Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 December 1896 — ORIGIN OF “OLD GLORY.” [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

ORIGIN OF “OLD GLORY.”

THE American Congress passed a resolution on Saturday, June 14, 1777, “that the flag of the thirteen United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the nnion be thir-! teen stars white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.” This has been accepted as having been the first legislative action of which there is any record for the establishment of a national flag. It is not recorded that any discussion or debate attended this action, and it seems that the Stars and Stripes became officially the distinguishing feature of the emblem of the republic without any definite premonitory signs. 'The birth of the idea of the flag is shrouded in more mystery than its adoption. 'The earliest suggestion of stars as a device for the emblem is found in a poem published in the Massachusetts Spy on March 10, 1774, in which is the line “The American'ensign now sparkles a star.” The first instance known of the use of the thirteen stripes upon an American banner is found upon a standard presented to the Philadelphia Troop of Light Horse in 1775, and which is now iu the possession of that troop. There are many theories as to the origin of the suggestion that these two ideas should be combined in the emblem. Some have supposed that the arrangement of stripes was borrowed from the Dutch or fro'u the designating stripes on the coats of the Continental soldiers. Others have asserted that both stars and stripes were suggested by the coat of arms of Washington, Which contained both. A loss practical explanation is contained in the words of one writer, who said: “Every nation has its symbolic ensign—some have beasts, some birds, some fishes, some reptiles—in their banners. Our fathers chose the stars and stripes—the red telling of the blood shed by them for their country; the blue of the heavens and their protec-

tion; and the stars of the separate States embodied in one nationality, *E IMuribus Unum.’ ” There are no accompanying data which make satisfactory any of these explanations or the countless others which have been advanced at various times. The truth probably is that the whole was a blemfing of the various flags used previous to the Union flag—"the red flag of the army and the white one of the floating batteries,” complemented by the incorporation of thirteen stars and thirteen stripes, which seem naturally to have suggested themselves as emblematic insignia to all patriots of the time. The only Weight given to the theory that the flag was taken in part from the coat of arms of Washington is contained iu the records of the part he played in arranging for the making of the first flag containing

tho stars ami stripes. In this connection it is a generally accepted fact that Mrs. John Hues made this flag in Philadelphia in a house which is yet standing on Arch street. The convincing evidence to this effect has been collected and published by her grandson, W. T. Canby. He asserts that a committee of Congress, accompanied by Gen. Washington, in June, 1770, called upon Mrs. Ross, who was an upholsterer, “aud engaged her to make the flag from a rough drawing, which at her suggestion was redrawn by Gen. Washington in pencil in her back parlor.” This is the flag which was adopted by Congressional resolution a year later, and there seems ground for Mr. Canby’s assertion that the flag was in common use before this action by Congress was taken. This emblem remained unchanged until 175)4, when it was decided by Congress, because two more States had been admitted to the I'uion, Vermont and Kentucky, that the flag should contain fifteen stripes and fifteen stars. In this action there was no provision for future alterations, and no change was made until 1818, although several new States had been admitted before that time. On April 4, 181 S, a law as passed reducing the number of stripes to thirteen and making the number of stars agree with the number of States, a uew star to be added on July 4 of catch year for every new State which should have been admitted within the year. This act embodied the suggestions of Capt. Samuel C. Reid, but he advised also that it be stipulated that tho stars should be arranged In the form of a star. This was not done at the time, and at no time since has any action been taken prescribing a definite arrangement of the stars in the flag. It remains the same today as when adopted iu 1818, with the exception of the growing sitso of the group ot starg in tho blue field.

House in which the first United States flag Was made.