Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 38.djvu/265

 On presenting the flags, Mr. Memminger said:

"Mr. President, the idea of union, no doubt, was suggested to the imagination of the young ladies by the beauteous constellation of the Southern cross, which the Great Creator has placed in the Southern heavens, by way of compensation for the glorious constellation of the North Pole. The imagination of the young ladies was, no doubt, inspired by the genius of Dante and the scientific skill of Humboldt. But, sir, I have no doubt that there was another idea associated with it in the minds of the young ladies—a religious one—and although we have not seen in the heaven the "In hoc signo vinces," written upon the laburnum of Constanline, yet the same sign has been manifested to us upon the tablets of the earth; for we all know that it has been by the aid of revealed religion that we have achieved over fanaticism the victory which we this day witness; and it it becoming, on this occasion, that the debt of the South to the cross should be thus recognized. I have also, Mr. President, a commission from a gentleman of taste and skill, in the City of Charleston, who offers another model, which embraces the same idea of a cross, but upon a different ground. The gentleman who offers this model appears to be more hopeful than the young ladies. They offer one with seven stars,—six for the States already in this Congress, and the seventh for Texas, whose deputies we hope, will soon be on their way to join us. He offers a flag which embraces the whole fifteen States. God grant that his hope may soon be realized, and that we may soon welcome their stars to the glorious constellation of Southern Confederacy.

These remarks were applauded, and a committee of one delegate from each State was appointed to report a device for a national flag and seal.

Mr. Brooke, of Mississippi, offered a resolution to instruct the committee to report a design for a flag as similar as possible to that of the United States, making only such changes as should give them distinction. In his speech he spoke of the associations which clustered around the old ensign—associations which could never be effaced. "Sir," he said, "let us preserve it as far as