Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1895-08-30
"RRoThER JoNAIHAN."
The Name of Jonathan Does Not Seem to
be Very Popular Among Us.

DO very AopuihT rnOnS Us.
The Englishman is John Bull, the
Irishmun is Pat or Paddy, the Scotch
man is Sandy or Sawney the Welsh
man is David, the Frenchman is Jean
Crapaud or Micaire, the German is
Cousin Michael, the Swiss is Colin
Tampon, the Jew is Sheeny, and the
American is Brother Jonathan. There
is nickname for the people Of almost
every country on earth.
1t is a singular circumstance that,
while John is a popular prcnomen in
England, and Patrick in Ireland, and
David in Wales, and Jean in France,
and Michael in Germany, the name of
Jonathan has never become popular in
the United States. All that is neces-
sary to give any one evidence of this
statement is that he shall examine the
directory of the city of New York from
beginning to end, or shall look
through the directories printed in
Philadelphia, Boston, New Or
leans, Chicago, Brooklyn, Jersey
City, San Francisco, or any other
American city. lie may see Jonathan
once in a while, as he turns over the
leaves of the book; but he may go
through ten or twenty pages without
seeing it even once. Patrick is on
every page-of Dublin directory, as
John is on every page of an English
directory; but as for the name of Jona-
than, it is seen about as often in an
English as in an American directory.
1t is possible that one reason for the
unpopularity of the name with fathers
and mothers lies in the fact that Broth
er Jonathan is always pictured as a
very grotesque and unattractive per-
sonage, costumed in a ridiculous fash
ion, and calculated to raise laughter
rather than command respect. John
Bull is always depicted as solid BUSH
ness parsonage; Brother Jonathan is
depicted as circus clown.
1t is a wonder that no American art
list has ever drawn worthy figure of
the great and mighty and majestic
Brother Jonathan, one that would be
Characteristic, significant, and impress
sive, without too marked violation of
the traditions that are associated with
the name. 1t can not be said that the
Uncle Sam" of the picture makers is
any better than the Brother Jonathan.
OF the few eminent Americans who
have borne the name of Jonathan, the
most eminent was Jonathan Trumbull,
governor of Connecticut in revolution
airy times, from whom, as is ordinarily
supposed, came Brother Jonathan.
The historian Sparks says that Wash
ington regarded Gov. Trumb bull as one
of his main pillars Of support" and
he was accustomed to consult him in
emergencies; thus, according to an old
story in a biography of Trumbull,
the words: 1--WE must ask Broth
err Jonathan" were so often
spoken of by the Father of his
country that Brother Jonathan be-
came synonymous with the good
genius of the young American repub-
lie. Certainly the nickname has been
in vogue since an early period in the
country's history. AS ordinarily per-
sonifed, however, Brother Jonathan
bears no resemblance at all to Trum,
bull or any other man of the days Of
the war Of independence. The per-
sonifcation is both humorous and un.
happy.
If the nickname grew out of Wash
ington's remark, it had a far more dis
tinguished origin than John Bull, the
choleric, qnarrelsome, and vain old
humbug.
The name Jonathan shines in scrip
ture history as that of the son of King
Saul and brother of King David, as
that of the lovely and pleasant young
Israelite who was swifter than ar
eagle and stronger than lion. The
eagle is the emblematic device of the
American Brother Jonathan, who
proved to be stronger than the British
| lion. Y Sun.