The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1916-08-28

Franklin, Adams ana
the Men appointed by John Hancoo'1
to Prepare the Dev,,e For the Great
Seal CT the United Gates.
The founders of our government did
nothing without careful deliberaton,
and we are told that the adoption of
seal for the United State; was as care
fully considered as the framing o. the
lie, iar:;tiun Ut IiiGe} ta;ienCe. 1t was
adopted d.. NJ TIE Peri: q o. the Con-
federacy, several years before the adop-
ton Of the constitution, bat not till
after sevc-a! years Gelibcration.
On the eth of July. 1916. after the
IL, ,;r;ition If Independence had been
finally acted uI:0n John Hancock. pres
i.n.I = tie congress. appointed fenJa-
III :-ani,liu Helm adams and Thorn
"a e ;'rson Il committee Ito prepare
Gt',.,r for Tie great seal Of the l ted
:. -; Of America" \ seal was not
tx ,.!i.l Tor ornament or show, but to
certir. the Official commissions soon to
De Is usu ~: Tie HlSt'So. l. liz
committee took UP the matter at once.
Each of the members of the commit
tee had some ideas of his own, and
they called in an artist of Philadelphia
to help them formulate design. This
artist was Pierre Simitierri, a patriotic
Swiss, who was doing some excellent
portrait painting in the then capital
city of the country.
The Swiss drew a design, which was
discussed by the committee, after
which each member suggested add1-
tons or changes, which We're incorpo-
rated by jefferson in report made to
congress Oh Aug. 10. 1I16. This report
was in heraldic language, describing
! the shield, crest, dexter, legend. etc.
! The following is an extract Of this re-
! port:
THE great seal should on one side
have the arms of the United States OF
! America, which arms should be as fol-
/ lows: The shield has six quarters-the
| first an enameled rose, for England;
! the second thistle proper, for Scot
| land: the third a harp, for Ireland;
the fourth a feur-de-lis, for France;
the fifth the imperial eagle, for Ger
many; the sixth the crowned lion, for
| Misunderstanding out the countries
| from which the colonies have been
! peopled."
After describing other details, as the
| Goddess of Liberty, the initial letters
of the colonies, etc, the report said,
Crest, the eye of Providence in q
radiant triangle, whose glory extends
over the shield and beyond the fig
ures; motto, e Pluribus Unum.'"
For some reason or other congress
referred this device back to the COM
mittee for further report Franklin
had proposed for motto Rebellion to
Tyrants Is Obedience to Cod" Adams
proposed Hercules leaning on a club,
while all the virtues and nearly all the
vices grouped about him in different
attitudes. His design would have been
a monstrosity and laughingstock. JEFF
ferson's composite design simplided
matters, and it was he who suggested
the motto sc Pluribus Unum.'
This was in August, 1776 The war
soon absorbed the attention and moth
ing further was~dpne about the seal
until Marx when a cont1ittee
Of three MaS-aDpseted to consider ana.
report on the subject This commfrtee
reported in favor of Shield with thir-
teen diagonal stripes, alternately red
and white, a constellation of thirteen
stars, figure of Liberty and the motto
"Bello vel Pace Paratus" c'Ready for
war or for peace'O.
This report also was recommitted,
and it was nearly year before the
matter came up again. Not to follow
through repeated discussions and re-
jectiOns of several designs, the present
seal was not adopted till June 20, 1882.
1t was the work of a young Ameri-
can artist, William Barton by name,
who followed in many respects the de-
sign submitted by jefferson six years
before, but simplifiel it. He retained
the eagle, a bundle of arrows in one
talon and an olive branch in the other;
the helmet with six bars or quarter
ings, signifying the six nationalities
from which the country had been main
| ~ peopleu, anu the uotto Il lulu
Unum," which survived all the discus
sions.
The designer said, THE motto al
ludes to the Union" He added in his
explanation, 1.-THE escutcheon is borne
on the breast of the American eagle,
without any other support, to denote
that the United States of America
ought to rely on their own virtues"
The different executive departments
of the government have each their own
seal. but every commission signed by
the president is stamped with the great
seal of the United States, which is kept
in the state department.--Washi
Post.