Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1901-09-03

rho has followed the flag. 10th al |
home and abroad for over a third OF q I
century. tine more pleasing task has
been assigned to me of making a BRIEF
address. in which I shall endeavor to |
tell you what that flag stands for, what
il has stood for. and what in Gods !
it shall stand for through !
out all time.
Every schOOlbOy knows that It was
adopted by Congress on the i4th day
Of June. l777, in the second year OF
that revolution. by which the United
States secured their independence, and
took their place among the Tree and
sovereign nations of the word. Every
schoolboy knows that its thirteen stars
in a blue field. and its thirteen stripes
OF alternate red ami white. as at FIRST
stood for the thirteen orig lnal
colonies, which banded themselves to-
gether to resist the tyranny OF the
mother country. Every schoolb5y
knows thar its heraldic arrangement
was suggested by the coat armor OF the
immortal Washington, whose English
forbears had worthily worn II from
time immemorial. From this day forth
all patriotic Americans win know that
it received It's baptism of blood on land
at the battle of Cooch's Bridge.
But Il is only recently that Il has
come to be generally known that il
was first borne in battle at sea by the
invincible commodore. john Paul
Jones. in the splendid victory of the
! Bon 'l5omme Richard over the forty
four gun fiigate Scraps of Flalnbor-
ough Head on the 23d day OF Septem-
der. 1879. You will remember that il
was IN the height OF that desperate bat
tle-ihe most desperate. perhaps. ever
fought between civilized com0atants al
sea-that the gallant British COM
mander asked the American Commo-
doTe. through the wreck anG smoke OF
battle, N he had struck his colors. and
reoeiyed for an answer the immortal
words; No have not begun fight
! ing yet. II is with supreme satisfac-
tion that ! call attention to the fact
that the Richard battered and riddled
as she was never lowered her colors.
4 but carried them waving from her
masthead. defiant. unconquered and
iupstricken.' to the bottom OF the sea.
there to iloat in triumph so long as
their threads might hold together. This
flag, made by the young women OF
Portsmouth. New Hampshire. from
/ their silken dresses-it has been finely
said by Jones himself-'was the first
. edition Of the Stars and Stripes that
Europe ever saw; the first to be saluted
by the guns of a European naval now
,er. but far beyond that. and beyond
anything known in history, il was tho
hrstaand the last flag that ever went
down. or ever will go down, flying on
1.-THE ship which conquered and captured
the ship that sunk her. ~, Is
1T Is with supreme satisfaction
that | again carl your attention 80 the
lofty words Of Commodore Jones in
thetcHsis Of that great action, and bid
you remember always that the uncon
querable spirit which inspired them
has ever since that glorious day in
spired the officers and men of the
American Navy. II was that spirit
winch gave victory to Hull with the
! constitution. and to cambridge with
the Constitution. Eszex and Hornet
and TO Porter with the Essex, and to
MacDonoueh with his fleet on Lake
.Champlain, and to Perry with his feet
on Lake Erie, and to Worden with the
Monitor and to Winslow with the
heaTsage, and to Dewey at far Mania
pay, and to Sampson OFF Santiago. II
Is that spirit which has ever kept the
American flag free from disgrace and
defeat on the high seas. and made il
honQrcd and respected wherever our
national interests have required its
presence. IL is that shirt
which has always maintained the
morale. the discipline and theaggressive
temper of the navy. and which more
IMAM once has enabled It. by a single
action to change the naval architec-
lure and send a cold chill down the
back OF every maritime power In the
world / am sure you will pardon me IL
II call your attention also TO the fact
that throughout our history Il has all
ways been the regular navy. with a
permanent corps of well-instructed,
well-paid and well-governed officers
and men, drawn from the body OF the
people, and free from the vices of a
temporary service. We have never had
a volunteer naval force which took
part, or could take part, in great ma
val operations. and hence that service
has always been remarkably free from
fatal plumbers and costly mistakes
From the very nature Of the naval ser
vice this must always be the case, and
this is a fortunate circumstance for
the honor of the country and the glory
of the flag
But let us now consider briefly whai
the nag stands for on land as we'll as
on the sea; what It was to our fore
fathers, what 1t is to us. and what il 4.
TO the world at large
When IL was adopted by the Cont
mental Congress- congress. be il
known. for the entire North American
Continent-there was no such things a.
, a free and sovereign republican govern
! ment in the word The thirteen Eng
fish colonies in America had declared
themselves to be free and Independent
: States. and. aided by France and III
| King, were fighting to make good tina
/ declaration hut the result was still 1,