Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1903-07-31
,ENGLAnD,s UNION JACK.
Some Facts About Its Character. Use
and Identity.

SSSe..~ S0e 49, S~-~A~~SAs 49,
and Identity.
There seems to be no little con-
fusion of mind in many quarters con-
corning the character, the use, and
even the identity of the British ma
tional flag. There is, indeed, says
the London Times, no common agree
ment as to what the national flag is.
Lord Hawkesbury insists that it is
the red ensign and nothing else. No
donbt he is right in the sense that the
red ensign proclaims the nationality
of the unprivileged British merchant
vessel, and is the only flag that can
lawfully be displayed by such yes
sci as the recognized symbol of its
nationality. But if the red ensign is
the only flag that can properly be
called national, how comes it that the
flag flying at the Victoria tower when
ever parliament is sitting is not the
red ensign, but the union jack?
The question is not altogether
without difficulty, perhaps. But with
all respect for Lord Hawkesbury, We
must, as at present advised, hold the
better opinion to be that the union
jack is the national flag properly SO
called, the red ensign being that form
of it which is prescribed by law as the
symbol of the nationality of every
British vessel at sea, not being man
of-war OF vessel otherwise privileged
to wear a different ensign. That the
royal standard is not the national
flag, nor a national flag in any sense,
is a proposition too clear to admit of
dispute It is the personal flag Of
the sovereign, and can be displayed
by a subject only by special permits
sion of the sovereign, and this, from
the nature of the case, is very rarely
accorded. This is established beyond
a doubt blythe letter of Lord Knollys
to the vicar of st. Michael's, Folk
stone. The vicar stated that his con-
gregation had spent f1O in buying a
royal standard, thinking that they
would be able to fly the flag from the
church tower as usual,'' and he asked
that an exception might be made in
their favor. Sir Francis Knollys, as
he then was, replied 'Sthat the royal
standard, which is the kings personal
flag, can only be hoisted at the coro-
nation. If permission were given in
one case it would be impossible to re-
fuse it in any other. I must remind
you," he added, however, chat you
can always fly the union jack"
It would seem from this that, in the
opinion of the kings. private secre-
tary-which we may be sure was not
lightly given-the proper flag to fly
on any festive occasion is the union
jack. Lord Hawkesbury might urge,
perhaps, that this is merely an obiter
dictum, and that it does not finally
establish the title of the union jack
to be regarded as the only true ma
tional flag. But surely this question
is decided by the fact that the union
jack is feature common, and the
only feature common, to all ensigns,
whether white, red or blue, which are
worn by British ships at sea. En-
signs are not merely flags; they are
essentially Distinguishing flags.
| White, red and blue ensigns are
one and all symbols of British nation
atty as distinct from all other nation
alities, and, as between themselves,
they distinguish different classes or
categeries Of British ships. The dis
play of the union jack is the interna-
tional mark of all three, the color of
the ety. being only municipal dis
tinetion, SO to speak. The same
conclusion seems to follow, also, from
the history and structure of the union
! jack. This flag is a combination of
the original national flags Of the
three countries now consolidated into
the United Kingdom. The original
national flag of England was the cross
of St. George, a rectangular red cross
on a white ground. The original Ia
tional flag of Scotland was the cross
of ST. Andrew, diagonal white cross
or satire on blue ground The
original national flag of Ireland, said
to have been borrowed from the arms
of the Geraldines, was red satire on
white ground.