Middletown transcript., 1898-05-28
MIDDLET OWN. DEL, MAY ss, 1898
OUR FLAG AND ITS PROGRESS.
THE TRIUMPHANT MARCH OF THE

Ii the revolutionary struggle Dc
classed as a contest with a foreign
power, the present conflict with Spain
is the fourth important foreign war in
which the United States has been en-
gagged. In addition there have been
three other foreign contests, one with
France during the Adams adminiStra-
tion and two with the Barbary States,
the first when Jefferson was President
and the second under Madison.
OUR FLAG NEVER DEFEATED.
In all these conflicts extending in the
aggregate over period of nearly thir-
teen years, the national emblem came
out crowned with victory. The Stars
and Stripes. in fact, is the only one
of the worlds great figs which has
never been sullied by national defeat.
Both on land and sea it has flown tri-
umphant since that June day in 1777,
on which Mrs. Ross, Of Philadelphia,
showed George Washington, who had
taken her the design for the flag, agreed
on by Congress, how to clip out a fve-
pointed star with one clip of her pa
triotic scissors. The stars on the COIN
age are all six-pointed, the British
style in stars, and so tradition says,
Washington drew them for Mrs. Ross;
but she stuck to the five-pointed Gallo
star and in that form they have ever
since remained.
The resolution of the Continental
Congress creating the flag, read as fol-
lows: "That the flag Of the thirteen
United States shall be thirteen stripes,
alternate red and white; that the union
be thirteen stars, white, in blue
field representing a new constellation. /"
When Kentucky and Vermont were
admitted as States, in l791, two new
stars were added, and, in 1895, the
stripes were increased to fifteen. By
1918, when the number of States had
run up to twenty, the inartistic effect
of adding to the number of stripes was
perceived, and Congress enacted that
the flag for the future should be thir-
teen stripes, with star for each State.
Briefly this is the history of the flag
and its development. The fact that
stars form part of the heraledic en-
blazoning Of the Washington coat of
arms does not appear to have had any
thing to do with their adoption for
the flag.
CURIOUS FLAGS BEFORE 1776.
Before the adoption Of the Stars and
stripes, however, Americans fought
under many different flags. At Lex
ington the emaattled farmers had
neither flag nor uniform, bat at Bum
ker Hill several ensigns made their ap-
pearance. They were Of different pat
terms. One Of them was entirely blue,
bearing the motto: "Come If You
Dare" Another was blue with
white canton, Quartered by red st.
Georges cross and pine tree in the
inner corner at the top. When Wash.
ington was beseiging the British forces
at. Boston his floating batteries flew a
white banner bearing green pine tree
and the words: san Appeal to
Heaven" A famous flag Of 1776 was
the blue ensign Of South Carolina with
white crescent in the upper corner.
Sometimes it bore the word "Liberty''
in white letters.
While the basic principles Of nation
hood which the flag represented one
hundred and twenty-five years ago
Independence, Liberty and Uuion-
and those which it tipifes today are
identical, the material resources es-
sential to the maintenance and preser-
vation of them have bec,me SO colossal
that they are the marvel OF the world.
It was Mr.. Gladstone who said: 'sThe
United States have national base for
the greatest continuous empire ever
established by man," and he add
ed, "The distinction between con-
tinuous empire severed and dis
persed over sea is vital.n That sscon
tinuous" empire is today a reality.
When Washington led ''The Old Con-
tinentals In their ragged regimentals',
the treasury was often without means
to buy the poor food that fed them.
The slender pay of men and officers
was far in arrears. Desperate expe-
dieIts were req Tired to maintain the
public credit. Our diplomatic repre-
sentatives were sappliants for advances
of money wherever there was the
faintest hope Of obtaining 1t. They
were petitioners for clothes and arms
and ammunition, for almost everything
required by an army in the field. But
the courage of the people never falter-
ed through the awful ordeal and in the
blackest hours Of the struggle they
defantly sang:
s'Yain Britons, beast no longer with proud
tndignity,
By land your conquering Legions, your
| matchless strength at sea.U
COLONIES FOUGHT IN POVERTY.
At the outbreak of the Revolution
ary war, the population Of the colonies
was about 100000 whites and
100000 negroes. Agriculture and
commerce we're the two leading indus
tries. Third in importance were the
fisheries. Despite the harsh restrie-
tons imposed on all the articles Of ex-
port and the absolute prohibition Of
manufactures, the colonists we've do
ling fairly we'll Allowed fair play,