Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-21
TO REcUT GREAT SEAL
Arrangement Made by As
sistant Secretary Peirce,
NECESSITY rs SHOWN
INTERESTING HISTORY OF THE
NATIONAL STAMP.
How the Present Design Came to Be
Chosen-Course of Development
and Improvement.

Third Assistant Secretary PIERCE of the
State Department has just completed ar
rangements for the execution of an act of
Congress providing for recut Of the great
| seal of the Unitel States from the original
model and the suitable protection and pres
| ervation of the original seal. Authority
| for this action was contained in the general
deficiency act of 1902. when an appropr1a-
| ton of $3.50 was made for the purpose.
/ No action having been taken under that
] act the appropriation was re-enacted In
| the general deficiency of 1903. The Ian
| guage of the law is follows:
ITO enable the Secretary of State to have
| the great seal of the United States recut
| from the original model. and to purchase
| suitable press for its use and cover 10
| protect the same from dust the sum OF one
| thousand two hundred and fifty dollars ap-
proprtated by the deficiency act approved
| July l. 1902. To enable the Secretary or
| State to have the great seal of the United
| States recut.' is hereby reappropriated for
! the purposes above mentioned
| The execution of this statute was intrust-
| ed to Assistant Secretary PIERCE, and that
official has just concluded contract with
Mr. James D. Mcbride of this city for the
! work. He has notified the State Depart
| ment that Mr. Max Zeiller, an expert en-
graver in the employ of Bailey. Banks &
Biddle of Philadelphia. will cut duplicate
of the present great seal and that the press
to be used as a cover of the seal will be
provided by the Hoe Company of New
York.
The necessity for new seal grows out
of the fact that the one now in constant
use is nearly worn out and in no condition
to stand much further wear and tear.
History of the Great Seal.
The great seal has an interesting history.
and is to be carefully preserved in the
archives of the State Department as a pre-
cious relic of the early days of the republic.
On the 4th of July. 1776. after the Declare
ton of Independence had been read in the
Continental Congress- DR.. Franklin. MIR.
Adams and Mr.. Jefferson were appointed a
committee to prepare device for a seal of
the United States of North America. In
the following August that committee sub
mitted a design for the seal. one side hay
ing the arms of the Unitel States. with n
scutcheon for each of the thirteen fnde-
pendent states on the Shield supported by
the Goddess of Liberty on one side and the
Goddess of Justice on the other side, with
the motto 'E Pluribus Unum." The re-
verse contained a device of Pharaoh sitting
in an. open chariot passing through the d.
vided waters of the Red sea in pursuit of
the Israelites. 1t also contained repre-
sentation of pillar of fire in the Clouds
expressive of the Divine presence and
command, beamng on Moses, who stands
on the shore, and, extending his hand over
the sea, causes 1t to overwhelm Pharaoh"
1t also contained the motto. Rebellion to
tyrants is obedience to God"
Two features of this design were pre-
served in the seal as finally adopted-the
eye of Providence in the triangle which now
appears on the reverse and the motto IL
Pluribus Unum." The latter was familiar
quotation to the co1onists as the motto OF
the Gentleman's Magazine and naturally
suggested itself as the most appropriate de-
scription of the new order Of things when
the several colonies united in their opposi-
ion To ri toll
The device of the Franklin committee did
not meet with favorable reception. The
report was laid on the table and nothing
further was done until March %. ITO. when
the matter was referred to a new commit
tee of which Mr.. Games Lowell of Massa-
chusetts was chairman This committee re-
ported in May, 1880. Their device had the
coat of arms the face and seated
figure of Liberty with the motto ''Semper
on the reverse. In this device appeared for
the first time the constellation of the thir-
teen stars and the thirteen alternate red
and white stripes, but the latter were here
diagonal. whereas they finally aESeared as
perpendicular The idea followed natural
ly the design of the national tag which
Congress had adopted June ii. 1777. After
debate the report was recommitted to new
committee Of which Mr. Middleton of South
Carolina was chairman. Two years later
the records show activity in the effort to
evolve a suitable device and several designs
were considered, but it was not until June
20. 1882. that the seal was finally decided
upon. and the model differs only in details
Of execution from the seal now in use
Prof. Barton's Design.
Among those who took an active part in
the matter were Mr.. Charles Thomson. sec
rotary of Congress. Representative Arthur
Lee of Virginia and Professor William Bar
ton of Philadelphia. The last named sub
mitted an elaborate design which is note
worthy from the fact that 1t was the first
in which the American bald eagle appeared.
1t contained little else, however that was
subsequently used. In this design the eagle
was displayed on the summit of a Doric
column. Professor Barton said that the
eagle was given as the symbol of supreme
power and authority and signified the Con-
greSs. Being placed at the summit of the
column it was mathematical of the SOW
ereignty of the government of the United
States
Professor Barton subsequently submitted
another design, in the crest of which was
an eagle holding in his dexter talon a sword
with wreath of laurel at the point. and in
the sinister talon the ensign OF the United
States The design Of the reverse of the
existing seal was then clearly fixed for the
first time, the design Of Professor Barton
being the one finally adopted except for
the motto. His design for the reverse con-
tanned pyramid of thirteen strata with an
eye in the zenith surrounded with glory
and the motto Dec Favente Perennfs"
The pyramid signifies strength and dura-
ton.
The next device submitted, that of Mr..
Charles Thomson. showed further step
toward the one finally selected. Its main
feature was an eagle bearing the shield on
its breast. grasping the olive branch and
arrows and the constellation surrounded by
clouds. The eagle has a scroll in its bill,
with the motto, 'E Pluribus Unum." These
things are parts of the present seal, but
the details are not the same. Mr.. Thomson
explained in his report that the head and
tail of the American bald eagle are white
and the body and wings of a lead or dove
color
The next report considered was Endorsed
Mr.. Bartons improvement on the secre-
tary's (Mr. Thomson's) Device" 1t de-
scribes a device containing all the essential
features of the Thomson device, and is al
most Identical with the one finally agreed
upon. Mr.. Barton. however, introduced a
legend. "Sigil. Mag. Reipub. Confoed
Americ.." which was omitted in the APP
proved device.
The Seal Finally Adopted.
The great seal was finally adopted June
90 1882. and was described in the journal
of Congress as follows:
THE device for an armorial achievement
and reverse Of the great seal for the United
States in Congress assembled is as follows:
"Arms.-Paleways of thirteen pieces ar
pQn a nd cr,l1oS of ovr,ro he <ol,