upon them a rattlesnake broken into thirteen pieces with the mottoes
of "Unite or die," or "Join or die." These devices were first used to
stimulate the Colonies into concerted action against the French and
Indians, and afterwards were revived to unite them in the Revolutionary
struggle. In Bradford's Pennsylvania Journal of December 27, 1775, there
appeared the following article, which is very interesting and logical:

"MESSRS. PRINTERS: I observed on one of the drums belonging to the
marines, now raising, there was painted a rattlesnake, with this
modest motto under it, "Don't tread on me!" As I know it is the
custom to have some device on the arms of every country, I
supposed this might be intended for the arms of North America. As I
have nothing to do with public affairs, and as my time is perfectly
my own, in order to divert an idle hour I sat down to guess what
might have been intended by this uncommon device. I took care,
however, to consult on this occasion a person acquainted with
heraldry, from whom I learned that it is a rule among the learned
in that science that the worthy properties of an animal in a crest
shall be considered, and that the base one cannot be intended. He
likewise informed me that the ancients considered the serpent as an
emblem of wisdom, and, in a certain attitude, of endless duration;
both of which circumstances, I suppose, may have been in view.
Having gained this intelligence, and recollecting that countries
are sometimes represented by animals peculiar to them, it occurred
to me that the rattlesnake is found in no other quarter of the
globe than American, and it may therefore have been chosen on that
account to represent her. But then the worthy properties of a
snake, I judged, would be hard to point out. This rather raised
than suppressed my curiosity, and having frequently seen the
rattlesnake, I ran over in my mind every property for which she was
distinguished, not only from other animals, but from those of the
same genus or class, endeavoring to fix some meaning to each not
wholly inconsistent with common sense. I recollected that her eyes
exceeded in brightness that of any other animal, and that she had
no eyelids. She may therefore be esteemed an emblem of vigilance.
She never begins an attack, nor, when once engaged, ever
surrende