The Ely miner., 1930-02-21

pends on that Union and the strength
resulting from it for its support to
denote the Confederacy of the United
States Of America and the preserva-
tion Of their Union through congress"
The colors Of the escutcheOn are
the same as those adopted for the flag
in the famous Flag resolution of June
IA, 1777-white for purity and inno-
cence, red for hardness and valor
and blue for vigilance, perseverance,
and justice. In its beak the eagle
holds an unfurled scroll on which on
a crimson ground are the words "E
Pluribus Unum" Zone out Of many).
Above this is the glory or the con-
stellation of thirteen stars on an azure
field, breaking through q surrounding
halo Of clouds-symbolical of the new
nation emerging from the storm and
stress Of the Revolution. The white
stars against the background Of blue
also point to the unity of the states,
since If line be drawn between the
outer ones it forms a perfect six
pointed star.
At the same time that this seal was
adopted another one, intended to be
the reverse Of the coat of arms and
to be used for stamping the wax on
a ribbon attached to an important
state paper, thus making a hanging
seal, was also adopted. On it is a
pyramid Of thirteen steps with cul-
minating triangle suspended above it.
On this is the all-seeing eye of Prov
idence looking down upon the unfin-
ished pyramid, by which it was in
tended to indicate that the United
States had not attained final state
Of spiritual perfection, a goal toward
which it must strive. According to
heraldry, the pyramid stands for
strength and durability. The eye is
the symbol of the eternally vigilant
Providence which had favored the
American cause so many times and
this thought is carried out in the Latin
motto "Annuit Coeptis' (God has IA
vored the work) across the top of the
seal. The date MDCCLXXVI at the
base Of the pyramid is 1776, when the
nation was founded, and the Latin
motto beneath "Novus Ordo Seclo-
rum" declares that then began "a
New Order of Ages"
The original seal was cut in brass
and is believed to have been used for
the first time on commission dated
September 16, 1882, in which congress
granted Washington the power to ar
range with the British for an ex-
change Of prisoners Of war. This was
signed by John Hanson, president of
the congress, and countersigned by
Charles Thomson. secretary. The de-
sign of the seal remained unchanged
in any particular for more than fifty
years. During the time Daniel Web
ster was secretary of state second
seal was cut. On this occasion the
artist placed six instead Of thirteen
arrows in the eagles left talon. This
seal was used until 1885 when a new
one was made and the traditional
number Of arrows was restored to the
seal. Not only is the American seal
the oldest national seal but 1t is also
said to be the most perfectly bal
anced and most beautiful Of all ma
tional insignia
1t has often been remarked that the
makers Of the seal were unaffected
by the superstitious fear Of the num-
Der thirteen. Instead, thirteen is the
keynote of the whole design. Not
only are there thirteen stars and thir-
teeen stripes, but there are thirteen
arrows In the eagles talon and thir-
teen stars In the glory. The motto
E PIuribus Unum contains thirteen
letters, there are thirteen leaves on
the olive branch and the same num-
Der Of berries on the branch. The
eagle has thirteen feathers in each
wing and thirteen in Its tail. The
title ''The Coat of Arms Of the United
States of America" contains 80, or
three times thirteen, letters, and II
one counts all these he will dis
cover that the number thirteen Is re-
peated thirteen times In the whole
design.
Since the great seal contains sew.
eral emblems which symbolic the fact
that the nation was founded by rebel
lion against the tyranny Of England,