Daily National Intelligencer

THE AMERICAN COCKADE.

MESSRS. EDITORS,

I observed in a late paper an account of some of our countrymen being treated not only with rudeness, but violence in France on account of their cockades, which are at present black, the colour of those of the English. The Americans first became odious to the Bonapartists by being mistaken for Englishmen. They put an eagle in the centre of the cockade to shew they were not English, and afterwards were opposed by the Bourbonites with all their retinue of Legitimates (who you know are not few) because the eagle was the symbol of the Bonapartists.

A cockade is the mark and sign of nationality in an individual as much as the flag is in a ship or fortress. It is consequently of the first importance that it be not confounded with the same mark of any other nation, or dangerous consequences may follow in war, and some inconveniences even in time of peace. And as it is used as a national mark, the importance of its being a distinguishing one becomes greater as it is more difficult from other circumstances to distinguish the nation of an individual. How impolitic then is it in the U. States to use the same cockade with England, from whose inhabitants it is so difficult to distinguish the Anglo-Americans?—To say nothing of its having the appearance of being a badge of ancient servitude, the confusion in time of boarding might often, and I believe has sometimes produced sad consequences. For though the naval uniform of England is turned up with white, while ours is entirely blue, that circumstance in the precipitation and smoke of a close action, might prove an insufficient distinction, as is well known to have happened at the battle of German Town, during the revolutionary war, when one part of the American army, deceived by the red facing of the coat, fired on another.

The cockade is so important a sign of nationality, that it has been adopted by all nations and had its origin in the customs of ancient chivalry. Every Knight had the colours of his armorial blazoned upon the base of the crest of his helmet: thus displaying his family or achievements not only in the device of his armour, but in colours painted on his helmet.

The only regret we can feel at relinquishing our present colour is that it has so long been the companion of heroes who have covered the nation and themselves with glory, and who have imparted a lustre to all that accompanies their renown. But it is proper perhaps for that very reason that men who have distinguished themselves from the English not more by their heroic gallantry in so many illustrious actions than by their benignant clemency to all who have yielded to their valor, should be still farther distinguished by a cockade truly national. Besides, our naval and military heroes have derived no part of their honor from having the same cockade with England; they have bravery and patriotism to ennoble any cockade that they may wear, and I am really ambitious of seeing them with one peculiarly their own.

If there be any one color already more particularly appropriated to America than another, it is blue, the emblem of loyalty to government. It is the field in which glitter the stars of our union, that have so often shone victorious through the night of the ocean. It is the color of the uniform of our seamen and soldiers, who have made dear to us all that belongs to them. It was the color of the uniform of the revolution. In addition to these recommendations, it is almost the only colour not already chosen to designate some other nation. The cockade of the Swedes is blue and yellow; of the Dutch, orange; of the Austrians, white and red: of the Russians, yellow and black; of the Spaniards, red and yellow; and of the Portuguese, red and blue. The late war is an epoch in our naval history, and I hope that the small but important change which I propose will be one of the alterations that will consecrate it.

A TRUE AMERICAN.