History of the National Flag of the United States of America Part 7

"The s.h.i.+eld has six quarters, parts one, _coupe_ two. The 1st or, a rose, enamelled gules and argent for England; the 2d argent, a thistle proper, for Scotland; the 3d verd, a harp or, for Ireland; the 4th azure a _flower-de-luce_ or, for France; the 5th or, the imperial eagle, sable, for Germany; and the 6th or, the Belgic lion, gules for Holland, pointing out the countries from which the States have been peopled. The s.h.i.+eld within a border gules entwined of thirteen scutcheons argent, linked together by a chain or, each charged with initial letters sable as follows: 1st, N.H.; 2d, M.B.; 3d, R.I.; 4th, C.; 5th, N.Y.; 6th, N.J.; 7th, P.; 8th, D.E.; 9th, M.; 10th, V.; 11th, N.C.; 12th, S.C.; 13th, G., for each of the thirteen independent States of America.

"Supporters dexter the G.o.ddess Liberty, in a corselet of armor, alluding to the present times; holding in her right hand the spear and cap, and with her left supporting the s.h.i.+eld of the States, sinister, the G.o.ddess Justice, bearing a sword in her right hand, and in her left a balance.

"Crest. The eye of Providence in a radiant triangle, whose glory extends over the s.h.i.+eld and beyond the figures. Motto: _E. Pluribus Unum_.

"Legend round the whole achievement. Seal of the United States of America, MDCCLXXVI.

"On the other side of the said Great Seal should be the following device:--

"Pharaoh sitting in an open chariot, a crown on his head and a sword in his hand, pa.s.sing through the divided waters of the Red Sea in pursuit of the Israelites. Rays, from a pillar of fire in the cloud, expressive of the Divine presence and command, beaming on Moses, who stands on the sh.o.r.e, and, extending his hand over the sea, causes it to overthrow Pharaoh. Motto: _Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to G.o.d_."

In regard to this Report, we observe Mr. John Adams was one of those engaged in preparing it. The emblems to represent countries were the rose for England, the thistle for Scotland, the harp for Ireland, &c.

May not this train of ideas have suggested to his mind the lyre and its corresponding constellation to mark the Union of the United States of America in the flag of those States?

We observe the reference to the Sacred Volume in the device for the reverse of the proposed Seal. May not the idea of stars, as the representatives of dependent States, have been borrowed from the same source, and applied in the case of the flag as States dependent upon union, and thus const.i.tuting a constellation?

"_March 25, 1779_--_page_ 101.

"_Ordered_, that the Report of the Committee on the Device of a Great Seal for the United States, in Congress a.s.sembled, be referred to a committee of three--Lovell, Scott, Houston."

This Committee made a Report, May 10. _Vide No. 2._

"Original Report of May 10, 1779. No. 2."

"The seal to be four inches in diameter.

"On one side, the arms of the United States, as follows: The s.h.i.+eld charged on the field, with thirteen diagonal stripes, alternate red and white. Supporters dexter, a warrior holding a sword; sinister, a figure representing Peace, bearing an olive-branch. The crest, a radiant constellation of thirteen stars. The motto: _Bello vel pace_. The legend round the achievement, _Seal of the United States_.

"On the reverse: The figure of Liberty, seated in a chair, holding the staff and cap. The motto: _Semper_. Underneath, MDCCLXXVI."

"_May 17, 1779_--_page_ 149.

"The Report of the Committee on the Device of a Great Seal was taken into consideration, and, after debate,

"Ordered that it be recommitted."

"Report No. 2, on the Great Seal, as altered after recommitment.

"The Committee to whom was referred, on the 25th of March last, the report of a former committee on the Device of a Great Seal of the United States, in Congress a.s.sembled, beg leave to report the following description:--

"The Seal to be three inches in diameter.

"On one side, the arms of the United States, as follows: The s.h.i.+eld charged in the field azure, with thirteen diagonal stripes, alternate rouge and argent, supporters; dexter, a warrior holding a sword; sinister, a figure representing Peace, bearing the olive-branch. The crest, a radiant constellation of thirteen stars.

The motto. _Bello vel pace_. The legend round the achievement, _The Great Seal of the United States_.

"On the reverse: The figure of Liberty, seated in a chair, holding the staff and cap. The motto: _Virtute perennis_. Underneath, MDCCLXXVI.

"A drawing of the Seal is annexed. No. 3, May 10, 1780.

"A miniature of the face of the Great Seal to be prepared, of half the diameter, to be affixed as the less Seal of the United States."

We have not thought it worth while to present the drawing above referred to.

"_Device for an Armorial Atchievement for the United States of North America, blazoned agreeably to the laws of Heraldry, proposed by Mr. Barton, A.M._

"ARMS.--Paleways of [60]thirteen pieces, argent and gules; a chief azure: the escutcheon placed on the breast of an American (the bald-headed) eagle, displayed proper; holding in his beak a scroll, inscribed with the motto, viz.:--

'_E Pluribus Unum_'--

and in his dexter talon a palm or an olive-branch; in the other a bundle of thirteen arrows; all proper.

[60] "As the pales or pallets consist of an uneven number, they ought in strictness to be blazoned--Argt. 6 pallets gules; but as the thirteen pieces allude to the thirteen States, they are blazoned according to the number of _pieces paleways_."

"FOR THE CREST.--Over the head of the eagle, which appears above the escutcheon, a glory, or, breaking through a cloud, proper, and surrounding thirteen stars forming a constellation, argent on an azure field.

"In the exergue of the Great Seal--

"Jul. IV. MDCCLXXVI."

"In the margin of the same--

"_Sigil. Mag. Reipub. Confoed. Americ._"

"_Remarks._--The escutcheon is composed of the chief and pale, the two most honorable ordinaries; the latter represent the several States, all joined in one solid compact entire, supporting a chief, which unites the whole and represents Congress. The motto alludes to the Union. The colors or tinctures of the pales are those used in the Flag of the United States. White, signifies purity, innocence; red, hardiness and valor. The chief denotes Congress.

Blue is the ground of the American uniform, and this color signifies vigilance, perseverance, and justice.

"The meaning of the crest is obvious, as is likewise that of the olive-branch and arrows.

"The escutcheon being placed on the breast of the eagle is a very ancient mode of bearing, and is truly imperial. The eagle _displayed_, is another heraldric figure; and, being borne in the manner here described, supplies the place of supporters and crest. The American States need no supporters but their own virtue, and the preservation of their Union through Congress. The pales in the arms are kept closely united by the chief, which last likewise depends on that Union, and strength resulting from it, for its own support--the inference is plain.

W. B."

"_June 13, 1782._"

Mr. Barton also presented the following:--

"A device for an armorial atchievement for the Great Seal of the United States of America, in Congress a.s.sembled, agreeably to the rules of heraldry, proposed by William Barton, A.M.

"ARMS.--Barry of thirteen pieces, argent and gules, on a canton azure, and many stars disposed in a circle of the first; a pale or, surmounted of another, of the third; charged in chief, with an eye surrounded with a glory proper; and in the fess-point, an eagle displayed on the summit of a Doric column, which rests on the base of the escutcheon, both as the stars.

"CREST.--Or, an helmet of burnished gold damasked, grated with six bars, and surmounted of a cap of dignity, gules, turned up ermine, a c.o.c.k armed with gaffs proper.

"SUPPORTERS.--On the dexter side; the genius of America (represented by a maiden with loose auburn tresses, having on her head a radiated crown of gold encircled with a sky-blue fillet, spangled with silver stars; and clothed in a long loose white garment, bordered with green. From her right shoulder to her left side a scarf, _seme_ of stars, the tinctures thereof the same as in the canton; and round her waist a purple girdle, fringed or embroidered argent, with the word 'Virtue'--resting her interior hand on the escutcheon, and holding in the other the proper _Standard of the United States_, having a dove argent perched on the top of it.

"On the sinister side: a man in complete armor, his sword-belt azure, fringed with gold, his helmet encircled with a wreath of laurel, and crested with one white and two blue plumes; supporting with his dexter hand the escutcheon, and holding in the interior a lance, with the point sanguinated, and upon it a banner displayed, Vert., in the fess-point an harp stringed with silver, between a star in chief, two _fleurs-de-lis_ in fess, and a pair of swords, in saltier, in ba.s.ses, all argent. The tenants of the escutcheon stand on a scroll, on which is the following motto:--

'_Deo Favente_,'