Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1901-07-15
NOTICES OF STATES.
How Some Phrases Became the sIo-
uans of Various Localities.

qans of Various Localities.
If you desire to have fun with a
learned acquaintance ask him simple
questions about his country, it's his
tory, financial condition, political di-
visions, geographical lines, climatolo-
gy, topography etc. Questions that
any schoolboy can answer DR.. Know
all will stumble clumsily over, often
getting a bad fall There is one ques-
ton that l have never heard anyone
answer, namely: What are the notices
of the several states of the union and
their meaning? A clever man may
name that of his own state and guess
at those Of three or four of the more
important states, but he is unlikely
to know the meanings of any that are
in the original Latin. Try some able
professor in the crowd and see him
founder.
Ask the professor if he knows that
the great seal of the United States
was designed by an Englishman, Sir
John Brestwich, who also suggested
the motto, E Pluribus Unum? Our
.ablest men had failed to propose any
thing acceptable, Franklin, Jefferson,
Adams, Lowell, Scott, Houston and
others wasting nearly four years on
the task. Franklin proposed Moses d.
viding the Red sea with this motto,
Rebellion to Tyrants Is Obedience to
God; Adams proposed the choice OF
Hercules and Jefferson the children
of Israel in the wilderness. Doesn't
it seem funny? Some of the suggest
ed notices were Bello vel Pace (For
War or Peace), Semper (Forever),
Ded Favente with Gods Favor),
Virtus Sofa Invicta Virtue Alone In
vincible), etc. After six years the
Englishman's device was adopted, and
it yet remains on the arms OF the
United tSates.
If the professor is familiar with
the diverse of the great seal, ask him
what he has to say of the reverse,
and the chances are 100 to l that he
cannot recollect the unfinished pyra-
mid the eye in the triangle, the glory
proper, the motto over the eye, Annuit
eCopetis (God Has Favored the I'm
.dertaking), and that under all, Novus
,Ordo Seculorum "a New Series OF
Ages) The diverse of the great
seal, with it's splendid eagle, the bun
die of arrows, the olive branch, the IL
stripes, the 13 stars, the glory break
ing from the clouds and the E Plurl-
bus Unum, is magnificently American,
but the pyramid, the desert, the for
bidding Egyptian Sky and the eye IN
the triangle on the reverse are simply
,barbarOus,
The great seal of the confederacy
by strange arbitrament OF fate was
never used. 1t 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
is a handsome silver die about three
inches in diameter, bearing an eques-
trian portrait of Washington carter
the statue in Richmond), surrounded
with q. wreath composed of cotton, to-
bacc0. sugar cane, corn, wheat and
rice-the principal products of the
confederate states. 1t cost in Eng
land about $500 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 Amerl'
cans, is the only state in the union
fbot has French motto The one
originally selected and ordered en-
graved was Latin, but the die was
spoiled and the French substitute was
adopted, LEtoile du Nord (The Star