Chapter XX: The Lessons of the Crosses

The combinations of the Jacks have at length been completed, and the three crosses placed together in the one flag of 1801.

If some of the heralds are not entirely satisfied with the way the divisions are made, due honour has at least been done to each of the Jacks of the three kingdoms, while at the same time the historical value of the "Union" has been greatly enhanced, and its beauty as a flag most certainly increased. If the object of heraldry is the teaching of lessons by the combinations of colour and of forms, then the flag as made is yet more heraldically successful.

In the heraldic and traditional interpretations of colours, red indicates courage, white is the emblem of purity, and blue the emblem of truth.

"Red, white and blue,
Brave, pure and true."

By this better and more equal division of the colours in the flag much additional emphasis is given to the story which those colours tell.

Lessons are taught which may be deeply impressed upon the minds of our children, so that by reading the history of their nation in its folds they may endeavour to live lives worthy of the ideals of their national flag, and frame their own characters and the character of their empire by its lofty teachings.

That it is a beautiful and easily distinguished flag is admitted on all hands, but it has the still further quality, of immeasurable value in a national flag, that its parts and colours tell the history of the nation whose emblem it is. To those who have acquainted themselves with the story of the three separate national flags, the Union Jack, with its three crosses, its broad white borders and eight blue triangles, tells the story of the influences under which the present Empire has been built up by the three kingdoms which were combined to make it.

Laid broadly upon the whole combination, and "surmounting" it, and also forming the basis for all its measurements, is the plain red cross of St. George, indicating, in such a way as the simplest mind can understand, the leading part which the English nation has taken in the creation of the Union, and the powerful position which it holds in its councils.

Under this cross, and supporting it, are the white and red crosses of the two junior nations, which are themselves, in their turn, supported on the white and blue grounds, which form the basis foundations of the flag, the whole being embraced and bound together by the broadspread arms of the plain red cross.

Thus clearly does the position of the crosses and their grounds teach the vivid lesson of how the three sister nations, supporting each other, are all united by _Courage_ in building their realm upon the sure foundations of _Purity_ and _Truth_.

The position of the red cross of St. George, in front and full view, tells plainly how England was the first of the nations to enter the lists and lead the way in acquiring the glories of the Empire.

Another lesson there is which the crosses also plainly tell respecting the relations between the Scotch and Irish nations themselves.

The flag is divided by the cross of St. George into four quarters, in all of which the saltire crosses of St. Andrew and St. Patrick, as the heraldic blazon of the proclamation says, are "quarterly per saltire counterchanged."

Discussions have arisen between heraldic experts as to whether the descriptive word in the blazon should be "countercharged" or "counterchanged." The latter is the word given in this proclamation, and although at first sight it looks as though the red cross only had been "charged"--that is, been placed upon the original white diagonal cross--it is to be remembered that the saltire cross has been equally divided between the two nations.

It will be noted that the broad white of the cross of Scotland occupies the higher position in the first and third quarters, which are next the flagstaff, and the red cross of Ireland is in the higher position in the second and fourth, which are the quarters at the end or fly of the flag; the relative position of the Irish and Scotch crosses, as they are placed in the first and third quarters, are reversed in the second and fourth quarters; that is to say, the positions of the crosses are alternately changed about, or "counterchanged."

The quarters of the flag next the flagstaff are considered to be of higher importance than the others, and in these more important quarters the cross of St. Andrew and its border is thus given precedence over the red cross of St. Patrick and its border.

The lesson intended to be taught by the position of the crosses is plain. The kingdom of Scotland had entered into the union with England before the kingdom of Ireland, and, therefore, as being the senior, the white cross of St. Andrew is given the precedence over the red cross of St. Patrick, but this, in its turn, is given the upper position in the remaining quarters.

The utmost care must, therefore, be taken to see that the Union Jack is correctly raised on the flagstaff, with the broad white of the St. Andrew uppermost.

When the Red Ensign, or any similarly quartered flag, is reversed on the flagstaff--that is to say, displayed with the Union down--it becomes a signal of distress. Union Jacks are often seen hoisted upside down (Pl. VII., fig. 1). No more distressing act can be done to the Union Jack than to thus carelessly reverse its crosses by putting the wrong end next the staff, with the broad white saltire down, nor greater indignity be done to its supporters than by thus reversing the correct positions of their national Jacks.

Flags are sometimes to be seen (Pl. VII., fig. 2) in which the white border around the red cross of St. George is reduced to the same narrow size as the border of St. Patrick, and thus the white ground of the Jacks of England and Ireland has been wiped out.

1

PRESENT UNION JACK UPSIDE DOWN

2

JACK WRONGLY MADE

3

JACK WRONGLY MADE]

Still more often the red cross of St. Patrick is set full in the centre of the diagonal cross, and thus the cross of St. Andrew is completely expunged, for its white is reduced to only two narrow white margins on both sides of the Irish red cross. The broad white of St. Andrew has thus been entirely lost. (Pl. VII., fig. 2).

Such errors as have been mentioned cannot be too greatly lamented, or be too carefully avoided, for by them dishonour is done to the memory of the nations whose prowess has ennobled their national emblems, and the beautiful story of the Union Jack is utterly marred; for the positions of the crosses and borders cease to tell the consecutive history of the empire nation whose combined union emblem they form.

In Pl. VII., fig. 3, a further error will be noted, that the opposite ends of the combined saltires are not in continuous line with one another, as in the correctly made Jack (Pl. V., fig. 3). This has occurred from the centre lines of the combined saltires having been drawn directly from the inner corners of St. George to the outer corners of the oblong flag.

We have seen that as the space of the one saltire of 1707 was to be divided equally between the two saltires of 1801, the two ends of the saltire should be in line, and the division run equally through the centre.

In view of these errors it may be well to give some simple instructions by which the flags may always be correctly made, and which are in accordance with the Admiralty regulations.

Union Jacks must be made either square (53), or oblong (54), in which latter shape the length must always be twice the width on the staff.

It will be noticed that in the square Jack (53) the diagonal lines drawn from the opposite corners of the flag intersect the corners of the white border of St. George and of the cross, which latter is shown in dotted lines, and that in the oblong Jack (54) they do not. It is this difference which has usually created the difficulty.

Having decided the size, either square or twice as long as wide (1 × 2), then draw two diagonal lines from corner to corner upon the shape of flag selected, then place the St. George cross and its border upon the flag according to the measurements in the "Outline Jack" (51), the red of St. George being one-fifth of the height or width of the flag. The diagonal lines will be the centre and dividing lines of the saltires, as shown by the dotted lines which are thus in continuous line from one corner to the other. The St. Patrick and St. Andrew saltires and their borders are then to be added according to the proportions shown in (51), the red saltire being placed touching the diagonal, below it in the first and third quarters of the flag, and above it in the second and fourth. The St. Andrew, being in one colour and above the diagonal in the first and third, and below it in the second and fourth, completes the combined saltire.

By following these directions the making of a Union Jack is much simplified.

That the utmost care should be exercised in the making of our flag is beyond all question. It is the record of our history, the flag of our British nation; to display one in incorrect form is to do dishonour to it, to our history and to our nationality. No patriot would do this intentionally, and yet some may do this ignorantly. It would be well for their help and the avoidance of error that they should be taught how to make their flag correctly, and be educated in the lessons which it conveys.

Once these have been learned, the amount of increased interest in our flags is immeasurably advanced. Each flag as it comes before the eye becomes a study and a lesson, an historic reminder and a patriotic inspiration.

If those crosses could themselves but speak, what glories they could tell; and yet the outlines of the flag, when they are properly displayed, signal the stories of their colours and their crosses as plainly and as eloquently as if they voiced it in burning words.