Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-05-31
TO BE CONTINUED.
aetisftltantuus Reading.
FLAG OF THE CONFEDERACY.

or SoNr
Complete Story of the Evolution OF
the Emblem of the Lost Cause.
BY James L. Strain.
On page 80 of 1.-The First Year of the
War" by Edward A. Pollard. editor of
the Richmond Examiner, we find the
following footnote, which throws some
light upon the question concerning the
Confederate flag:
"A type of the conservatism Of the
southern revolution-its attachment to
the past-was vividly displayed In the
adoption of its national ensign, a blue
union with a circle of stars, and longi-
tudinal bars, red, white and red, IN
place of the stars of the flag of the
old government. The present Confed-
crate flag was balloted for In the pro-
visional congress, and was selected by
a majority of votes out of four differ
ent models. At the time Of the early
session of congress at Montgomery, the
popular sentiment was almost unanl-
nous and very urgent, that the main
features of the old Federal constitu-
ton should be copied into the new gov
ernment, and that to follow out and
give expression to this idea, the flag
should be as close copy as possible OF
the Federal ensign. A resolution was
introduced in the provisional congress
to the effect that the flag should be as
little different as possible from that or
the Federal government, which resolu-
ton was vigorously opposed by Mr.
Miles, Of South Carolina, who was then
chairman Of the flag committee. The
design recommended by Mr.. Miles. but
voted down, has since been adopted as
the battle flag Of Generals Johnson
and Beauregard. It Is blue salties (or
Maltese cross), with inner rows OF
stars, on a red fleld-the emblem OF
the Saltier (Saltere. to leap) being ap-
propriately that Of progress and pow
er. The two other competing designs,
from which our present flag was Sc
lected, were one. an almost exact re-
production of the Federal stars and
stripes. the only variation being that
Of blue stripe, and the other a simple
blue circle or rim, on a red field. The
consideration that determined the Sc
lection Of the present flag was its sim
ilarity to that Of the old government
The seven stars at first (February
4th to 22d, 1850, represented the seven
seeded states which formed the nu-
cleus for the Confederacy, to wit: South
Carolina, Mississippi Alabama, Flor
ida, Georgia. Louisiana and Texas.
But when the state Of Tennessee. the
last one to secede, came out on the 9Th
Of June, 1861, another verse was added
to 1.-THE Bonnie Blug Flag" to wit:
And let another rousing cheer
For Tennessee be given;
The seven stars-'The Bonnie Blue
Flag.
Has grown to be eleven"
Thus the original Confederate flag
held eleven stars until change be-
came necessary in order that 1t could
be the more easily recognized amid the
smoke Of battle. It's resemblance to
that Of the United States flag made this
change necessary. When the new flag
was adopted, the thirteen stars repre-
senting the thirteen original states
(and all they stood for), was placed
upon the Maltese cross and ever after
ward remained there.
The thirteen stars on the battle flag
stood for the same. The battle flag
was originally designed by a South
Carolinian-Mr. Miles-and was never
changed
It was the object of the original de-
signers to have the constitution OF the
Confederate states modelled afer that
of the old government as nearly as 1t
was possible to do, and most of the
northern and foreign historians have
since that time admitted that fact.
The only essential they have studious-
" avoided making mention of (or say
ing anything about, is the fact that
the Confederate constitution recogniZ-
ed, as the old did not, Almighty God
and invoked His favor and guidance.
There are many things connected
with the history Of our country, as
we'll rs the formation of the Confed-
eracy, that are not made sufficiently
plain in the books taught in our schools
of today.
A great many historians are divided
in their opinions as to the history OF
the American fag-"Old Glory This
was not perfectly clear. even to Alex
ander H. Stephens, who says: 1.-The
stars, as a matter of course. repre-
sent states. The origin Of the stripes
I think, If searched out, would be found
to be a little curious. All I know upon
that point is that on the 4th day OF
July, 1176, after the Declaration OF In
dependence was carried, committee
was appointed by congress, consisting
of Mr.. Jefferson, DR.. Franklin and
John Adams, to prepare a device Tor
q seal Of the United States. This seal.
as reported, or the device in full, as
reported, was never adopted. But In
il we see the emblems, in part. which
are still preserved in the flag.
The stripes or lines, which on Mr..
Jefferson's original plan, were to des-
ignate the six quarterings of the shield
as signs of the six countries from