The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1837-12-30
poLrrrcAL SrcKNAsrEs.

FOLlTlCAL NACANAMESs
"Faciion, is as capricious fortune; wrongs, OPP
preston the zeal of real patriots or the genius Of
false ones, may some times be employed for years in
kindlng substantial opposition to authority; in other
seasons the impulse of moment, ballad, NICK
NAME, a fashion can throw city into tumult, and
shake the foundations OF Stae."-LoRD ORFoRp.
II is one Of the arts Of all political parties
to apply nicknames, to any class Of men who
shall suddenly be found to dissen. from their
old friends, by way Of casting upon them
contempt and opprobrium. The artifiGe never
fails to flourish among people divided by
contending interests, and therefore among no
people is it more likely to flourish than among
ourselves. Every party with us have had
their watch word, which has served either TO
congregate themselves, or to set on the ban
dogs Of one faction TO worry and tear those Of
another. We practised it early, and we find
it signally prospecting at this time. The ear
hest illustration Of the practice was the dis
tinction Of Wing and Tory-the latest, is that
Of Conservative and Loco-foco, or Destruc-
tive. The epoch Of the first epithets was the
reign of Charles lI--of the Loco-foco, 1893,
aud Of the Conservative, in this country, last
June. The rite Of bapsism is usually fnllnw-
ed by calumny, and says BuscmbauD,, Ger
man Jesuit, whenever the object OF such
calumnies is once lowered in credit by such
means, he viii soon lose the reputation and
pawer founded on that credit, and sink under
the permanent and vindictiye attacks Of the
calumniator." This is fair illustration of
the practice Of the Globe faction. How evil
and diabolical do such kind of political prn-
ciples appear!
The origin Of Wing and Tory, il is said, is
ludicrous enough. The friends Of the court
and the advocates Of lineal succession were
by the republican party branded with the title
Of Tories, which was the name of certain
Irish robbers while the court party in return
could find no other revenge than by appro-
priating to the covenanters and the republic
cans Of that class, the name Of the Scotch
beverage Of sour milk, whose virtue they
considered so expressive Of their dispositions,
and which is called ,ohigg*
The term Loeo.f oco, or Destructive, was ap-
piled to faction originating in New York,
that sought the destruction of State banks,
and corporate rights, and carried loco-foco
matches to their meetings to guard against
the tricks Of their opponents who put out their
lights.
The Conservatives were so called, because
they would not consent to remedy abuses, by
destroying the institutions with which they
are found connected
The adoption Of political nicknames is
rarely declined the meaner and more
scandalous the name offered by one party to
another, the more it becomes, not only their
rallying cry or their pass word, but even con-
stitutes their glory. Thus the Hollanders
prided themselves on the nickname Of les
gueur, or the beggars: the Professionals Of
France on the scornful one of the Hugucnots;
the peasants Of France on the ,ou throat name
of La Jaequeries 1.-The non-comformists on
the title Of puriton the rabble Of England on
the deriding nickname of ARumps." Charles
II. said to a petitioner. How dare you deliv-
or me such paper 7" "Sir," replied the
petitioner, my name is DARE" lie was
imprisoned, but released by the petitions Of
the Commons Each party" says Swift,
grows proud Of that appellarion which their
adversaries at first intended as term Of re-
proach; Of this sort were the Guelphs and the
Ghibeliines, Hnguenots, and CaUaliers." The
history Of Italy and Greece, as well as Ger
many, France, and England, are full Of these
political nicknames Of factions and parties
and it frequently happened that the more OPP
probrious the name tho more dangerous the,
party became, Other instances occur in which
the offensiveness Of the name has exterminat-
ed the party. The nickname Of maiignants,
applied 70 the royalists, darkened England
through the civil wars. and greatly exaspe-
rated the minds Of The people. The title -of
delinquent, which implied guilt Of all sorts