The Washington herald., 1921-06-16
Tells Flags Significance.
% the Editor, The Washington Herald:

10 the EDITOR, Ihe WasninSton hetsio'
When the Continental Congress
by resolution in Philadelphia adopt
ed, our nag, June II, 1777, they per-
haps did not fully understand its
significance, though II was greatly
admired. But so understood, the
flag Of the United States is seen to
be, under the Divine Providence. the
most glorious flag in the world.
By the science of symbolism, We
may take two views Of its elements:
The first is the more external and
concrete, nearest the surface; the
second, more internal and abstract,
but none the less true.
The first view is this: The thir-
teen stripes represent the thirteen
original colonies or United States.
namely, New Hampshire, Massachu-
setts, Rhode Island, Connecticut,
New York, New Jersey, Pennsyl-
vania, Delaware, Maryland, virginia,
North Carolina, South Carolina.
Georgia, preserving thus, as is most
meet, a perpetual memorial of these
as the foundation stones and begin
ming Of this republic. pledging, for
the support of the Declaration or
Independence, with a firm reliance
on the protection of Divine Provi-
dence, our lives. our fortunes, and
our sacred honor"
And then as we read in Reve'a-
.tions. Xxx, As, that the Christian
martyrs ascended and Io"E = -
place as the first fruits" Of the res
direction before the rest, to const!-
tute the beginning of the new or
genuine Christian heaven spoken of
in Chapter XXI. to be followed by
others of the faithful. as they also
were afterwards raised up into fell
lowship with them, so these orig
inal thirteen martyr" States were
appropriately elevated as stars into
the blue vault of the sky represent
ing heaven, as the first fruits" OF
a heavenly brotherhood, to be Joined
afterwards by all those who were
found worthy OF this exalted union
of THE United States of America"
This view constitutes as it were the
literal sense of our nag.
The second view Is more Internal
and constitutes, we may say, its
spiritual sense. There are seven
red stripes embracing six white.
Red is the color of FIRE. and SYM
bolically denotes love, good or evil;
but seven is a holy number denot-
ing fullness or completeness, and
holy peace, as may be seen from the
seven principal notes of music, con-
stituting all of sound. and the seven
principal colors of the rainbow, and
from the Sabbath Of rest in the
Lord. Hence the seven red stripes
OF the nag represent, in fulIness,
holy love, the love of goodness: and
these embracing the white. repre-
senting pure truth, denote that
molly love of goodness is enlighted
by truth or wisdom. and thus the
perfect union OF goodness ana truth
is ftly represented. And finally,
the stars in the blue field represent.
pm this view. the societies of angels
IN heaven shining down with their
heavenly light from the Word of
God. which is their chart Of life
to guide the republic upon the earth
which is governed and controlled by
those blessed principles
That this republic should be. and
is, more and more governed by
these principles, and thus is des-
tined to become a model for the
other nations, showing them by our
example how to govern themselves,
and encouraging and helping them
to do likewise. is evident from our
action In regard to Cuba in 1898.
and also In our earnest endeavor to
do our full part as nation in the
late world war, to- preserve and
enkindlc liberty and republican
principles throughout the world.
With such noble, God given
flag. and with such a heavenly mis-
sion-rto do Gods will upon the