WHY DO WE SAY — ?

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 136, 12 June 1933, Page 6

WHY DO WE SAY — ?

"BROTHER JONATHAN."

•Tho-American; as a rule called Uncle Sam or Brother Jonathan, secretly prefers the latter. He has •always,!--regarded- this as a reference to the "good genius" of the United States. It-arose in the days ■of Washington. As a commander of tho revolutionary army, he went to Massachusetts t-o organise it. Ho found it was in a deplorable ,stat<;; short of everything. ' Nor did it appear to the famous general that there was anyone who "could, •or would, help.; In this emergency his thoughts flew to an old friend, one Jonathan Trumbull, who was Governor of tho State of Connecticut. "We must consult Brother Jonathan on the matter,'' said General Washington. He. did so, and Brother Jonathan was not found wanting. Ho. gave Washington every assistance within liis power. Tho general was heard •to use the expression, "Wo must consult Brother Jona than", in more than one awkward situation, so that ifc 'soon became known to his army and passed' ; into a saying. It passed into prose and poetry.' James Russell Lowell, in one of his "Biglow Papers," addressing his country, wrote: Oh, .To'nntlian, e£. you want to bo A r.ugged chap ncin an' hearty, •Go fer wu-tevcr'U hurt Jeff D., Nut. wut'll boost up ary party. , , , It's war we're in, not politics; It's systems wrastlin' now, not parties; An victory in the cnd'll fix Where longest will and truest heart is. Thus the name of Brother Jonathan had come in the popular mind to stand for the United States. About the same time Britain had her own Jonathan, for it was an earlier name for what is now thoj S.tock Exchange. This was the famous coffee house in 'Change Alley, which was a general mart for stock jobbers. It passed away a. hundred and sixty years ago, whrtn "tlie brokers and others came to -the conclusion that instead of being called Jonathan's the new building should bo called The Stock Exchange, and collected six- I pence pacli and christened the house." Which has simplified matters by leaving Brother Jonathan across the herring pond in unchallenged monopoly i of the name. , . ... . . j