The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1902-06-12

Cresting the pillows of fire.
| Whelmng established evils,
Raising the lowly higher.
Challenging ancient error.
Siicrcing tyranny dumb.
Gladdening and inspiring
| Hope for years to come.
Old Glory, Old Glory. the world awaits
thy story.
| Float on. float ever On DER land and sea
Old Glory. Old Glory. the world awaits
thy story,
| Float on. float on, thou emblem of the
free
Next Saturday. June II. is one of the
most splendid anniversaries in the history
| of mankind. 1t is the 18th recurrence
If the day on which Congress adoptcl
| the resolution that the flag of the 13
United States be Is stripes. alternately
| TeG and white: that the union be Is stars.
white in a blue field. representing Il new
| constellation Whence came this design.
startling in its novelty. briliance and
beauty. is absolutely unknown. Its author
never laid the slightest claim TO the honor
of its great conception. Yet it was SO
original that it must have been the prod
net of stme singularly widc-ransing in
vtntive mind He must have been an
American full of new and high aspira-
tions for this country. Prior to that time
all flags had been heraldic Tint is.
they had been evolved from the bears
lions, birds. etc. etc. which the knights
bore on their shields as "cognizafccs'' to
distinguish them when they We're masked
in full armor. Out of this grew the sci
ence of heraldry. Banners were develop
ed fer lord and his followers. and when
that lord rose to be king, his flag be-
came the national standard. Nearly the
only exception to this was the cross which
the crusaders made Il popular flag emblem
and it became the symbol of the Chris
tan nations in their wars with the
Turks. Hence we find the cross APP
pearing on many European flags. But
religious wars in Europe had made
the cross distasteful to most of the
men Of the Revolution, and they would
have none of it on their flag. Our
flag was therefore totally unlike anything
which had heretofore appeared in heral
dry, or on the field of battle. Its design
has been ascribed to John Adams, bur
this has been rejected by most real s.u-
dents. and it is even more unlikely that
it was copied from the arms of the Wash
ington family. First. because it is more
than doubtful if the Washington family
ever had any "arms"; second, because
Washington, at the time of the adoption
of the flag. was not so prominent that
such thing would have been done in his
honor: and. thirdly, and strongest Of all,
such thing would have savored entirely
too much of personal alteration, onc-man-
ism and kingcraft to have been for mo-
ment tolerated by the sturdy republicans
of the Revolution. They were not dis
ca-ding the by-the-grace-of-Go God banner Of
any one man to set up that of another.
Nc; the Flag, like most of rhe good
things IF this country, was an inspiration
in enc Of the many active, earnest, lofty
minds working intensely for the greater
good of America. The inspiration was at
once enthusiastically welcomed by til" 9th
er n.iliis of the same character, and be-
came living, dominating fact.
Ours is today the oldest National Flag
in the world. Since it was adopted, June
IA, 1877, the whole political face of the
world has changed, in some places many
times. Ours has been the only Flag which
has remained unchanged during the tur-
bulence Of century and quarter Of the
most eyentful cycle in the worlds his
tory.
1t was born as the first harbinger of the
new era of Human Rights which had
dawned upon the world, and since its
birth nearly 100000 of the best soldiers
in the whole world have fought bloody
battles for its greater honor, and nearly
L. 100000 patriots have died in its defense.
From the very first the Flag has rep
resented the most exalted aspirations of
Humanity: around it have clustered all
that good and true men could hope and
aspire to for the benefit of Man; the men
who have died for it fell as martyrs to
Liberty, Right and Justice, and its victo-
ries have ever been for the advancement
of Mankind. No other banner unfolded
to the approving sunlight Of Heaven has
been so consecrated by the most exalted
faith evidenced in deeds, and deeds testify
ing faith. The sacrifices of million lives
for it has made it holy beyond words.
This is James Whitcomb Riley's story
Of how it received its name.
OLD GLORY.
Old Glory! say, who,
By the ships and the crew,
And the long, blended ranks Of the Gray
and the Blue
Who gave you, Old Glory, the name that
you bear
With such pride everywhere,
As you cast yourself free to the rapturous
air,
And leap out full length, as we're want
ing you to-
Who gave you that name, with the ring
Of the same,
And the honor and fame so becoming to