The National tribune., 1906-05-31
(By Isabel Worrell Ball.)

(By Isabel Worrell Ball)
June Ia is the 129th anniversary OF
the birth of the American Flag. and
| the celebration of that anniversary Will
be general throughout the United States
| 1t meant much on that far-away June
day. this birth of Freedoms banner,
and the few who saw it streaming on the
breezs for the first time had just as lit
| tie conception of its mission to the world
as had the Fathers of the Constitution
| when they framed that immortal docu-
r1ent. ~ n
And yet, perhaps, the PsaImist pro-
phesied 1T. for in the 18th Psalm, fourth
verse, we,read, Thou hast given BAN
ner to them that fear Thee that it may
be displayed because of the truth" and
ii is also truth that that banner has
been raised ever because of the Truth.
Mankind loves symbols and emblems.
They are Of infinite use to humanity,
and absolutely essential to mans spir-
itual and moral elevation. They speak
a higher, finer language than tongue
can Frame After speech has done its
best-after words have exhausted them
selves-then symbols and emblems come
in, the concrete sign OF all that words
have struggled to express-of more than
speech can convey. They represent a
range of emotions and aspirations far
transcending utterance. flights of the
sou1 that tongue must ever lag far be-
hind.
To the Christian the Cross means not
only all thatfthe Bible teaches. and all
the fabric of righteousness which the
worlds best and purest have built on
those teachings, but also all that his own
soul has wrought out in Its most ex-
alted mO6ds-i9. ..-
So to the citizen the Flag means not
only all tfiat Is good and great in his
country and, her history, and all that
the men whom he honors have done for
her advancement, but all that his brain
conceives and his heart wishes for the
betterment of his land. his fellow-citi-
zens, humanity and himself. He may
be weak. iSofflid and selfish, but 1t is
Impossible that he shall be without some
pride in his country, some hopes or the
future. some aspirations for higher
things. The Flag represents all these
to him, and rounds out and amplifies
his inchoate and unexpressed thought.
1t reacts upon him, making him better
and finer by what he bestows upon It,.
1t would be a difficult il not impos-
sible task to trace the history and evo-
luton of National banners. The ear
Hest and rudest families had totems to
distinguish them from other families
to mark their property and around
which to array themselves for war.
Every man of the children of Israel
shall pitch by his own standard. with
the ensign of their fati.er's house." was
the command that God gave to Moses
in the Wilderness, after he had deliv-
cred the Israelites out of the house of
bondage. When the families were
merged into tribes the totem of the
principal family became the badge of
the whole. In the tribal relation COM
mon paternity was the central thought.
and thus the flag meant worship of an
cestry. and the brotherhood of all the
members of the tribe
When several tribes were consolidat-
ed into one Nation the flag adopted rep
resented the powerful impulses which
had united them-common gods, conf
mon religion, common speech. common
institutions, and common civilization
civilization which must be protected
against other peoples. having other
gods, other speech and other institu-
tions.
Thus from the first the Flag repre-
sented all that vas best and dearest to
the men and women over whom 1t
waved and who died in Its defense. AS
civilization advanced and the thoughts
of men widened with the process of the
suns" the Flag became more and more
representative, more emblematical and
more cherished-cherished as the visi-
BILE embodiment of the highest aspira-
ton of the whole people.
The Halo About the Flag.
The higher a Nation stands the more
of a halo there is about its Flag. The
character OF its people is accurately
measured by their devotion to their
National emblem. That devotion is the
exact gage of their adherence to prin-
ciple and the elevation of their lives
and aims. From what they will colec-
lively do for its advancement and honor
we can best judge of their individual
character and virtues in private life. 1t
is impossible to conceive OF a people |
who can be great in any respect who
are lacking in devotion to their Flag.
The white plume of Henry of Navarro |
inspired the defenders Of his house to |
deeds of desperate valor. The sacred
raven of the, Danes led them to merci- |
less defeat, The passion red cross OF
they marched to battle chanting pray
ers. and It iwas under the banner of St. |
George that,ri England marshaIled her
Hessians against the Colonies.
When the QRmerican people were de-
livered from the rule of England all
that belonged to her became obnoxious
to the Colonists. and the flag which was
was reviled and detested by those who
had dared to defy the British buster
ers. and a new standard became me-
cessity.
Like ship without a compass. thel
newborn Nation was drifting without |
a standard about which to rally. There
were manyE aags--each of the 13 Colo
MES had one. bearing each its own pc
culiar device, but there was no banner
which represented the crystallized and
ideas of a free Govern
ment such as they sought TO perpetuate.
II seems almost incredible that nearly
500 years had elapsed since Columbus
flung to the breeze the flag of Ferdinand
and Isabella. the first flag ever kissed
by the winds of the new west world,
before a Nation indigenous to the soil''
was ready to unite its people under q
National banner which should be TO
them their guidon and their glory tell
ing eloquently IL mutely, the story of
stormy trials. foes vanquished and vic
tories won. But after three centuries
4 new Nation, solidified through suffer-
ing, strong through conflict, steadfast
through purity of patriotism. raised
their flag against power to which for
purposes of foreign conquest and sub
jugation Rome in the height of her
glory is not to be compared power
which mas dotted over the surface Of
he whole globe with her possessions
- military uoSts whose mornins drum