The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1908-07-07


tional flag 1t consisted of thirteen
stripes, seven red and six white, and
thirteen stars arranged in circle on
skyblue field. In number both stars
and stripes were emblematic of the thir-
teen independent states of the Union.
The stars are supposed to have been
suggested by the Chief of the WASH
ington arms as still shown on the monu-
ments at Brighton in Northampton.
shire, England. This new constellation
was destined to be ever looked up to
with the same faith that we give to the
starry sentnels of night. Like stars
of heaven, our flag stars have never
failed us. In both we read courage,
equality to all, purity, unity and perpe.
tuity. just as the world has ever well
coined the stars of night, so has it well
coined the flag which ''has never been
trailed in the dust by foreign or domes-
tic foe. Wherever it has foated to the
breeze in every sea and upon every
land, it has been welcomed by all peo.
pie of all nations as the inspiration to
humanity, to society, to the attainment
of equal rights Surely it must have
encouraged the early soldiers of Amer
lea, as they followed their banner, to
|
also had triumphantly borne starry EN-.
signs across many a battlefield in the
far off days of chivalry.
The American flag was first raised
over Fort Stanwix-now the city of
Rome, N. Y.-on Aug. End, 1777. The
following month it was introduced on
the battlefield of the Brandywine. Capt.
Paul Jones was there to display it on
shipboard as he sailed on the Schuylkill,
after which it was hoisted on all Amer
lean warships. Capt. Jones was also
the first to carry the flag across the
ocean and to foreign country, when,
late in the year 177S, his ship, The
Ranger, arrived at France. Soon after
the Rangers arrival, other foreign war
ships cast anchor at the same French
port, consequently saluting America q
flag and recognizing America as SIS
ter nation for the first time.
Ten years later, the flag was carried
around the world by the ship Colombia,
which spent three years in crcling the
globe.
When the second war against Eng
land was fought, two more states had
been added to the Union and, in con-
sequence, two more stars and two more
stripes to the flag. During this war
francis Scott Key wrote our netional
AIR entitled, Inc star Spangiea Ban
ner,' describing the scenes which he
had actually seen. This vivid descrip-
ton proves the great influence of the
flag on the battlefield and tells us how
Americas sons have willingly risked
all else IN order to keep ahoat the star
Spangled Banner. everywhere, to an
American ear this air exhorts the best
emotion that is In manklnd-patrlot-
ism! What true citizen OF America
would not add his life to the long iist
of braves who willingly sacrificed
part of life's little while" In oder
that their country might live forever
This song also recalls the TACT that the
nag IS the only monument o. many ga,
liant men swept from patt,ehelds ana
closed over by blue seas-sleeplng IN
AS more states CANNED admlttanee
to the Union, the nag was IN Danger
OF becoming out Oh proportion shoula
the pan OF extra stripes DE cor .lnueu.
Thus, congress appointed commlttee
to revise me nag snltap'y. capita ..
A. Reid OF the U. ). Navy was mem
- ~ 49,"
due the credit of the legislative aos in
Mar h, 1918, causing the restoratio OF
the thirteen original stripes in honor
of the thirteen colonies who established
Independence and Freedom. a star was
to represent each state on the held OF
blue, and one to be added for each new
state on the Attn OF July following its
admission. This act took effect on Jr'y
4th, 1918. Thus the anniversary of the
signing OF the Declaration OF lndepen'-
ence Is also the anniversary OF the es-
tabllshed nag or our country.
The first nag OF tins design was made
In New York CITY by the wife OF capt
Reid, assisted by several yourg ladies',
and was raised over the Capital OF the
United States ON April 18th, 1913.
Since 1866, all government flags are
made exclusively from American bunt-
ing, manufactured in America from
American labor and produce. The width
of the flag is two-thirds its length;
seven of the horizontal stripes, begin
ming with the outermost, are red; the
six alternate stripes are white.
Tho ITpinn or fold of hIua tho