Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-15
OUR NATIONAL EMBLEM
AND COAT-OF-ARMS

the flag of the United States should con-
sist of thirteen stripes, alternate red and
white, with union of twenty white stars
on field Of blue, and that upon the adj
mission of each state into the Union
an additional star be added to the flag, to
take effect on the 4th day of July next
following.
Thus by wise provision of legislation
the original form of the flag. emblematic
of the thirteen states of the revolution, was
perpetuated, and the addition of one star
as each state was admitted to the Union
gave proper recognition to all the states
and makes the flag a significant emblem
Of the growth and power of the country
without alteration of its original design.
In the war with Mexico the national flag
bore twenty-nine stars in its union; during
the civil war thirty-five, and since July 4,
1885, by the admission of Utah, the num-
Der has been increased to forty-five stars.
The prospective admission OF Oklahoma will
add another star to the flag July A. 1907.
NO law has been passed relating to the
arrangement of the stars in the uni N, 6ti<
In accordance with agreement farrivedN
at between the War and Navy departments
1t has been decided to place them in hori-
zontal rows across the blue field, but not
always in vertical rows, the latter arrange
ment being governed by the number of
stars to be inserted.
The national flags hosted at camps and
forts are now made of bunting of Ameri-
can manufacture. but it not until after
the civil war that the proper kind of bunt-
ing could be procured in this country. IT
is believed that the first United States flag
manufactured from genuine American bunt-
ing was made at Lowell Mass That flag
was raised over the Capitol at Washington
in February, 1866 Previous to that time
English bunting had been used for that
purpose.
Union jacks are used in the navy. They
are of the same dimensions and have the
same number of stars as the union of the
ensign 1t may be defined as the national
flag with the stripes omitted. 1t is hoisted
forward on vessel as an additional flag
upon occasions Of dress ceremony. 1t
is hoiSted aft at some conspicuous point
other than that occupied by the national
flag when a court-martial is being held
aboard ship. 1t is hoisted in the bow of a
ships boat when a diplomatic officer above |
certain rank is being conveyed to or
from man-of-war. 1t Is used for cover |
ing the bodies of the dead for a certain |
period up to and during the funeral cere-
mony.
The present usage in our navy is to style
this flag the jack. and not union jack. |
1t is supposed to have derived its name |
from the fact that at the time of the in |
vasion of Scotland by the English, A. D. |
1885, 1t was directed that every man of |
arms of st. George, both before and be- |
hind. From this surcoat or jacket flags |
bearing such devices are called jacks. The |
union of the crosses of ST. George and ST. |
Andrew, since the union of England and |
Scotland in 1907; and since 1s0S, the union |
OF the crosses of st. George, st. Andrew |
and St Patrick or the union of England.
Scotland and Ireland--or. more properly |
speaking, Great Britain and Ireland-are |
called by the British union jacks |
Thus, the union taken from our flag !
ALL
composed of white stars on a blue field !
was also called the union jack, and finally |
among our naval people and seafaring men |
the word union" has been dropped, and |
they speak of II now as the jack, and sail |
ors are called jack tars.
The correct coat-of-arms appears on the |
face of the great seal of the United States |
in the custody of the Department of State. |
That seal Is used to attest papers bearing |
the signature of the President and has |
never been used for any other purpose.
The seal in use was cut in 1885, |
Frederick I. Frelinghuysen being Secretary |
of State, after the designs had been SUBJ |
mitted by the department to several his |
torical scholars and authorities on heraldry |
and had been approved by them
The device for the great seal Is repre- |
sented by an American eagle with out |
stretched wings, holding in it's dexter talon |
Oil OliSt pTdlitH pedTluS thirteen OHFeS ana |
thirteen leaves, and in it's sinister q bun |
die of thirteen arrows, all proper, and In |
its beak scroll inscribed with the motto |
e Pluribus Unum'' Over the head of the |
eagle Is glory, or breaking through a |
cloud, thirteen stars forming a consteIla- |
ton. On the eagles breast an escutcheon |
or shield, the upper blank field separated |
from the perpendicular stripes, which form |
the lower portion, by a horizontal line. |
This shield has q general resemblance to |
the nag with the stars omitted and with |
six red stripes, when the shield Is shown |
in colors. and seven white stripes instead |
OF seven red and six white. as provided for |
the flag. The outside or border stripes are |
white in the shield and red in the flag.