The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1901-08-18
THE STORY or OLD GLORY.
ID = = j e -

- tuition and The Tag are causing /
50 much discussion. additional IL
terest nay be aroused BY 3 Short |
sketch Of the dear old Gag. the follow
inE Is contributed.
The story q cur stars and Stripes
dates hack 70 I5se. Ehen Il vas TIE
coat Of arms q Laurence washington.
worshipful mayor u Northampton,
England. Hence the Statesmen who
formulated cur constitution conceived
the !6ez Of our national emblem from /
this coat Of arms, then used b. George
Washington. a shield with red and
white bars. stars. and a raven issrzut
from the crest Our nrst national
standard was made when Congress
appointed a committee comprised Of
BENJAMIN Franklin and Iessrs- Harri-
son and Lynch 20 create national
flag
They adopted the Kings Color"
as a union reunited. with thirteen al
teruate red and white stripes. showing
that although the colonies united FOR
defence against Engiaud's demands.
they stlll acknowledged her soyer-
eighty. George Washington hoisted
this new flag az bis headquarters. At
Cambridge, Mass. January q. 1776-
IL was called the Fag OF the Union or
the Cambridge Flag. and on II were
combined on a field Of blue the crosses
OF St Andrew and St. George. This
vas bordered by thirteen stripes
which represented the thirteen origi-
nal colonies.
All the colony flags we're blended in
this union flag. for with but one ex-
ception the colony flags bore one Of
the three colors. red. white or blue.
After the colonies. or states. as they
were now called withdrew their al
leRiance 70 Great Britain. Congress
appointed another committee 10 Sc
cure a suitable flag for the nation.
The committee upon whom rested
the responsibility was composed of
George Washington. Robert Morris
and Colonel George Ross. A rough
sketch OF the proposed design was
taken 20 Mrs. Elizabeth Ross. a Qua
ker lady Of Philadelphia Mrs. Ross
suggested that the star be a FIVE.
pointed one instead OF six. as given in
the sketch She folded a piece OF
paper and with one clip of her scissors
cut a perfect fiye-pointed star The
committee approved the change and
Mrs. Ross was appointed to make the
first American flag The design con
sisted OF thirteen stripes. alternate
red and white. and thirteen white
stars on a blue field. arranged In {
circle typical OF the perpetuity Of tbs
union
In due time the flag was finished
and accepted by the committee. Or
the 18th day Of Juune. 177T. "Old Clio
~" was formally adopted by Congress
and so maintained until two newly ad
mitted States. Kentucky and Vermont
claimed representation in the nationa
banner Il was not without oppo
sitIon that Congress. in 1894. alterei
the flag to consist OF fifteen red ant
white stripes. with a correspondent
number OF stars. arranged In tire
rows OF FIVE. Under this ensign wer
fought the war OF 1912 and the nava
war with France.
The continued creation of new com
monwealths soon again destroyed tn
numerical correspondence between tn
flag and the members of the union.
During the twenty-three years 70
lowing. Tennessee. Ohio. Louisiana
Indiana and Mississippi we're admitte
to political sisterhood. and their d.
mands for representation on the ms
tional ensign grew louder and loudel
A congressional committee recon
mended the addition of five NOR
stripes and the same number Of stars
but soon saw that this process coul
not be carried much further. II wa
Captain Reid who suggested q wa
out OF the difficulty which would sur'
IL have become troublesome. He url
ed that instead OF increasing the nun
Der Of stripes. they should let the star
keep pace with the number of Amer
can commonwealth. and that III
stripes be reduced to thirteenth
number OF original states. This va
finally adopted as the permanent d.
sign OF the flag. whose galaxy OF star
now typifies not thirteen strugglin
colonies but nearly half hundre
sovereign states.
This proud emblem of our LAM
which today commands the respect
every nation on the globe. has. asid
from the foregoing. an interesting hi
tory peculiarly its own. Though v
are the Youngest OF all the gerat n
lions our flag is older than that {
any other. Each color in il has
meaning-red being the emblem
war. white the emblem OF purity an
truth. and blue the symbol OF loyalt
and Justice. As well as being the oil
est Il Is. too. conceded TO be 70
most beautiful ensign OF any nation
and has fttingly been called "noa'
ing poem.
The question as 20 when and ho'
the term "Old Glory" was first apple
has been answered in several dinel
ent ways. The answer taken frol
COINS "Drum-beat OF the Nation
considered the most authentic.
stephen Driver had been a sea cal
tain before the civil war. and sale
from salem. Mass. TO foreign land
He at one time rendered an importal
service 70 the people Of 3 foreign 20
and was presented by them with
beautiful American fag. A prize
blessed Il as il rose 10 the masthes
OF the ship, and Captain Driver mad
row 20 defend Il with his life
need be.
Giving up the sea. he made his hon
II Nashville. Tenn. but vas strong
opposed TO secession. IN time L b
farsa naeaSsarr 70 secrefe the Ia