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Show i'LAG DAY On June 14, 1777, the continental congress which was governing the affairs of this country when it first revolted from Great Britain, adopted a design for the flag of the United States. This design hes been adhered adher-ed to all these years, except that stars have been added .when new states were admitted to the Union. That date might almost be considered to have been the birthday of the nation we love to-day. Up to that time, there were 13 seperate and independent colonies. colon-ies. The heat of battle and struggle of war drew them closer together. They had been fighting about two years in June 1777, and gradually it came over them that they were not 13 little seperate nations but that they really belonged be-longed together, and should unite as one nation. "United "Unit-ed we stand, divided we fall", said George' Pope Morris, a famous .p'6et'Jiari3' newspaper man of former years. It was a grand , truth that this country should never forget. So the Continental Congress argued that if they "were one country they should have one flag, whose waving stars and stripes should cheer the heart of every American. And so when our eyes rest on that glorious emblem, we should think of how it has inspired in-spired millions of men to suffer or die for their country. So long as its bright colors wave over our land, men and women will be free to worship God and discuss dis-cuss their mutual interests. It was a glorious day in the eternal struggle of man up from the state of the beast, when those 13 little republics decided that they were not wrangling little entities, but were one nation. That unity, symbolized by the flag, has gone on and on, and is a closer union to-day than ever. It is a wonderful thing that you can go to every vilage and city in this wide land, and find that flag reverenced and loved. |