The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1916-06-08

thus showing that we have separ-
ated from her, and the white
stripes shall go down to posterity
representing liberty"
| 1t is said that the order follow
ling the adoption of the new flag
twas no officially promulgated un-
til September of that year, al
though ON August 9th the new
flag was probably first hoisted
over troops at Fort Schuyler, at
Rome, n. Y. 1t is said to have
been first raised over a vessel by
Paul Jones, ON the Ranger, F" in
November, TIT The first record
of its being carried by the army
in battle was September 18th,
1777, at the Brandywine.
This flag of thirteen stripes and
thirteen stars remained, without
change, the flag of the country
until 1874, when, ON account of
the admission # Vermont and
kentucky, it was ordered by Con-
gress that ON and after May LIST,
1895, the flag should be fifteen
stripes, alternate red and white,
and the union fifteen stars, white
in a blue field. The growth of
the country gave assurance that
in time to come there would be
many states-tOO many to admit
of star and stripe for every
state, and so, April 4th, 1918, Con-
gress passed the following act 81
THAT from and after the 4th
of July next, the flag of the Unit
ed States be thirteen horizontal
stripes, alternate red and white,
that the union be twenty stars,
white in a blue field, and that ON
the admission of a new state into
the Union, one star be added to |
the union of the flag, and such ad-
ditiOn take effect ON the fourth /
day of July next succeeding such
admission.
Since this act was passed, from !!
time to time, new states have been
admitted and new stars have been
added to the union of the flag,
and today the union contains for
ty-eight stars-six rows of eight
stars each, with the corresponding
stars of each row in vertical
line.
1t is interesting to note that
during the war of the Revolution
The number of stars was thirteen
IN the war of 1872, fifteen; in the
Mexican war, twenty-nine; in the
Civil war, thirty-five; and in the
spanish-Ameriean war, forty-five.
Perhaps you do not know that
he American flag-the "Stars
md Stripes lis among the old /
st of national banners. II is old :
r than the present British I'm II
on Jack-Older than the French /
RI olor-Older than the flag of !
'pain-and many years older l
han the flags of Germany or j
taly. e
IL IS said that Americans are I
artieularly demonstrative to- Z
ard their national flag and give ]
especial prominence. 1t is a h
atiOnal flag and belongs to the t
Thole people, not only collectively | .
ut individually, and each citizen a
cells that it is his flag, while the d
ags of many other countries are n
ersonal flags-flags Of the reign +
ig family, or flags of some par e
Icular arm of service. /,
Our national emblem the II
Stars and Stripes, stands for A
ete.rean ideas and ideals-it is a
he flag of liberty and freedom. r,
o quote from Henry Ward n
it stands for "the right
men to their own selves and to Il
ielr liberties. 1t is not painted b
lg. II is a whole national his m
~. 1t is the constitution. It is y
Ie government. 1t is the free Of
.cDie that stand in the govern r.
emit, on the constitution. =" And II
ost Of us feel and believe that it
the flag of Gods own chosen OF
untry. The very names given a
indicate the depth Of feeling to- N
ard 1.-THE Star-Spangled "a
amer, y 1.-THE Flag Of the Free" "
The Banner Of Liberty" 'sThe No
or,yrr Tr1ocr - and tho ffCfa,so and ! !