Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1910-11-02


What a pity that this proud en-
biem was ever degraded by being
rut on whiskey bottle, but his
toric truth compels us to record it.,
even though 1t be with shame that
we confess 1t. But the wrong has
been righted and the injury repaired
SO far as State legislation can
effect it. Never again should we
permit this historinc emblem of such
momentous worth to suffer stain or
degradation.
On April 10, 1910, the forty-ninth
anniversary Of the firing on Fort
Sumter, the battleship "South Caro-
lima" one Of the greatest fighting
machines in the American navy, in
Charleston harbor, was presented
with costly silver service and a
handsome palmetto flag wrought in
silk. Governor Ansel, in fitting
manner presented the silver service,
while Mrs. r. MOultrie Bratton, of
Orangeburg, State Regent of the
Daughtres Of the American Revolu-
ton, in a brilliant speech presented
our State flag. Both were accepted
with appreciation, and thus our State
and national emblems float the high
seas together, symboliZing to all for
eign powers the greatness and the
unity, and the strength, and the
glory Of both our State and our
nation.
The colonial flags were Of various
designs and colors, 1t being sufficient
If ground and cross differed Often
pine tree or hemisphere was fig
ured in the left-hand quarter Of the
cross, and one flag had only the
tree for a symbol. The Revolution
ary controversies brought forth all
manner Of devices for flags and BAN
ners, the larger portion bearing
notices more or less defiant Of the
British government. The two flags
most used In those days were Of the
pine-tree and rattlesnake pattern
the volunteers from Connecticut rut
on their flags the arms Of the colony,
with a legend "Qui Transtulit Susti-
net, Gle who brought us over sus-
tains us).
The colonial flag OF New Amster-
dam, carried by armed vessels sail
ing out Of New York, had as its prin-
cipal figure a beaver, indicative of
both the industry of the Dutch peo-
pie and the wealth Of the fur trade.
month after the battle Of Bunker
Hill Putnam displayed a flag with a
red ground, having on one side the
Connecticut motto, and on the other
side words then recognized as the
motto Of Massachusetts, can Appeal
to Heaven" Tradition has it that at
that battle large red flag was dis
played with the defiant taunt, Come,
if you dare"
The earliest vessels sailing under
Washington's authority displayed the
pine-trce flag, though combination
of that and other flags was some
times used. A device seen on many
ilags of that period consisted of a
mailed hand grasping bundle of
thirteen arrows: One OF the most
famous was the rattlesnake flag,
which originated with BENJAMIN
Franklin twenty years before the
W hn
Philadelphia Gazette. in an earnest
appeal for a union OF the colonies
against the attacks of the French, he
showed a wood cut representing a
snake separated into parts, each
part marked with the initial of one
OF the colonies, and underneath the
motto "Unite or die"
On February 0, 1776, Col. Chris
topher Gadsden, Of South Carolina,
presented to the Continental Con-
&ress "An elegant standard such as
is to be used by the commandcr-in-
chief OF the American Navy" 1t was
Of bright yellow color, the center
bearing the "livcly representation of
a rattlesnake in the attitude OF pre-
pairing to strike" The motto be-
meath was Don't tread on ne" Con-
gress adopted the design, which was
afterwards much used. In some
cases the snake was shown as "undu-
lating across the field"
AS the palmetto occupies a promi-
nent position on both our flag and
seal OF State, reference should also
be made to the latter. On both sides
OF the shield are typified and perpet-