The Indianapolis journal., 1899-10-15
BROTHER JONATHAN.
Origin OF the Name as Colloquially
Applied to the United states.

Applied TO the United states.
London Daily Telegraph.
Once upon a time. or in the words of a
conscientious writer. in the year =, in
the reign of -" there dwelt in Scotland
doughty young peasant whose fortune IL
Ias 10 De on nsnd siir wneh hlps p ops5s as te af
tackled by furious bull. The gallant young
peasant aforesaid threw himself on the
creature, grasped him by the horns, and,
with an admirable combination Of courage,
strength and dexterity, flung him on one
side and saved the Kings life. The Bruce
was appropriately grateful. He granted his
preserver comfortable estate, Badyruel.
near PEBBLES, endowed him with the name
coat OF arms bearing three bulls heads,
with the motto Fortuna favet audaci.'
Such at all events. is the account given by
tion of the Turnbull family.
As years rolled on the prowess of Turn
bull OF Badyruel was forgotten, and his
descendants though they clung to the motto
and the. device. corrupted the name into
rrumbuli. Some OF them settled in Cum
Derland, and one of these in the days OF the
Puritan persecution emigrated to Massa-
chusetts and founded line of distinguished
American patriots whose names are, writ
Jonathan Trumbul (the elder), Governor of
connecticut, was the great-grandson or this
Puritan emigrant. and he in 1735 married
Faith Robinson. great-granddaughte of the
famous John Robinson, pastor of the Puri-
tan congregation at Leyden, the Pilgrim
where they might worship in peace and pur-
ity. man so descended and thus allied
expected in time OF trouble. and iona than
Trumbull had ample opportunity 10 test the
metal of which he was made.
All the Trumbulls seem to have been
sentially public men; they entered into the
affairs of the State. they filled public offices,
they gained public favor Thus Jonathan
Trumbull became a representative at the
General Assembly in his twenty-third year,
eight years later a member of the Council.
then deputy Governor. finally, and for
Governor.
cillor that he first proved himself leader
of men The ill-starred stamp act had been
promulgated: II required the Governor OF
each American colony 10 take an oath-to
be administered by his Council-binding him
TO see that every clause in the act was car
ried out TO its full intent. or-removal from
office. disqualification to hold it in future
and a fine of $1,000. Thomas Fitch. the
then Governor of Connecticut. summoned
his councillors that they might fulfill their
obligations.
There came Ebenezer Sillman. Hezekiah
Jabez Hamlin. Matthew Griswold Jubal
| Conant, Elisha Sheldon, Eliphalet Dyer.
Jabez Huntington and Jonathan Trumbull-
eleven In all. men OF note and honor in their
State. Governor Fitch explained the re-
quirements of the act Trumbull protested
No law could be made TO tax them but by
their own consent. freely given: that was
the the essence nc of their m freedom Fitch pleaded
province, save Rhode Island. had already
taken the oath. ''Hgh-souled" Richard
Henry Lee had not only proclaimed his read
OF stamp distributor The greatest patriots
even Franklin and Otis, advised submis-
Son
Four of these councillors yielded to these
arguments and ranged themselves on the
| side OF the Governor. These were a suffi-
safeguard himself. Then rose TrumbuII his
| massive forehead puckered with indigna-
tion his great black eyes flashing. and. in
tnrlllirg tones. vowed he would not stay to
| witness the degradation of liberty and of
the colony. He left the building, followed
after ssnernf Mno ti asreed with MN: Not long
followers from public life, and Trumbull
| found himself Installed as deputy Governor
to follow Trumbull's career during the ten
years OF quarreling with England. years in
which; though never abandoning in any de-
| gree the position he had taken up. he made
| strenuous efforts toward peaceful solution
ana tnese efforts sometimes exposed him to
mucb ShaTse teard that the Mas squinting over
the news of the affair at Lexington: Trum-
pun at once took his part. The time for
| at Lebanon. with a large store adjoining.
became. for the time, the headquarters of
tne IN cs1oe seoel The store came to
| depot for victualng the troops. The dwell
ing house sheltered from time to time
many of the men who were distinguishing
themselves in the struggle, such as WASH
| ington. Franklin, Adams, Jefferson La
tayette y Throughout the WHOLE of it Trum-
Il
| SAID that in all matters of difficulty and
| Danger. IN all considerations where sagac-
| ity. rapidity of conception, and daring were
required, Washingtons invariable formula
| was We must consult Brother Jona-
than. The frequency of its use attracted
| attention. and IL became a sort of CATCH
| phrase banded from mouth to mouth One
| incident gave ii still wider currency and
| breadth OF the land. Washington having
| Deen appointed commando of the Revolu-
| uonary army, came into Massachusetts to
| organize 1t He found his volunteers al
| seemed no means to supply It, Had they
| been attacked while in this position the
| war OF independence might have had very
| dlnerent results. A consultation OF the Of
| acle to advise any means of meeting the
| wants of the army
| At length Washington ended the conclave
| with his weli-known We must consult
| Brother Jonathan on this matter" He did
| so. and Brother Jonathan contrived various
schemes. the success of which were patent
| 10 all. The army spread the phrase all over
| the country, and Brother Jonathan" be-
came the accepted synonym for the Yankee
Thus We may say that while Washington
| was the father of his country honest,
| wise. brave. Jonathan Trumbull Governor
| OF Connecticut, was its godfather for he
gave his name to his people.
| Jonathan Trumbull died on Aug 49, 1855
| Ion Ely, A. NJ, pastor of the First Church
| of Christ in Lebanon. wherein he is COM
| pared point by point to Moses and his
| character summed up in these words: He
was star of the first magnitude in this
| western hemisphere, and by acQuitting him.
self with wisdom and fidelity, dignity and
| glory in the illustrious part assigned him
| TO act on the grand theater of human life
| he hath acquired immortal renown and rem
| dered himself cOnSpicuouSly glorious not
L through ay fan nSf x-o Of A