The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1857-09-10
Party Names.
From the Boston Traveller.


From the Boston Traveller
1t must be allowed in this country we have
the most outrageous party names that ever
were heard Of, though perhaps factions, or
clubs even would be the better title of such
concerns as "Plug Ugiies," 'sDead Rabbits, -
" double Pumps, y" Rough Skins,o and so forth
There has always been more or less oddity
about the names of political organizations, but
we excel in this respect all countries in VIII ich
such things have been allowed. The Floren-
tines had their Blacks and Whites, which,
for the information of the curious, we NAV
state had nothing to do with African slavery,
or ''niggers," or "Black Republicans The
Swedes had their Hats and Caps, which in
spite Of their names, had little to do with
heads or "head matter.o The Holanders had
their Hooks and Kubelanns, names which at
once show that they originated with fshy
race. The Flemings had their Gaex { Beg
gars) who were rich, and the Irish their White
boys who were black enough to have satisfied
the Black Man himself. The two great En-
glish party names, the most famous political
designations the world has ever known Wing
and originally signifed rustic and robber.
They succeeded to Cavalier and Rounahead.
which were English words, while the new
ones were the one Scotch, and the other Irish.
The French spawned crop Of party names
in the days Of their Revolution--Jac obins,
Cordeliers, Feuillants, Chouans, and others,
the most Of which, il of eccentric origin, we e
not in themselves disgusting or offensive, while
some OF them were pertinent
Our party names have seldom been patinent.
Federalists and Anti Fe6eralists were good,
for they grew out of the condition Of things
that exist here seventy years since; but they
soon disappear, with the acquiescence of all
men in support OF the Constitution, the oppo-
nents of that instrument becoming its firmest
supporters when they were allowed to admin
lister the government created under it, and
more federal than the Federalists. Republi-
cans was the name by which the old Democrats
liked the best to be known, but as all Amer
leans were Republicans (which is not the case
now,) the word did not have that breadth OF
significance which ought to characterize
party name, and Democrats became common.
Ye. the latter word has but little application
here, onr institutions being constitutional in
their character, and not democratic, whatever
may be the tendencies Of the popular mind;
and no American party was ever more anti
democratic in its character and con lnct than
that which bears the democratic name. Anti
mason was expressive; but it could not endure.
Nullfer soon turned out nnllity. It never
had place out of the shade of the Palmetto.
Loco Foco was so utterly meaningless that 1t
conld not last, though some very accute uen
sought to keep it going. II meant to signi-
fly an enlightened radical Democrat, and it is
speaking fact that it should have disappeared
entirely with the surrender of the leaders Of
the Democratic party to the slaveocracy. II
would have had better fortuae, aud might have
been used by the new party brought into ex-
istence through the repeal Of the Missouri
Compromise, il it had anything appropriate
about it. Know Nothing was taken up laugh
ngly.
The new batch Of political names are, as we
have said, rather club designations than those
Of parties. Such clubs have existed in many
countries, and have been among the, most po-
tent instruments of parties aud party chiefs for
working out their ends-sometimes legal, but
oftener illegal In their character Generally
speaking thoy have been more favored BY
aristocracies and by men desirous OF establish
ing their individual authority, than by consti-
tutioaaiists. Such is the case here now
Most Of the horribly named organizations
which perpetrate outrages in the Intel States,
labor in the interest Of arbitrary power, though
professedly and some Of them are democratic
in their avowsd purposes. Their number
and existence indicate the ferceness OF our
party strife, just as The names Of Exclusionists,
Abhorers, Birminghams, Tantiyies and so Forth,
were common in England when party feeling
was stronger there than it had ever been be-
fore or than it has ever been since. A coun-
try in which such clubs exist, and where hey
are allowed to control elections Is certainly not
in good political condition.
A