The American Flag
And What It Represents
The following panegyric on the American liag was delivered
by C. B. Cook of McCrory on the occasion of the flag raising in this
city two weeks ago. It gives so concisely a history of the flag, its
uses and what it stands for, that we are glad to give it to our read
ers in full. Cold type can do but scant justice to the orator, as the
tumultuous applause that greeted its delivery attests:
On this xjay we have assembled
here for the purpose of showing
honor to the flag that gives us
protection, safety, privileges and
opportunities.
It is fitting that we not only
know why the flag was brought
to the prominence it now holds,
but that we should know the |
courtesies due this most hon
ored of all flags.
It is too true that we legally
have no national anthem, but we
do have a national flag, recognized
all over the world. I have been
requested to give to those who
need the information spme facts
relative to the courtesies due this
nation in regard tp the songs we
sing, as well as to the flag we
honor. As we stated, we have
no anthem that has been legal
ized by law, and this is some
times confusing, for we notice in
assemblies of people some will
rise to their feet on hearing the
strains of “America,” and some
will rise when the “Star Span
gled Banner” is played. While
not having a legal song or an
them, the army and the navy have
given precedence to the “Star
Spangled Banner” and, without
law, that has been adopted as
our real anthem. When it is
played, in any place or at any
time, those who are sitting should
rise to their feet and, if covered,
should uncover; that is, the men
should remove their hats, placing
them across on the left shoulder,
and if already uncovered, should
come to attention when the flag
that is being raised comes to its
place. It is also a custom firmly
established in the minds of our
people that when the words of
“America” are sung we show the
same courtesies; but only when
sung, for it is England’s royal
. Lilt
ert
anthem, and when played mtru
mentally it may be intended as a
courtesy to our English cousins
as it is the tune of “God Save
the King.” So I trust that you
children especially will remember
that upon which you no doubt
have been instructed in school.
A Roman philosopher once said,
“Man was not born to himself
alone; a part of him was for his
country, a part for his friends
and a part for himself.” This
being true, then how little we
truly have for ourselves. Yet we
find ourselves prating about “per
sonal liberty,” but when we get
to the real facts in each case
there is very little personal lib
erty due any man, for when his
rights run counter to the rights
of others his liberty is and should
be curtailed. We hear men, who
are so far forgetful of their duty
to their country, finding fault
with the government which af
fords them protection, sometimes
even asserting that they have no
flag to fight for. How pitiful is
that man who has such a small
conception of life, with all its
duties and privileges. Again,
we hear men who, even in this
trying time, rail upon the gov
ernment because in their Solomon
like wisdom the country is not
run as they think it should be,
and give voice to expressions that
almost sound treasonable. Our
President has been very careful
to explain how easy it is to be a
traitor in speech. No one es
teems the memoryVof Benedict
Arnold, and yet we hear men
who in their hearts and speech
are as much traitors to their
country as was Benedict Arnold,
and would probably betray their
country as basely as Arnold did
if given the same opportunity.
All honor to the man who really
loves his country, who stands by
it in speech and in thought, and
settles all differences of opinion
at the ballot box, where it is
proper that men should define
their opinions.
This flag that we are paying
tribute to is not the youngest flag
of the world; on the contrary, it
it is the very oldest ensign in the
world. This flag is twenty-four
years older than England’s royal
standard, twenty-eight years
older than the flag of Spain, and
for seventeen years it had floated
its beauty to the mornnig suns,
encouraging us to greater
achievements, before the tri
color of France was given to this
world. More than that, it had
ninety-three years of progress,
of triumph, to show for its ex
istence before the flag of oui
present enemy, the German Em
pire, was made. The flags o1
China and Japan are but babes
in arms compared to the glorious
stars and stripes. So this flag w<
honor has been time tried anc
has been true.
In regard to some of the cour
tesies due this flag: Officially, i
is only flown between sunris<
and sunset; it is never allowed t<
touch the ground; always flowr
from a staff or mast: never laic
down, so that anything could b<
placed upon it; should not b<
fastened to a side of a building
the only proper place for it is
upon a flag staff. When diplayed
other than upon a flag pole the
Union or field should always
point to the north, when at all
practical, and when not, then
the the next preference is that
the field shall point to the east.
This flag was established by
our Congress June 4, 1777, which
is now celebrated as Flag Day.
At the time of its adoption our
beloved Washington is said to
hav# observed: “We take the
star from heaven, the red from
our mother country, separating
it by white stripes, thus showing
we have separated from, her and
the white stripes shall go down
to posterity representing lib
erty.”
The red in this beautiful flag
tells us with eloquence that never
fell from human lips how much
it cost’to establish, maintain and
preserve a government which,
when administered according to
us terms, mattes tyranny impos
sible, an act of injustice unthink
able, and treason not dreamed of
in the minds of men. And it
guarantees absolute justice to
every man, equal rights to all
and special privileges to none.
These red stripes are the eloquent
description and the record of all
the heroic blood that has flowed
from Concord and Bunker Hill
down to the present day, and yet
remind us, in the face of our
present trouble, that our life
blood will freely flow if need be
to still carry this message d<^wn
to further posterity. And while
we are at WAR, we yet realize
that WE ARE RIGHT, and that
we too are willing to pay the
penalty of all that war means for
the maintenance of the principles
of which these red strips tell—
the concentrated patriotism of
the American people. Not the
kind of patriotism that has back
of it ulterior and unworthy mo
tives; not patriotism to class and
uwu
patriotism to this our own dear
land that we desire to keep al
ways what ii has been and to
' make it, under the guiding power
of Him who holds the destiny of
i the world in His hands, the great
est national benefartor the world
has ever known.
The white stripes, side by side,
‘ are said to be so white because
■ of the tears of the nation, that
have bleached them into the
> whiteness of driven snow; tears
s that were shed in sorrow over
' the strife engendered by the am
l bition, the selfishness, the greed,
the vice of the foreign foe and
■ the domestic foes of the Govern
t ment 'whose emblem is the flag.
* But until you blot out the white
> stipes and paint them black; un
1 til you can strike from the hearts
l of all loyal subjects the love foi
i the flag, it will ever teach thal
j purity and uuselfish patriotism,
; love of truth, justice and human
ity should be the controlling anfi
the directing passion of
all our
governmental policies, for th
blot of selfishness, injustice anH
oppression of any law js a r(5d
v n" spot,«ss puritv
which finds its emblem in t?
whiteness of the flag. the
This white, if you p]eaS(> .
also an emblem of the pure and
noble purpose of our people
thanks be unto Him who doet
all things well, this white has
never had a crimson spot upon
caused by the desire alone fn
territorial aggression. Manv
times has this flag been followed
into battle, but it has always
been to uphold the cause of ius!
tice, help the downtrodden aid
give to others some of the great
privileges we enjoy. But for
more than this stands the pure
white of our flag, the flag than
all the world looks upon with re
spect, admiration and love. The
white in this flag is more that
beautiful for us who love it. We
see in the whiteness of its stripes
the beauty, the unstinted love!
the sympathetic sorrow sharing
ol the joy maker, the home
maker, that matchless woman -
the pure, virtuous, unspotted
American woman.
But we love to think of the
beauties of the blue field, clus
tered with its brilliant stars, for
we realize that when God creat
ed the heavens and the earth He
placed the stars in the firmament
to give brilliance and light. The
stars in our flag, each represent
ing a state, hold all bound to
gether in cluster, showing us the
relationship of one state to an
other and the responsibilities that
each state must share in securing
to all our people the rights and
privileges belonging to them by
the freedom of this great coun
try of ours. These stars will not
bloom and die, but will shine on
and on in the hearts of our peo
ple, causing them to look up and
to strive harder for higher ideals,
greater achievements and loftier
motives.
But the field of blue—it seems,
as it were, when the great Crea
tor of heaven and earth was
making this world of ours He
stretched the heavens above us,
the eternal abode of the soul.
He painted them with the match
less and fadeless blue. He gave
the same coloring to the moun
tains amonv us. and then drop
ped his paint brush into the sea,
giving it the same unchanging
hue; and catching inspiration
from the great wisdom ot her
creator, impelled by the instinc
of a woman’s great love, betsy
Ross, the first maker ot the nag
and the maker of the first na^,
has set the stars of the Union
this background of blue, te •
ing in unmistakable terms t
compact between the states-*
that as long as the naounta
among us, the sea beyond u
the sky above us refuse to cna s
their hue, so long shall
states of the Union contin
shed the star-like °Lrn.
man liberty and local self-g ■
ment, and so long shal
cluster together in a urjlon paj.
man brotherhood and lov , ,,
izing the greatness oi tne
erhood of God. , ijtj.
Blessed flag, teacher ot P
cal truth, emblem of freedom
long may you wave among ^
homes of the free and t
of the brave. C. B. CoOK.