The National tribune., 1906-05-31
Relief Corps. and asked It to take up
the work.
Mrs. Agnes Hitt's story.

Mrs. Agnes Hits story.
shall let Mrs Agnes Hit. Past Ma
uonal President OF the Woman's Relief
Corps. and now its National Counselor,
tell the story OF how the Flag work was
taken up by the Woman's Relief Corps
I'm the Spring OF 1893. during the
session OF the Department Convention
OF Indiana, w. r. c., a communication
was received from Capt. Wallace Foster
telling OF his unsuccessful efforts 10
arouse the G.. A. r. on the subject OF
teaching patriotism In the public schools
and urging our Convention to take some
action on the subject. Responding to his
request, resolution was adopted to
FORMALLY present this matter to the Ma
tional Convention, which was to meet
IN indianapolis that year (the month
nave forgotten). This was done by a
resolution presented by the Department
PRESIDENT OF Indiana and adopted by
the National Convention and promul-
gated through General Orders by Mrs.
Mink. National President who had the
honor TO appoint the first Committee on
Patriotic Teaching. So you see, In
diana deserves. and should have. the
credit OF beginning this work that has
taken on such magnificent proper
lions"
For a number Of years now the Grand
Army Of the Republic has been making
good deal of the Flag work without
having IL incorporated I'm the Rules and
Regulations. At Denver last year the
National Encampment authorized the
new Department. and revised the Rules
and Regulations so as to provide for a
National. Department and Post Patriot
&c Instructor. such as the woman's Re-
lief Corps has had for Is years. and g.
triotic work
This patriotic work will never have
| reached its apotheosis until there Is in
the country no other Flag. II is unfor-
tunate that in the South the Star Span
gied Banner is not the Flag OF the whole
people. but only of the more advanced
and better-educated class. The Stars
and Bars float there on all occasions OF
state just as though the Flag OF The
Union did not exist. The President OF
the United States is saluted with II. and
salutes 1t when he takes his trips South.
In this connection, perhaps, IL will not
be uninteresting to read the history OF
how the old Flag was banished from the
South and the banner OF the Confeder-
acy upreared. The Information is col
lated from official sources and is abso-
lutely correct
Treason's Flag.
On the adjournfng OF the South
Carolina Legislature. which had pro-
vided for a Convention. on the 18th
Of November. 1860. only a few days
after the election Of Lincoln was as
in the evening with a torchlight pro-
| cession I'm the streets OF Columbia.
The old banner of the Union was taken
down from the State House and the
Palmetto flag unfurled In its place:
and IT was boastfully declared that
the old ensign. the detested rag OF
the Union. should never again float In
the free air Of South Carolina.
Four days later. the 18th OF Novem-
Der. was gala day in Charleston A
pine liberty pole so feet In height was
erected and Palmetto flag was UNI
furied from its top. The flag was
white with a green palmetto tree I'm
the middle. and bore the motto OF
South Carolina: Animis Opfbusque
Parati; that is. prepared In mind and
resources ready to give life and prop
erty."
The raising Of this flag was greeted
with the roar OF cannon a hundred
times repeated. and the Marseliaise
Hymn by q band: then followed the
Miserere. from IL Travatore. played as q
requiem for the departed Union. Full
10000 people are said to have partici-
pated in this inauguration Of reyolu-
ton and the Rev. c. p. Gadsden In
voked the blessing OF God upon their
acts. These ceremonies were followed
by speeches (some from Northern, men
temporarily In Charieston), IN which
the people were addressed as citizens
OF the Southern Republic. Professions
filed the streets. bearing from square
to square many banners. with signifi-
can't inscriptions; such as South
Carolina wants no Stripes" Stand TO
Carolina goes II alone" God, liberty.
and the State" "Huzza for the South
ern Confederacy;" "Now or never
| strike for independence" Goodbye.
Yankee DOODLE" Death to all Aboh-
t aosa Let e -. US bury the Unions
Back of the Presidents chair OF the
South Carolina Convention which
adopted the ordinances of secession
was a banner composed of cotton cloth.
| with devices painted by a Charleston
artist named Alexander. The base OF
the design was a mass of broken and
disordered blocks of stone, on each of
which were the name and arms OF the
free States. Rising from this mass
were two columns of perfect and
symmetrical blocks Of stone. con-
nected by an arch Of the same material,
on each of which, Is in number, were
the name and coat Of arms OF slave
State. South Carolina, foremost I'm the
treason. forms the keystone Of the arch,
on which stood Powers statue of CAL
houn. leaning upon the trunk Of a
palmetto tree and displaying to spec
tators a scroll inscribed. Truth, JUS
tice and the Constitution" On one side
of Calhoun was a figure of Faith, and
on the other side one OF Hope. Be-
yond these, on each side. was the fig
ure Of an Indian armed with a rife.
In the space between the columns. and
under the arch. was the device of the
seal and flag Of South Carolina namely,
a palmetto tree with a rattlesnake
coiled around its trunk. and at its base
park OF cannon and emblems of the
States commerce. On q scroll,
f1uttering from the trunk of the tree.
were the words: Southern Republic"
Over the whole design, on the segment
of circle. were Is stars the number
Of the slave States. and underneath all.
Built from the Ruins" The banner
was intended as a menace and
prophecy
Secession Ordinances.
The fatal ordinance of secession hav-
ing passed the South Carolina Conven-
ton Dec. 10. 1860, new banner of red
silk was adopted. 1t bore blue cross,
on which were set is stars for the Is
slaveholding States; one of them, GEN.
trail and larger than the rest, repre-