West-Jersey pioneer., 1881-07-07
sWHY ARE JERSEYMEN CALLED
FOREIGNERS"


it is not easily answered. There are, how
ever, explanations which are sufficiently sat
isfactory and probably come as near the
truth as any that can be offered. The
archives of the State Historial Society fur
nsh letter written nine years ago by Ed
ward Salter, then employed in a Govern
mont department at Washington, which
says that the term was born sixty years and
more ago. Napoleon the Great, in his
downfall, dragged with him his easy-natured
brother, King Joseph of Spain, and host
of other family puppets who were occupying
the scenes of the great Emperor's conquests.
Joseph, accompanied by the son of the King
of Italy, Prince Murat, came to America.
They were desirous of establishing grand
estate and of building palatial mansion,
but the laws of the States forbade the hold
ing of property by aliens. With that almost
touching faith in the fortunes of the family
which distinguished every Bonaparte OF the
period, they believed they would ultimately
return triumphant to the scene of their glo-
ries, and naturally refused to become Amer
ican citizens. In this peculiar condition Of
affairs they endeavored to obtain an act of
Legislature in several States exempting
them from the alien provisions. Applica-
ton was made in vain, and the modification
of the ex-King is said to have been especially
keen when the State of Pennsylvania
refused to comply. The New Jersey legis-
lators were then appealed to and with suc-
cess, general act permitting aliens to hold
property under certain conditions being
passed. King Joseph purchased Bonaparte
park at Bordentown, and the story of his
magnificent residence there, and the prom
inent part he played in the social life of
that section is familiar to readers and in
tradition.
But Jersey generosity to the exiled King
was not permitted to pass unscathed. The
newspaper humorist was even then raging
about seeking whom he might caricature,
and as the subject of King Joseph's resi-
dence was matter of National notoriety,
it became common to joke Jerseymen on
the possession of king. 1t was laughingly
alleged that the people were so delighted
with their kingly acquisition that they were
little better than foreigners, and ingenuity
varied the term to Spaniards and Europe
aus. That which began in humorous
quip was used in sober earnestness when a
Jersey farmer sold cord of wood foot
short, or bushel of corn that weighed too
little Joseph and his miniature court
went back to France and the original sig
nifcance of the term was long ago lost to
the memory of most people, but by-word
and nickname sticks, and to this day the
residents of Burlington, Ocean and Atlantic
counties are sometimes called s'Sand-Span-
iards, }" and when newspaper paragrapher's
brains are too befogged for originality he falls
back on the humor of half century ago.
1t is not improbable that the course of
the State on other matters has made the
term stand the wear of years better than
most of its kind. Jerseymen were slow to
accept nearly all the provisions of the Ma
tional Constitution approved by other
States, while our sister commonwealths for
years had grudge against us for exacting
tax on every passenger carried across the
State on the railroads. tax which still
practically exists. though now paid in
lump sum without regard to the number OF
passengers transported.
The expression arose when the bounda-
res of the States were much more closely
defined. To-day the population is restive.
A Jerseyman to-day may be New Yorker
or a Pennsylvania tomorrow. The term
of sloreigners" is stale and inexpensive Of
anything but ignorant personal prejudice;
still we cannot object to it for it revives
some old memoirs which were not at all dis
creditable to the foresight and generosity
of the glorious little State.-Nesoark Ad.
uertiser.