The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1916-05-25

ner OF st. George was white charged
with the red cross, and was used In
England as early as the first part Of
the 18th century. BY O royal procla-
nation, dated April r. 100, these two
crosses were Joined together upon the
same banner. forming the ancient ma
uonal flag of England.
It was not until Ireland, in 1901, was
made part OF Great Britain, that the
present national flag Of England, so
we'll known as the Union Jack was
completed. But 1t was the ancient flag
OF England that constituted the basis
or our American banner. Various other
Rags had indeed been raised at other
times by our colonial ancestors. But
they were not particularly associated
with, or at least were not incorporated
into and made a part OF the destined
Stars and Stripes"
1t was after Washington had taken
command of the first army of the rev.
olution, at Cambridge, that he unfold
ed before them the new flag of 10
stripes of alternate red and white, hav-
ing upon one OF its corners the red and
white crosses of st. George and St.
Andrew, on a field of blue. And this
was the standard which was borne
into the city of Boston when II was
evacuated by the British troops and
was entered by the American army.
Uniting. as 1t did, the flags of Eng
land and America, It showed that the
colonists were not yet prepared 20
sever the tie that bound them to the
mother country. BY that union Of
flags, they claimed to be a vital and
substantial part of the empire Of Great
Britain, and demanded the rights and
privileges which such a relation i'm
piled. Yet II was by these 13 stripes
that they made known the union also
Of the /" colonies, the stripes Of white
declaring The purity and innocence of
their cause, and the stripes of red Civ
ing forth defiance to cruelty and oppo-
sition.
On the 14th day of June. 1777, It was
resolved by congress, THAT the flag of
the 13 United States be 10 stripes, al
ternate red and white and the union
be Is white stars in the blue field"
This resolution was made public Sep
TENDER 8, 1777, and the flag that was
first made and used in pursuance of II
was that which led the Americans TO
victory at Saratoga. Here the 13 stars
were arranged in a circle, as we some
times see them now, in order better to
express the union Of the states.
In 1894, there having been two more
new states added to the union, 1t was
voted that the alternate stripes, as we'll
as the circling stars, be Is in number,
and the flag, as thus altered and en-
larged, was the one which was borne
through all the contests of the war of
1872. But II was thought that the flag
would at length become too large II a
new stripe should be added with Gerry
freshly admitted state It was there
fore enacted, in 11S, that a perma-
nent return should be made to the or
iginal number of Is stripes, and the
number of stars should henceforth cor
respond to the growing number of
states.
Thus the flag would symbolic the
union as it might be at any given pc
riod of its history, and also as it was
at the very hour of it's birth. 1t was
at the same time suggested that these
stars, instead of being arranged in a
circle, should be formed into a single
star-a suggestion which we OCCASION
ally sec adopted. In fine no particular
order seems now to be observed with
respect to the arrangement OF the con-
stellation. 1t Is enough if only the
whole number be there upon that azure
field-the blue to be emblematical 0r
perseverance, vigilance and Justice
each star to signify the glory Of the
state it may represent. and the whole
to be eloquent forever Of a union that
must be one and inseparable."
What precious associations cluster
around our flag! Not alone have our
fathers set up this banner in the name
of God over the well won battlefields
of the revolution, and over the cities
and towns which they rescued from
despotic rule: but think where also
their descendants have carried it, and
raised 1t in conquest or protection!
Through what clouds of dust and
smoke has it passed-what storms OF
shot and shell-what scenes Of fire and
blood! Not only at Saratoga, at Mon
mouth and at Yorktown. but at Lun-
dy's Lane and New Orleans, at Buena
Vista and Chapultepec. 1t is the same
GLORIOUS old flag which, inscribed with
the dying words of Lawrence, Don't
give up the ship" was hoisted on Lake
Erie by Commodore Perry just on the
eve of his great naval victory-the
same old flag which our great chief
tain bore in triumph to the proud city
Of the Aztecs, and planted upon the
heights Of her national palace. Brave
hands raised 1t above the eternal re-
gions of ice in the Arctic seas and have
set 1t up on the SUBMITS Of the lofty
mountains Of the distant west.
Where has it not gone, the pride of
it's friends and the terror Of it's foes ?
What countries and what seas has il
not visited? Where has not the Amer
lean citizen been able to stand beneath
it's guardian folds and defy the world ?
With what JOY and eXultation Seamen
and tourists have gaZed upon it's stars
and stripes, read in it the history of
their nations glory, received from II
the full sense Of security. and drawn
from 1t the inspirations Of patriotism!
By it, how many have sworn fealty to
their country!
What bursts Of magnificent elo-
quence it has called forth from Web
ster and from Everett! What lyric
strains of poetry from Drake and
Holmes! How many heroes its folds
have covered in death! How many
have lived for 1t, and how many have
died for 1t! How many living and
dying, have said in their enthusiastic
devotion to it's honor, like that young
wounded sufferer in the streets of Bal
timore. "Oh, the flag? the Stars and
Stripes!" and, wherever that flag has
gone 1t has been the herald of a better
day-it has been the pledge of freedom,
Of justice of order Of civilization, and
Of Christianity. Tyrants only have
hated 1t, and the enemies Of mankind
alone have trampled 1t to the earth.
All who sigh for the triumph of truth
and Righteousness love and salute it.
Rev. A. p. Putnam.
Our Centennial Celebration.
Extract of a speech delivered by the