Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-06-08
NOTICES OF STATES.
How Some Phrases Became the Slo-
Hans of VariOu2 L0eaIities.
From the Philadelphia Times. 3,


xans of variOua Liabilities.
From the Philadelphia Times. r.
II you desire to have fun with a learned
acquaintance ask him simple questions
about his country, its history. financial
condition, political divisions. geographical
lines climatology, TOPOGRAPHY, etc. Cues
tions that any schoolboy can answer DR..
Knewafl will stumble elumsily over. often
getting bad fall. TRkre ~ one question
that have never heard any one answer,
namely, What are the notices of the sew
eral states of the Union and their mean
ing?" clever man may name that of his
own state and guess at those of three or
four of the more important sister states.
but he is unlikely to know the meanings
of any that are in the original Latin. Try
some able professor in a crowd and see him
founder.
ASK the professor if he knows that the
great seal of the United States was de-
signed by an Englishman, Sir John Prest-
witch, who also suggested the motto e
Pluribus Unum?" Our ablest men had
failed to propose anything acceptable.
Franklin, Jefferson, Adams Lowell, Scott,
Houston and others wasting nearly four
years on the task. Franklin proposed
Moses dividing the Red Sea with this mot
to, Rebellion to Tyrants is Obedience to
God" Adams proposed the choice of Her
cules and jefferson the children of Israel
In the wilderness. Doesn't it seem funny?
Some of the suggested notices were "Bello
vel Pace" Gin War OF Peace) "Semper"
ForeveD, 'Deo Favente' with God
Favor, 'Virtus Sofa 1nvicta' Virtue Alone
Invincble), etc. After six years the Eng
lishmans device was adopted. and 1t yet
remains on the arms OF the United States.
If the professor is familiar with the OBJ
verse of the great seal, ask him what he
has to say of the reverse, and the chances
are 100 to 1 that he cannot recollect the
unfinished pyramid, the eye in the triangle,
hn oil no tn thn
''Annuitt Coeptis' God Has Favored the
Undertaking., and that under all. 'Novus
Ordo Seculorum' "a New Series of Ages.
The diverse of the great SEAL with it's
splendid eagle, the bundle of arrows, the
olive branch, the thirteen stripes, the thir-
teen stars, the glory breaking from the
clouds and the 'E Puribus Unum,' is mag
nifcently American, but the pyramid the
desert, the forbidding Egyptian sky and the
eye in the triangle on the reverse are SIM
ply barbarous.
The great seal of the confederacy by
strange arbitrament of fate was never
used. It was made in England and reached
Richmond about the time of it's evacuation
by the armies of the lost cause and the
confederate government. It's motto was
Dec Vindice" God Maintains). The seal
ii handsome silver die about three inches
in diameter, bearing an equestrian portrait
of Washington (after the statue in Rich
mondD, surrounded with a wreath COM
posed of cotton, tobacco, sugar cane, corn,
the confederate states. 1t cost in England
about 5000, with press, waters, seal papers,
wax, silk cords, etc. 1t was presented to
the state of South Carolina about 1887 and
is kept in the office Of the secretary Of
state.
Ask the professor If he remembers that
Minnesota, founded by Americans. is the
only state in the Union that has a French
motto. The one originally selected and or
dered engraved was Latin, but the die was
spoiled and the French substitute was
adopted. IL E,toile du Nord" CThe Star of
the North). Does the professor recall that
Montana is the only state with Spanish
motto? Strange that fur traders should
have adopted "Oro Plata" Gold and Sill
ver). If you say that one state has a
CT eek motto he probably will do some pref
ty hard thinking before answering that it
is California. Eureka" is believed to be
Greek for Il have found" The only Ital
ian motto belongs to Maryland, and 1t or
iginally belonged to the Calvert family,
Patti Maschi, Parole Femme Deeds Are
Males. Words Females). To be a trifle
palmer. Manly Deeds, Womanly Words"
Ask the professor if he knows that Wash
ington is the only state with an Indian
motto. "Al-ki' is pure Chinook for by
and by in the future or hereafter