Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1906-08-08
OUR C0UNTRY'S SEAL
us DESIGN WAS SUGGESTED az
SIR JOHN PReSTwlcH.

A..
OF the United states.
II IL fact not generally known ana
Jet one Of peculiar significance that the
great seal OF the United States. which
was adopted In iIs2. was suggested 10y
a citizen OF n country with which our
pwn WIS then at war.
The history OF the great seal ana the
difficulties which bcset those having I'm
charge the matter OF selecting n suit
nbie and satisfactory design are full OF
interest soon after the Declaration OF
Independence was signed Benjamin
Franklin, Thomas jefferson and John
Adams We're appointed committee TO
prepare great seal for the infant re-
public. They employed n French West
Indian named Simitlcrc TO gprnish de-
signs and sketches; but. although n
number We're suggested. none proved
satisfactory
Then each member OF the committee
was asked 20 submit n design. Frank
lin proposed for the device Moses lift
Ing his wand and dividing the Red sea
and Pharaoh and his hosts overwhelm-
cd with waters. and FOR motto the
words OF Cromwell, Rebellion 70 ty-
rants is obedience 10 God" Adams
proposed the choice OF Hercules. the
hero resting on "A club. Tlrtuc pointing
To her rugged mountain on the one side
and pcrsuadlng him to ascend. and
Sloth OF the other side CHANGING ut her
howery beds and pevsuadinS him into
vice. Jefferson proposed the children
Of Israel In the wilderness. led by n
cloud 10y day ana "A pillar OF fire 10y
night ana on the reverse side IIengist
and Uorsa. the Saxon chiefs from
whom we claim the honor OF being
descended and whose political princi.
pies and form OF government we have
assumed. Jefferson was then requested
by his colleagues 70 combine their sep
arete ideas into one design. which he
did. and this description. IN his own
handwriting. Is stiil on file I'm tho state
department. This design consisted of n
shield with six Guartcrin-s-th first
gold. with an enamclcd rose. red and
white for England; the second, white
with thistle IN It's proper color, for
Scotland; the third. green with n harp
Of gold. for Ireland; the fourth. blue
with golden lily. Gor France; the fifth,
gold. with mn Imperial black eagle. for
Germany. and the sixth gold. with the
Bclgic crowned rcd lion. for Holland
These denoted the countries from which
America had been pcopled
lie proposed to place thls shield with
IN a red border, on which there should
be thirteen white escutchelns. linked
together 10y gold chain. each bearing
appropriate initials IN black OF the
thirteen original states. There were
supporters on either side Of the shield.
the one on the right leiug the Goddess
Of Liberty IN corsclct OF armor. IN
allusion % the then state of war. and
holding a spear and cap IN her right
hand. while the left supported the
shield. ON the left was the Goddess
~ Justice. leaning on sword IN her
right hand and i'm ,hcr left balance
The crest was the eye OF Providence,
in a radiant triangle, whose glory ex-
tended over the shield and beyond the
figures The motto was Il pluribus
Unum'-Ono ont OF many For tho
reverse hc proposed the device of pha-
y0oh sitting I'm IN open chariot a crown
on his head md sword IN his hand
passing through the waters Of the Red
sea In pursuit OF the Israclitcs-rays
from pillar 90 fire IN CLOUD. express
I've OF the divine presence and COM
mand. he1ming on Moses. who stands
on The shore and. extending his hand
over tho sen, causes il To- ovcrwhelm
Pharaoh and his followers. Motto,
Rebellion 10 tyrants IS obedience 10
Cod"
JeTerSon's device met with the I'M
Qunnncd approval Of his associates,
and tho committee reported to the Con
tinental congress on Aug. 10. 1T76. but
for some unaccountablc reason its
report was never acted upon.
Nothing further was done in the mat
ter until March "a, 1919. whcn another
committee. composed Of Mcssrs Lowell
Of Massachusetts. Scott of Virginia
and IIoustOun OF Georgia. was appoint
| 81 10 make another device.
They suggested a design four inches
in diameter, one side Of which should
DO composed Of u shield with thirteen
diagonal red and white stripes This
shield was supported on one side by
( warrior holding n sword and on the
other by the figure Of Peace bearing
an olive branch The crest was Il radi-
ant constellation Of thirteen states;
motto. "BellO vel Pace for war or
peace-Rpd the legend. Seal of the
| United States" on the reverse the
| figure Of Liberty seated In chair.
holding the stan and cap; motto
/ "Sempcr" - forever - and underneath
! MDCCLXXVI
This device met with the same neg
/ lect at the hands Of congress as the
! former. and the matter remained IN
allegiance until 1852, when another
committee was appointed. They re-
ported substantially the same device
as tho former committee; but, this be-
ing still unsatisfactory, congress. on
the third day Of June. 17S2. referred
the whole matter to its secretary,
Charles Thomson. lie In turn pro
cured several devices. but they met
with no better fate than their predcCcs-
SOrs. and after vainly trying To perfect
u seal which should meet the approval
of congress, Thomson received from
John Adams then in London. an OK
ceedlngly simple and appropriate do
vice, which was suggested by Sir John
Prestwich, barOnet Of the west OF
England, who was an accomplished an
tiquarian and n warm friend of Amer
lea 1t consisted Of an escutcheOn
bearing thirteen perpendicular stripes,
alternate red md white with the chief