The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-11-13
OUR COUNTRY'S SEAL
ITS DESIGN WAS SUGGESTED az
SIR JOHN PRESTWIcH.

The Device He Proposed Was Adopt.
ed by Congress In 1852, and 1t Re-
mains to This Day the Great Seal
Of the United States.
1t Is fact not generally known and
yet one of peculiar significance that the
great seal Of the United States, which
was adopted in 1882, was suggested by
a citizen of a country with which our
own was then at war.
The history Of the great seal and the
difficulties which beset those having in
charge the matter of selecting a suit
able and satisfactory design are full Of
interest. Soon after the Declaration Of
Independence was signed Benjamin
Franklin. Thomas Jefferson and John
Adams were appointed a committee to
prepare great seal for the infant re-
public. They employed French West
Indian named Simitiere to furnish de-
signs and sketches; but, although q
number were suggested, none proved
satisfactory.
Then each member of the committee
was asked to submit a design. Frank
lin proposed for the device Moses lift
ing his wand and dividing the Red sea
and Pharaoh and his hosts overwhelm-
ed with waters, and for a motto the
words of Cromwell, Rebellion to ty-
rants is obedience to God" Adams
proposed the choice of Hercules, the
hero resting on club, Virtue pointing
to her rugged mountain on the one side
and persuading him to ascend. and
Sloth on the other side glancing ut her
f1owery beds and persuading him into
vice. Jefferson proposed the children
Of Israel in the wilderness. led by a
cloud by day and a pillar of fire by
night, and on the reverse side Hengist
and Horsa, 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 to combine their sep
arate ideas into one design, which he
did, and this description, in his own
handwriting, is still on file In the state
department. This design consisted Of q
shield with six quarterings-the first
gold, with an enameled rose, red and
white, for England; the second, white,
with a thistle in its proper color, for
Scotland; the third, green, with harp
Of gold, for Ireland; the fourth, blue,
with golden lily, for France; the fifth,
gold, with an imperial black eagle. tor
Germany, and the sixth, gold, with the
Belgic crowned red lion, for Holland.
These denoted the countries from which
America had been peopled.
He proposed to place this shield with
in a red border, on which there should
be thirteen white escutcheons, linked
together by 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 being the Goddess
Of Liberty in a corselet Of armOr, in
alIusion to 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
of Justice, leaning on a sword III her
right hand and in her 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 "E Pluribus
Unum"-one out of many. For the
reverse he proposed the device Of Pha-
raoh sitting in an open chariot, crown
on his head and a sword in his hand,
passing through the waters Of the Red
sea In pursuit Of the Israelites-rays
from pillar Of fire in cloud, express
i've Of the divine presence and COM
mand, beaming on Moses, who stands
on the shore and, extending bis hand
over the sea, causes it to overwhem
Pharaoh and his followers. Motto,
Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to
God"
Jefferson's device met with the I'M
qualified approval of his associates
and the committee reported to the Con-
tinental congress on Aug. 10, 1776. but
for some unaccountable reason Its
report was never acted upon.
Nothing further was done in the mat
ter until March "a, 1779, when another
committee, composed Of Messrs. Lowell
of Massachusetts, Scott of Virginia
and Houstoun of Georgia, was appoint
ed to make another device.
They suggested a design four inches
in diameter, one side Of which should
be composed of a shield with thirteen
diagonal red and white stripes. Ihls
shield was supported on one side by
warrior holding sword and on the
other by the figure OF Peace bearing
an olive branch. The crest was radi-
ant constellation of thirteen states'
motto, "BellO vel Pace'-for war OF
peace-and the legend, seal OF Tue
United States" on the reverse Tue
figure of Liberty seated in chalr'
holding the staff and cap; motto'
nd