The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-07-14
BIRTH OF OUR FLAG.
IT'S ORIGIN WRAPPED IN HISTORICAL
MYSTERY.

Washington Was n Member OF the Com
xaittee which Accepted the Design, and
H is a Curious Coincidence That His
{. Shield Consisted of the same Figures.
The American flag really dates from
ian. 2, 1776, though officially only from
June IA, 1777, when Congress passed
the resolution decreeing that the flag of
the United States should be thirteen
stripes alternate red and white; that
the Union be thirteen stars, white In
field representing new constellation.
This is nearly all that the records tell.
Whenever a new state is admitted q
new star IS added. The respectable
antiquity of our flag is best realized by
comparing 1t with that of other nations.
The Spanish flag was established in
17S5, the French tricolor in 1884, the
Italian flag in 1S4s, and the flag of the
German Empire dates from 1870. AS
for "the meteor flag of England" which
an imaginative poet once applied to the
present national ensign Of the United
Kingdom, it is enough to say that there
is no such flag in existence. The Brit
ish ensign is commonly termed the
Union Jack" This royal standard
dates from 1901 when 1t was first hoist
ed over the Tower of London. So that
the pretty fancy about "the flag that
braved thousand years the battle and
the breeze" is simply gilt-edged glib
berygosh.
The origin of the flag of the United
States is wrapped in historical mystery,
but there is good reason to believe that
it was designed and adopted largely
out of compliment to Washington. He
was member of the committee which
accepted the design, and it is curious
coincidence that his shield consist
ed of the same pieces and figures that
the flag is composed of. Washington's
crest was an eagle, and the colors and
the metal of his coat are also the prin-
cipal colors in the flag, namely, red and
white. Washington's object in this
may have been the laudable desire to
perpetuate himself seeing that he had
no direct posterity. He may have been
inspired by the fact that in giving us
free country he was also entitled to in
fuence the features of its flag. Accord
ingly instead Of the stars which in
heraldry consist of six or more points
the United States have adopted instead
the five pointed figures of Washington's
shield. These are in heraldry called
mullets. The flag thus receives an ad-
ditional lustre from the silent honors
thus paid to the Father of his country
by his own contemporaries. The
trainers Of the resolution on June IA,
1777, were probably for these and other
reasons designedly silent upon these
points. 1t is considered that they were
anxious to have Washington escape the
animadversions Of the Conway cabal,
whose opposition would have been
aroused at any open attempt to make
hero of Washington and whom this
cabal intended to supplant by General
Horatio Gates. Anyhow our official
knowledge upon the motives and prin.
eiples that may have Influenced the
trainers Of the flag is very limited and
gossip has attributed the designing and
The arrangement of the flag to a lady
with French predictions who lived in
Philadelphia.
During the revolution many of the
states had their own flags, and Lexing.
ton was fought under waving stream.
crs." Some people also go so far as tc
state that Washington copied the East
India Company's flag which had also
thirteen stripes, red and white, but
such is not likely. Paul Jones claimed
that he first hoiste the flag of Ameri.
ca on the Alfred. The national EN-.
blem was then rattlesnake which in
deed came nearly becoming a national
emblem instead of the eagle. The flag
OF the Ranger" which was fitted out
by Congress for Jones was thirteen
stripes with the rattlesnake undulatine
aver them and with the motto-"DonI
Tread on Me-" However, from out oil
all these various devices there was
evolved O national standard designed
ander Washington's supervision and
which was accepted by Congress. 1t
vas Mrs. Ross who made the banner
which Congress approved, from rough
sketch furnished to her and made by
the hand of Washington; so that II
seems clear, alike from the facts and
from the probabilities that the plans
and prefer ences of Washington domi.
mated the national flag. No story Of
the American flag, however, which
emitted the vicissitudes-which besot
its birth and early existence would be
complete, that failed to state the mart
that France played in the matter. This
was SO vital a part that Captain 4. r.
Mahan stated 81 mis- speech at New
York. Feb. z. 1897, that there would
he no flag at all IL 1t weren't for the
.rench under De TTasse appearing at
Hampton Roads," Thile 5000 trained
French soldiers tackled Burgoyne and
Cornwallis on la5d. fighting side by
aide with Americans.
The flag of the fifteen stars and If
teen stripes was carried by Old Iron
sides before Tripoli and throughout the
war nf 1870 ao hx,