The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1907-05-16
What Others Say.
RESPECT FOR THE FLAG.

How cary in history men first be-
gan TO make Sc Of symbolism can
not be said, but certainly not long
after emerging from a state of saw
agery. Almost universally and very
soon was recognized the existence
of some great and mscrutnable
mower. or powers outside themselves
and thev soon began to Symbolic
it in varying ways. Some chose
single object like the sun; other
invented gods and goddesses to pre-
sble over and represent every mani
festation of nature and almost
every phase Of human life, and
many fashioned idols, which, while
they were to the instructed only
symbols, came to be TO the ignorant
the actual gods themselves. With
the progress of civilization and the
growth Of the power to genealHe
to personify traits and represent
abstract ideas by symbols, differ
ent objects were chosen, some OF
them suggested by their own quall-
ties, and some apparently arbltrar-
ilv selected to give concrete eX-
preston to ideas. 1t was necessary
then, and is stall, TO have such
ideas obiectified in some way. The
lion came to stand for strength, the
lamb for meeSness, the dove for
,peace, the scales for justice and
so on, until every quality has its
symbol. This tendency was soon
manifest in worship, where rituals
forms, ceremonies and sacred OBJ
iects, all represent to the devout
different manifestations Of rever-
ence supplicat.bn, or alteration.
symbols from association come to
many to have sacredness in them
selves, as the cross standing FOR
! Christianity, and the flag, for all
we mean when we say "our conn
try. "
Doubtless as soon as men began
to gather for some purpose held IN
common, some object was selected
to be kept always in evidence, as a
NNlhDOl ullu az ldllNlHS p'iHt'
Such are found represented in
Egyptian and Persian pictures and
sculptures, and were common
among the Greeks and Romans.
To the Roman soldier his standard
was the most sacred thing on
earth, and among all nations the
position Of standard bearer has al
ways been one of the highest hon
or Some bird or animal was usu-
ally selected as a symbol, and it
was probably not ii / the middle
ages that drapery was used and
anything like our modern flags
came into existence.
Everyone is familiar with the
origin and istory of the American
flag. Localized by the poet, O.
runs:
"When Freedom from her noun
tain height,
Unfurled her banner TO the air,
She tore the azure robe Of night
And set the stars of glory there"
Paul Jones first gave it TO battle
and the breeze, anr made it the
symbol Of victory and glory. Wash
ingtOn and his brave Continentas
followed it through long years of
struggle and prlvation to final
triumph at Yorktown. 1t was the
meteor flag that carried eonsterna-
tion and defeat TO the mistress of
the seas in 1912, and our hardy
volunteers from beneath its folds
beat back and vanquished the
British regulars at New Orleans.
1t led Scott and his little band OF
conquering heroes into the City of
Mexico. and on hundred battle
fields Of the Civil War, it was
planted as the invincible emblem
of Union and Liberty, one and in.
separable now and forever. F." II
carried freedom and enlightenment
to Cuba and the Islands of the sea
and is respected the world over a
the symbol Of liberty and the en-
blem of the sovereignty of great
and growing nation.
Loving it as we do and teaching
our children to reverence it for all |
the heroism and sacrifice that il
represents, u is natural that we
should wish to keep it sacred as
Jhe symbol of love OF country, eonr.
age, honor and devotion 10 duty. |