acceptable to the legislature and to the people, as it would be uncongenial with the views of the committee.

Fully persuaded that the form selected for the American flag was truly emblematical of our origin and existence as an independent nation, and that, as such, it has received the approbation and support of the citizens of the Union, it ought to undergo no change that would decrease its conspicuity or tend to deprive it of its representative character. The committee, however, believe, that a change in the number of states in the Union sufficiently indicates the propriety of such a change in the arrangement of the flag, as shall best accord with the reason that led to its adoption, and sufficiently points to important periods in our history."

"The original flag of the United States was composed of thirteen stripes and thirteen stars, and was adopted by a resolution of the continental congress on the 14th of June, 1777. On the 13th of January, 1794, after two new states had been admitted into the Union, the national legislature passed an act, that the stripes and stars should on a day fixed, be increased to fifteen each to comport with the then independent states. The accession of new states since that alteration, and the certain prospect that at no distant period the number of states will be considerably multiplied, render it, in the opinion of the committee, highly inexpedient to increase the number of stripes, as every flag must, in some measure, be limited in its size, from the circumstance of convenience to the place on which it is to be displayed, while such an increase would necessarily decrease their magnitude, and render them proportionally less distinct to distant observation. This consideration has induced many to retain only the general form of the flag, while there actually exists a great want of uniformity in its adjustment, particularly when used on small private vessels.

"The national flag being in general use by vessels of almost every description, it appears to the committee of considerable importance to adopt some arrangement calculated to prevent, in future, great or extensive alterations. Under these impressions they are led to believe, no alteration could be made more emblematical of our origin and present existence, as composed of a number of independent and united states, than to reduce the stripes to the original thirteen, representing the number of states

then contending for, and happily achieving their independence, and to increase the stars to correspond with the number of states now in the Union, and hereafter to add one star to the flag whenever a new state shall be fully admitted.

"These slight alterations will, in the opinion of the committee, meet the general approbation, as well of those who may have regretted a former departure from the original flag, as of such as are solicitous to see in it a representation of every state in the Union.

"The committee cannot believe that in retaining only 13 stripes, it necessarily follows they should be distinctly considered in reference to certain individual states, inasmuch as nearly all the new states were a component part of, and represented in, the original; and was much, also, as the flag is intended to signify numbers, and not local and particular sections of the union.

"The committee respectively report a bill accordingly." The British Naval Chronicle for 1817, publishes this report in full, and styles it "a curious historical document."

The bill reported by the committee remained through pressure of other business before congress unacted upon, but on the reassembling of congress, on the 16th of Dec., 1817, Mr. Wendover renewed his resolution "that a committee be appointed to enquire into the expediency of altering the flag of the United States, and that they have leave to report by bill or otherwise." Mr. Wendover said he would make but few remarks, the subject not being a novel one, a bill relative thereto having been submitted at the last session, but laid over under the pressure of more important business. Had the flag never undergone alteration he should not propose to make a further alteration now. Having once been altered, he thought it could now be improved. It was his impression and he thought it was generally believed that the flag never would be essentially injured by an alteration on the same principle of increasing both stripes and stars.

Mr. Wendover then stated the incongruity of the flags in general use (except those of the navy), not agreeing with the law and generally greatly varying from each other. He instanced the flags then flying over the building in which congress sat, and that at the navy yard, one of which contained only nine stripes, the other eighteen, and neither conforming to the law.

It was some importance, he conceived, that the flag of the nation should be designated with precision, and that the practice under the law should be conformed to its requisitions.

On the 6th of January, 1818, the committee appointed, of which Mr. Wendover was chairman, reported that having maturely considered the subject referred to them, they have adopted substantially the report of the committee on the same subject at the last session.

The committee are fully persuaded that the form selected for the American flag was truly emblematical of our origin and existence as an independent nation, and that as such it having met the approbation and received the support of the citizens of the Union, it ought to undergo no change that would decrease its conspicuity or tend to deprive it of its representative character.

The committee believe, however, that an increase in the number of states in the Union since the flag was altered by law sufficiently indicates the propriety of such a change in the arrangement of the flag as shall best accord with the reasons that led to its original adoption and sufficiently point to important periods in our history.

The original flag of the United States was composed of thirteen stripes and thirteen stars, and the committee cannot view the proposed inconsiderable addition of a star for each new state in the light of a departure from the permanency of form which should characterize the flag of the nation.

In connection with this alteration of the flag the following letters of Mr. Wendover to Capt. Reid are interesting:

"DEAR SIR *

"Washington, Feb. 13, 1817. * The flag is yet on the table. I know not when it will get to the anvil. I received the flag from Mr. Jarvis, and would have presented him my thanks for his polite attention to my request, but I am so oppressed with letter writing that I have no time to take exercise, and but little to sleep. Please present my thanks to Mr. Jarvis for his kindness to me and the standard addressed to you accompanying it.

"I find the flag proposition is almost universally approved of, but fear the standard will have to lie over until next session."

1 Communicated to the Historical Magazine, by W. A. W.

This letter refers to a design for a national standard (which was not adopted) composed of the emblematical representations

of our escutcheon quartered

upon it, viz: the stars, white on a blue field on the upper left hand quarter; the Goddess of Liberty on a white field under the stars; the eagle in the upper right hand quarter or fly of the standard on a white field, and the thirteen alternate stripes of red and white under the eagle.

This standard it was proposed should be hoisted over the halls of congress, at our navy yards, and at other public places, when visited by the president of the

On the 17th of January, 1818, Mr Wendover wrote Capt. Reid:

"As I am not a military man I leave to others to regulate the cockade. I shall attend to the star spangled banner, though I wish the other changed from British to American."

He writes again under date

"Washington, March 24, 1818. * "This day the first call on the docket was the star spangled banner. I moved to go in committee on the bill. General Smith moved to discharge the committee of the whole and postpone the bill indefinitely. I appealed to that gentleman and the house if they were willing thus to neglect the banner of freedom.

"Gen. Smith's motion was negatived by almost a unanimous vote, and we hoisted the striped bunting in committee of the whole. After I had made a few observations and sat down, Mr. Poindexter moved to strike out twenty stars and insert seven, with a view to have stripes for the old and stars for the new states. Motion rejected nearly unanimously. Mr. Folger then moved to strike out twenty and insert thirteen, to restore the

original flag; his motion was also negatived by a similar vote. Mr. Robertson then expressed a wish to fix an arbitrary number of stripes say nine, or eleven; but no one seemed to approve of his idea, and the committee rose and reported the bill without amendment and the house ordered it to be engrossed for a third reading to-morrow by almost a unanimous vote. It was remarked by many that the subject came up in good time as our flag almost blew away with the severe storm which on Saturday was almost a hurricane. It is now completely ragged bunting,' and I fear we shall have to sit a part of the session without the 'star spangled banner' over our heads.

"Yours,

"PR. H. WENDOVER.

"P. S. March 25th. Having written the within after the close of the last mail, I kept this open to inform you further as to the 'star spangled banner.' The bill had its third reading this day, a little before twelve o'clock, and passed with perhaps two or three noes; after which Mr. Taylor moved to amend the title of the bill, and instead of alter it is now "a bill to establish the flag of the United States," which goes so much further in approbation of your plan, as the bill is now considered by our house, as fixing permanently the flag, except so far as to admit in every new planet that may be seen in our political horizon.

"I this day had our flag measured up and down the staff. It is fourteen feet and four inches, but it ought to be eighteen feet hoist, and floating in the air in proportion say twenty-seven feet; all this you know better than I do. Now, Jack, as a favor that you will be pleased to inform me, as soon as convenient, what a flag of that size will cost in New York, made for the purpose, with thirteen stripes, and twenty stars forming one great luminary, as per pasteboard plan you handed me. And if the bill passes the senate soon, it is probable I shall request the captain of the late Gen. Armstrong, to have a flag made for Congress Hall under his direction. Please inquire as to the cost of materials, etc., and write me soon that congress, for their firm support of the bill, may before they adjourn see the banner raised."

He writes again,