Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-11-01
Capital Sidelights
BY WILL P. KENNEDY.

Maryland. one of the Original Thir.
teen," chartered in 1884, is unique in
its great seal and its State flag, whose
history is inSeparable. The flag of the
State bears the escutcheon of the great
seal-the Calvert and Grassland (mater-
naD arms Quartered. They are strictly
of heraldic design. in marked contrast
to other States Of the Union, which bear
"emblems indicative of agriculture and
commerce, plenty and prosperity, or kin
dred subjects represented in a more or
less pictorial or allegorical manner"
The first great seal brought over by
Gov. Leonard Calvert, in 1913, was
"treacherously and violently taken away
by Richard Ingle. or his accomplices, in
or about February AID, 1914, and hath
ever since been so disposed of 1t cannot
be recovered" In 1648 Baltimore sent to
the province. through Gov. William
Stone. second great seal cut in silver.
The quarterings on the seal are sur
mounted by an earl's coronet and full
faced helmet, which indicated his rank in
America as that of Count Palatine-
his rank in England being that of a
baron only-a distinction which no other
colonial charter conferred. On the he'll
met rests the Calvert crest, q ducal crown,
with two half bannerets, one gold and
one black. The escutcheon is sup
ported on one side by the figure of
farmer and the other by that of fish
erman-symbols of each of his two es-
tates, Maryland and Avalon. Below them
q scroll bears the Calvert motto: "Fatti
maschii parole femine"-manly deeds
womanly words, or, more strictly. deeds
are males, words females. Behind the
escutcheons and coronets was engraved
an ermine-lined mantle, and surround
ing all on q border encircling the seal
the legend-"Scuto bonae voluntatis
tuae coronasti noS"-with favor wilt
thou compass us as with shield. The
heraldic shield is in gold and black. The
great seal has had prominent and per-
sistent part in Maryland history-sev-
eral times changed, but in 1876 joint
resolution of the Maryland Legislature
was passed restoring the seal to the
exact description given of it in Lord
Baltimore's commission to Gov. Stone
in August II, 1913.
Credit is given to James w. Thomas
Of Cumberland, author of Chronicles
of Colonial Maryland" for the passage
of an act in 1904 ito formally adopt
and legalize the Maryland flag"
The first recorded use of a Maryland
flag occurs in Leonard Calverts report
of the reduction of Kent Island (Feb-
ruary, 1880, saying that he and his
force marched with Baltimore's banner
displayed. At the battle of the Severn
in 1855, where the supporters of the
proprietary government, under William
Stone, the Governor, were defeated by
the Purital party under Capt. William
Fuller, Stones forces marched under
the flag Of Maryland, borne by William
Nugent, standard bearer Of the prov.
ince," while Fuller's party displayed the
flag of the Commonwealth, charged with
the crosses of st. George and st. An
drew. 1t is also said that Maryland
flag was carried by the Marylanders
ton against Fort Duquesne pittsburgh
in 1755.
The flag, like the great seal, was EVIL
IDENTIFY designed and adopted by Cecelius,
Lord Baltimore, and sent out by him
with the colony, as it was unfurled and
oficially used q few days after taking
formal possession of the province, when
Gov. Calvert. to more forcibly impress
the HALVES, OIucICQ tIlc CUAO3o w VIC
brought on shore" and military parade,
according to Oswald Tilghman, in his
"History of Ye Ancient City"-Annap-
Oils. The Colonial nag of Maryland Is
| believed to have been the same as the
one now in use.
A&& 4
The Maryland State House at An
uapolis, built in 1772, has always been
conspicuous in the history Of American
politics. The Annapolis Convention Of
1786, forerunner of the convention that
framed the Constitution, met in the old
Senate Chamber. Three years earlier in
this same room Washington resigned his
commission as commander in chief OF the
Continental Armies. Here also the treaty
Of peace with Great Britain was ratified
In 1874.
Maryland and Massachusetts, are the
only two States with capitol buildings
dating before the Revolution. The Capt.
tol at Annapolis IL the third on that site.
The first, built in 1897, was destroyed by
fire. and the second. built In 1704, was
torn down to make room for the present
Stf1lcture. "a