Putnam patriot., 1913-06-20
OUR FLAG AND WHAT 1T MEANS
Marion z. Carpenter

baby COOS at tbe siSut VI inc obai
Spangled Banner.
One of the places where The chill
dren are taught to honor and love the
flag is the schoolroom This Is as II
should be. Some one has said, "Edu-
cation which does not develop char
aeter is worth little and strong we'll
poised character is worth more than
all the knowledge learned from books
alone"
/ have liked the spirit shown by a
little fellow in one OF our city kinder
gartens visitor inquired Of one OF
the teachers If fore gners were al
lowed in the school and she said: "Oh
yes. this child is German, this one
French, here Is Polish child and
there is an Italian, while this little
fellow laying her hand on the boys
shoulder, is Syrian. Quick as
fash came the answer: 7 am not
foreigner, am an American. was
born in thi7 country and this is my
fagp There was the foundation OF
good citizenship in later years. He
had already learned In the school
room as a part OF the regular exercis-
es the salute to the flag which is this:
Il pledge allegiance to my flag.
And 10 the Republic for which II
stands.
One nation indivisible
with liberty and justice for al"
The flag Of the United States stands
for the history Of the English colo
nists who have founded a nation for
themselves. Most of these colonists
we're devoted and loyal to England.
They loved their old country, while
they were fond OF the new country
at the same time, but they were here
to gain freedom and every year that
passed made them more anxious to
gain it.
The people who came over in the
mayfower were under the flag which
had the red cross Of St George on il.
Then a good many different flags
we're used until the Revolutionary
var began.
After the Revolutionary war the
American Congress thought or resolv.
cd that these united colonies of ours,
had a right TO be free and independ-
ent states" Then came the Declara-
ton of Independence. The present
flag was not adopted until June IA.
1777.
to be thirteen stripes alternate red
and white and the union thirteen
stars. white in a field of blue. The
stars suggested a symbol of harmony
and the stripes suggested the origi-
nal form of the thirteen states TO
maintain the Declaration of Independ-
enee. Americans rightly claim that
their flag is the most beautiful flag In
the world.
The symbolism OF the eolors In the
flag is as follows: Red represents
courage. strength and valor White
represents truth and purity. while
Blue represents loyalty and justice.
Some one else has put IL, Every col
or of the flag means liberty, every
thread of the flag means liberty, ev-
cry form of the star and beam and
stripe of light means liberty. 1t is
not a painted rag 1t Is a whole ma
tional history. II Is the Constitution.
II is the government. It is the free
people that stand in the government.
There is the national flag"
'The union OF lakes-the union of
lands
The union of States none can sever
The union of hearts-the union of
hands
And the flag of our union forever"
He must be cold indeed who can
look upon its folds ripping In the
breeze without feeling the pride of
his country"
The first american flag accepted by
the committee and adopted by resolu-
ton of Congress, was made by Betsy
Ross in 1775 at 239 Arch street, Phil
.1.fnHfa Tho pouuftfaa Robert
Morris and George Washington ac-
companied by George Ross. called up
an this celebrated woman and togeth-
er they produced our beautiful en-
blem OF liberty Betsy Ross was born
81 Philadelphia In 1852 and died in
1852 and was buried in Mount Moriah
Cemetery, Philadelphia.
IL is claimed that the first use made
eli the stars and stripes in actual mil
itary service was at Fort Stanwix, re-
named Fort Schuyler lnow Rome n.
~ in i777. The has that was then
used was made from red petticoat
and white shirt and piece of blue
coat owned by Colonel Peter Ganse-
WORT
John Paul Jones was the first TO
hoist the flag over the waters. It
fioated over his vessel the Ranger.
When Washington took the presi.
dental chair there We're but thirteen
states in the Union These were New
Hampshire. Massachusetts, Rhode Is.
land. Connecticut. New Jersey. New
York. Pennsylvania. Delaware. Mary.
land. Virginia. North Carolina. South
Carolina and Georgia. Soon Vermont
and Kentucky entered the union as
states Then they changed the flag
adding two stars and TWO stripes for
the two states This made the flag
have fifteen stripes. This flag was
used twenty years or more.
One by one the states began knock.
ing for admission and five more
states were added to the union bur
they decided they could not add a
star aud stripe for each state for
that would make the flag too wide, so
they Went back 10 the original mum,
her OF stripes. (thirteenl and added
new stars or each state. After this
II was proposed 20 arrange the stars
in rows, which arrangement has ever
since been continued.
On February IA. 1912. Saint Nalen-
tines Day, the forty-elghth star was
added to the American flag.
The manufacture of flags has grown
to be a large industry, every year
enough flags. great and small, are
made 10 give one to every man. woman
and and child in the United States.
Two of the names given to our Ma
tional ensign are Star Spangled Ran
ner' and "Old Glory" each having
connected with il a beautiful story,
with which you are familiar so will
taEa the time ~ fgN If than
Perhaps the whole story OF the flag