Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-09-05


as she was, never lowered her colofs,
but carried them waving from her
masthead, defiant, unoonquered and
unetrioken," to the bottom Of the sea,
there to float in triumph SO long al
their threads might hold together. This
flag, made by the young ladies of
Portsmouth, New Hampshire, from
their silkeu dresses-it has been finely
said by Jones himself the first
edition of the stars and stripes that
Europe ever saw; the fret to be saluted
by the guns of European naval power,
but far beyond that, and beyond any
thing (knowD In history 1t was the
first and the last flag that ever went
down or ever will go down flying on the
ship which conquered and captured the
ship that sunk her. " Ii Is with supreme
satisfaction that again call your at
tention to the lofty words Of Com
modore Jones In the crisis OF that great
action, and bid you remember always
THAT the unconquerable spirit which in
spired them, has ever since that glorious
day inspired the officers and men of the
| American navy. 1t was that spirit
which gave victory to Hull with the
Constitution and to cambridge with
the Constitution, Essex and Hornet
and to Porter with the Essex; and to
Mac Donough with his feet ON Lake
Champlain; and to Perry with his on
Lake Erie; and to Worden with the
Monitor; and to Winslow with the
Kearsarge; and to Dewey at far Manila
Bay; and to Sampson off Santiago. 1t
is that spirit which has ever kept the
American flag free from disgrace and
defeat on the high seas, and made it
honored and respected wherever our
national interests have required it's
presence. 1t is that spirit which has
always maintained the moral, the dis
cipline and the aggressive temper of
the navy, and which more than once
has enabled IL by single action to
change the naval architecture and send
a cold chill down the back of every
maritime power in the world! / am
sure you will pardon me IL | call your
| attention also to the fact that through
out our history it has always been the
Regular Navy, with permanent corps
OF we'll instructed, we'll paid and we'll
| governed officers and men, drawn from
! the body of the people. and free from
the vices OF temporary service. We
have never had volunteer naval force
which took part, or could take part in
great naval operations, and hence that
service has always been remarkably
free from fatal plumbers and costly
mistakes. From the very nature of the
naval service this must always be the
case, and thie Ia a fortunate circum-
stance for the honor OF the country aud
the glory of the flag.
But let us now consider briefly what
that flag stands Tor ON land as well as
on the sea, what 1t was to our fore-
fathers, what it is to us, and what it is
| to the world at large.
When 1T was adopted by the CONT
| mental Congress-a Congress be it
| known, for the entire North American
| Continent-there was no such thing as
free and sovereign republican govern
ment in the world. The 10 English
colonies in America had declared them
selves to BIO free and independent States,
and aided by France and its king, were
| fighting to make good that declaration,
but the result was still in doubt-stlll
Trembling in the balance. 1t was a
struggle against arbitrary government
against taxation without representa-
tion, against the hereditary exercise
and transmission Of official power. 1t
was struggle for the right Of self gov
eminent, or as the immortal Lincoln
phrased it, nearly 100 years later, for
the establishment Of government Of
the people, for the people, by the peo-
pie, which Should not perish from
the earth," and when the victory was
won it was won potentially for all man.
kind as we'll as for US Americans.
Thenceforth the people were sovereign
everywhere, and every king in the world
held his Drown subject to the will and
Mt ha r,lo nj bsa
that time civil government began to
sun. Though the Improvement Yves
but slow at first, IL many cases almost
imperceptible, the movement had be.
gun, and nothing on earth could defeat
or turn it from it's purpose. And SO the
flag which stood at first for uhity, for
liberty and for Independence among cur
venerated forefathers, now stands for
progress, for civil and religious free
dom, for the dearest hopes and aspira-
tions of every State and Of all mankind.
1t stood then and it stands now for
equal rights and for honest and impair
tial government. 1t knows no party or
faction within the wide limits of the
Republic. Ii knows no race or color in
citizenship. 1t knows no north, no
south, no east, no west. Thank God it
is at last the flag of all sections and all
Glasses ON land and sea, and floats in
unapproaohable majesty over all the
States and Territories alike.
Above all, it stands for the might and
majesty of the Great Republic, and for
the continental policy, the Monroe
Doctrine, which it has been we'll said
lis the public law of the Western
Hemisphere. Az tho last resort it
stands for justice between citizen and
citizen, between the States and Terri
tories, and between the government at
large and its dependencies of every
name and nature. and wherever found.
And whether the flag follows the Con-
stitution or the Constitution follows the
flag, as has been 30 much discussed of
late, one thing at least IS certain, it is
the Aegis and palladium of all who
owe allegiance to 1t, or claim its pro.
lection wherever they may be. Whether
at home among the sovereign States, or
abroad In the Islands and dependencies
beyond the seas, it is the blessed en-
blem and should always be the emblem
and guaranty of equal civil rights and |
equal trade privileges, because these |
are essential to an improving citizen |
ship and an increasing prosperity, with |
out which there can be neither an ad- |
yancing civilization nor reassuring |
belief in the essential unity and |
brotherhood of man. These are not |
mere distractions. They are theIfunda- |
mental and eternal principles of Aineri. |
can government very essence and |
lie hIooa 80 A t,a.inar, l,harkg AID /