The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1895-08-16
BROTHER JONATHAN.
The Name of Jonat han Does Not Seem to
be Very Popular Among Us.

be Very Popular Among Us.
The Englishman is John Bull, the
Irlshman is Pat or Paddy, the Scotch
man Is Sandy or Sawney, the Welshman
Is David, the Frenchman is Jean Cra-
paud or Mcaire, the German is Cousin
Michael, the Swiss Is Colin Tampon, the
Hebrew is the Sheeny, and the
American Is Brother Jonathan.
There Is nickname for the
people of almost very country on earth.
1t is a singular circumstance that.
while John Is a popular prenomen in
England. and Patrick In Ireland. ana
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 necessary
to give any one evidence OF this state
ment Is that ne shall examine the direo-
tory of the city Of New York from be-
ginning 10 end, or shall look through the
directories printed in Philadelphia, Bos-
ton. New Orleans, Chicago, Brooklyn,
Jersey City, San Francisco, or any other
American city. He 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 1t even once. Patrick Is on every
on every page Of an English directory:
but as for the name of Jonathan, 1t 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 Brother jonathan Is al
ways pictured as a very grotesque and
unattractive parsonage, costumed in a
ridiculous fashion, and calculated to
raise laughter rather than command re-
spect. John Bull Is always depleted as
a solid business parsonage; Brother
| Jonathan is depleted as circus clown.
II Is a wonder that no American artist
| has ever drawn a worthy hgure or the
great and mighty and majestic Brother
| Jonathan, one that would be character
| istic, significant AID impressive, without
| too marked a violation of the traditions
| that are associated with the name. 1t
| cannot 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
| ary times, from whom, as ordinarily sup
posed, came Brother Jonathan The his
torlan Sparks says that Washington re-
| earded Governor Trumbull as "one of
his main pillars Of support" and he was
accustomed to consult him in emergen-
cles; thus, according to an old story in
a biography of Trumbull, the words,
"We must ask Brother Jonathan" were
so often spoken by the Father of His
Country that Brother Jonathan became
synonymous with the good genius Of the
young American republic. Certainly the
nickname has been In vogue since an
early period in the country's history. AS
ordinarily personlfled, however, Brother
Jonathan bears no resemblance at all
to Trumbull or to any other man of the
DAYS of the war Of independence. The
personlfication is both humorous and un-
happy
| II the nlcknam- grew out of Washing
toms remark, 1t hsd a far more distin-
guished origin than John Bull, the chol-
eric, quarrelsome and vain old humbuS.
| New York Sun.