the fayorite col ors
OF nag heraldry and are found in many of the
national flags. The tricolor of France really
dates M furtber bacl than tho R.rolution
mi. W. y" sT
Inc earlost natlonal ehoiem OF france was the
blue chape of st. Martin. Later the red orr.
famine Of St Denis came into uso and tho
49,. - 80 nv -
Soufooh Kings fousht under a white banner
The tricolor Is q "Reminiscences of the three ban.
rars which bod Aoot.d own ,io,orio,. .,,i.,
Is o. "nio a ilonteu IVY VICTORIOUS armies
OF france. III was retained under the Empire.
though Napoleon powdered it with golden bees.
The return Of the Bourbons set il aside. and
after the second revolution there was a move
ment to adopt the blood.red flag, but Louis
Blanc turned the tide in favor of the trIcolor nv
""o Wy
speech celebrating the past victories OF France.
The German flag was devised after the union
!, Il Hor"an ota'es' "nich occurred at inc
close OF the FrancS'frussia war. The arms
OF the Hohenzoiierns and the famous Teutonic
IrHHN q frn01 ~ he - a. qua IA aAa
Aioh Stoee arc ITO ihooV Conspicuous features.
The Italian flag. too. is a matter Of recent his
tory. When Napoleon gave Italy her first taste
~ yh,rtv no. IN hIo a",oanatt 10 +a:hion niSo .
y i'oofSy . u AZ "u.oei"'io i"shion' also gave
her a nag which suited him, and when later
Victor Emmanuel WAS King of free and united
T,olr hio noonI~ ohoa. ,or ,SoI, or,h,ar, ,ha -
AIaiy MS people CHOSE lor thelr emoiclh the req.
white and green flag which Napoleon had given
them. but they added to Il the arms of the
uo,.o =, c.
Ah2use W 'Iapol; m. pu,,u 4,
nIsSt1, austria anu trussLd All SNOW u trace
u sn9 rNH nn easies; Ihoukh "ouiheu III each
caSo ny neraluic aeslHn.
a. .nnnaih uas tn1 oihost nag vi E'Lopo; tne
nCsC nag ~ t1e nes,sn having, 80 INC chronlcles
[einte, iT Y! TON huSven IN 4nSWert 70 PRAYER
~ han8 aiaeniar' wneh, IN ~ ne was hght-
Ing aE nn tSo any paGMns Vi Il pa,tIc. hoIn-
81 OF NO the nas CaIue 70 tne Dahes ready mace
IL Goes GATE rom inc thirteenth century.
.r5 the nhIta or mug 10 a. 9la as her repuoIt'
u my "nIto SIOSs Sn . Ieu sIoun9 was huopt-
go oy ing cantohs Wheh they united 10 hght Tor
kLee o ,neua9se my oeIeEfu tne cause OF rec
uoHI ae saS[ou 20 thot when inspired lne Cru
SaTes, ana a. worthy 10 use the cross;
inc SPahisn nag WOULD ne niisIeaning 10 one
unialnLilar MIN hlstory; Inc lLnperlal stand
aId 9rlsIha,Iy cpntainSu the arms Oh IaaIlIe
5nu io4n' put iator those OF oiclly' huslrla;
Dursun9y, ianiers; hntWeTP, anu iortugal
nSre nuueu' Nv ueslgh ot inc slhnuhTu was
n4C chanee9 wneh soEereisntV over nose coui-
tIles cTaseui anu so Ine lmPerlal nag OF spain
Co-uhy IL stLlhlnR RECORD OF Ine steps by Wnlcn