Stránka:roll 1911.djvu/360

Patriotism and Citizenship 339 destruction of the Padtic Spanish fleet in Manila Bay by Admiral Dewey; and, finally, the destruction of the remainder of the Spanhh fleet under command of Admiral Cervera, Sun- day morning, July 3 d. The final outcome of this war was the freedom of Cuba and the possession by the United States of Porto Rico, Guam, and the Philippine Islands. Peace There is no country in the world less warlike than ours, and ?o country in the world that more potently argues for universal peace. We have never departed from the spirit of our Dedar- ation of Independence, "that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." We put it into our Constitution when we said, "in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquilllty, provide for the common defence, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity" we "do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America." Such has been, then, and always must be, our programme- the chart and compass of all our ways. The American Flag "A stax [or every s?ate and a state for every star." The flag of one's country is its dearest possession -- emblem of home, and country, and native land. This is what one thinks and feels when he sees the flag, and this is what it me?n-?: Our flag is the emblem of h'berty- the emblem of hope- the emblem of peace and good-will toward men. There is a story, quite gendra!ly believed, that the first flag was planned and made in i776 by Betsy Ross, who kept an upholstery shop on Arch Street, Philadelphia, and that this, a year later, was adopted by Congress. The special committee appointed to design a national flag consisted of George Wash- ington, Robert Morris, and Col. George Ross, uncle of the late husband of Betsy Ross. The star that the committee decided upon had six points, but Mrs. Ross advised the five-pohted star, which has ever since been used in the United States flag. The flag thus designed was colored by a local artist, and from this colored copy Betsy Ross made the first American flag. When Washington was in command at Cambridge, in January, x776, the flag used by him consisted of a balmer of