The National tribune., 1906-05-31

beat, following the sun and keeping
company with the hours, circles the
earth with one continuous and unbroken
strain Of the martial airs Of England"
The Flag Of the Free.
One fair day In June. 1777, the Colo
NAL Congress Resolved that the flag
Of the Is United States be IS stripes, al
ternate red and white: that the union
be Ii stars, white on q blue field. repre-
senting new constellation" And thus
like new star in midheaven the Flag
OF the Free was was flung across the
political armament to astonish the world
with Its beauty and delight lovers OF
liberty with its symbolism.
So far as history records II, this was
the first legislation. the first agitation
on the subject Of National emblem for
the United States OF America. It Is al
together probable that there were men
in that Congress to whom ties Of blood.
IL not birthright. had endeared any one
of dozen flags Of other Nations. The
Of that first Congress were all
men Of strong will and powerful In ar
gument. The clash of opposing opin-
ions must have been something to re-
member, as each urged the merits Of his
favorite flag. idealized and metamor-
phosed for the uses Of q Republican
form Of Government. But Of this con-
was journal Of Congress. but II was
evidently too severely edited to pander
to the possibly prOfane levity Of such
debate, and there were no omnipresent
reporters there to transcrfbe the heate
debate while the sting still ranked.
They seem to have done things Differ
entity then. When legislation was need
a. oH
seemed to them to be the only thing
necessary to record. Hence 1t must ever
be a matter Of regret that the origin Of
our beautiful Flag should be 50 shroud-
ed in mystery.
Who selected the design will never be
known. 1t might have been an adapta-
ton from any one or half q dozen other
his belief-and 1t, h the popular one
that Washington's family coat Of arms
suggested the design. 1T IL not little
curious" the historian says. that the
poor wornout ray Of feudalisnI. as so
many would count II, should have ex-
banded into the bright and ample BAN
ner that now waves from every sea-"
Mostly English ut First.
Women made the first Flag-women
Of English ancestry-and they made It
OF English bunting. sewed 1t with Eng
lish thread, designed from an English
coat Of arms: furthermore, they pre-
scented 1t to an English-bred Scotchman,
who within q week after the action Of
Congress displayed the brand new BAN
ner over a small vessel as 1t lay in the
harbor at Philadelphia, where thou
sands and thousands Of people came to
and q few to scoff. at the new
fedged dignity Of young Nation. 1t
was the Paul Jones Flag. and Sarah and
Mary Austin, Of Philadelphia. made It.
Nearly century and quarter old. its
coIors are nearly as bright to-day as
they were on that long-ago June day.
That Paul Jones Flag made a big
patch In history. Flung to the breeze
above the Ranger in September Of 1777.
Of which Paul Jones was commander,
the Flag was carried into French wa
pletest and fullest manner. being the
first recognition by a foreign power Of
the United States Of America" How
iOyfully the news was greeted at home
that american independence" had been
abroad! Paul JOnes's
on the high seas under
that Flag will scarcely bear a search
light. but when the Bon Homme Rich
ard episode came about all else that
the dashing commander had done or
left undone was forgotten. Not many
who look at the old Flag now remark
that 1t has but IL stars, instead of the
Ii ordered by Congress.
With the average woman's disregard
Of red tape. IL stars displaced the IS
stars ordered by Congress. probably be-
cause 1t was easier to arrange IL than
13-or. horrible suspicion, the women
who were sewing on 1t may have been
about the number Is!
That Paul Jones Flag was not the
official Flag, anyhow. Congress did not
act on its resolution until Sept. 8. 1777.
and 1t appointed committee to arrange
for the manufacture of the National
emblem. Washington, who had a pref
ty taste for f1nery. suggested that his
Betsey Ross. OF Arch street,
was a dainty seamstress,
SO to her they went. and she made the
first official Flag. She made the Flags
in her footsteps for at least
two generations.
The first appearance Of the Flag in
British port carried dismay and con-
1t happened on Feb. 3, 1888,
and Is chrOnicled In the Political Maya
zine Of London Of that date. which said:
"She wears the rebel colors. and belongs
to the Island Of Nantucket in Massa-
chusetts. This Is the first vessel which
has displayed the Is rebellious stripes
Of America in any British port"
The English knew what the Flag
looked like. though, for COpley. the
painter had immortalized it on canvas,
In a portrait Of Elkanah Watson. of
made abroad in 1882.
Watson. who was a sturdy patriot. had
the picture all finished up but the back
ground. that being reserved by Copley
TO represent a ship bearing to Amer
lea the intelligence Of the acknowledge
ment of Independence rising sun
gliding the Stars and Stripes streaming
from her gaff. II dined with the ar
tist." says Watson. ION the glorious 5th
Of December. 1882. after listening with
him to the speech Of the King. formally
receiving and recognizing the United
States Of America as one OF the Nations
Of the earth. He invited us to his stu
do. and then and there. with a bold
and master touch. attached to the ship
the Stars and Stripes. Thus while the
words Of acknowledgment were still
warm from the Kings lips. the late reb-
Fl. but henceforth free, colors were dis
played in his own Kingdom within .
few rods Of his own door"
The Flag Abroad.
The Flag went first into Chinese wal
.ers I'm 1884, and the Orientals called
the starry emblem "the Flower Flag
because 1t seemed to them so beautiful.
rhe Flag was carried to Japan in 1893.
The first appearance in a Spanish port
was on July 4. at Callao, 1892 The first