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Political Nicknames: Russian

The Hats and the Caps were the two great political factions in Sweden, so called on account of the French chapeaux worn by the partisans of the French interest on the one side, and the Russian caps worn by the partisans of the Russian interest on the other. Apropos of Russia, the word "Nihilist" was invented by the great Russian novelist Tourgenief, whose death took place December 3, 1883. Whether this had anything in common with the English word Nihilism, derived from the Latin nihilum, nothing, we cannot say. However, as the fundamental principle of the Nihilists is the abolition of the autocracy and the foundation of a new order of society from primitive beginnings, it is just possible that the Latin word may have been drawn upon in the first case.

The Italian Carbonari, being the plural of carbonaro, a coal-man, a charcoal-burner, who first came into notice in 1820, assumed their designation from the fact of their meetings being originally held in the huts of the charcoal-burners, and because they held charcoal to be the symbol of purification. The Black Cloaks were the upper classes of Naples, distinguished by the colour and quality of their cloaks from the Lazzari, or beggars. Regarded as a political party, the Neapolitan Black Cloaks no longer exist; but the Lazzaroni, so called from the Hospital of St. Lazarus, which serves for their refuge, are still to be met with in all quarters of the city. Then, again, we must not omit mention of the Guelphs and the Ghibellines, names of two powerful families whose rival partisanship of the Papal and the Imperial supremacy in Italy threatened the peace of Europe during the long period embraced between the years 1250 and 1500.

The word "Federal" comes from the Latin fœdus, a league, a compact. As we know, the people of the Northern States of America styled themselves Federals, or Federalists, because they were united by a treaty as one state, although each state continued to enjoy self-government. The Southerners, on the other hand, called themselves Confederates, or Confederalists, on account of Political Nicknames. their particular treaty which favoured the independence of the individual states. These mutual differences occasioned the great civil conflict of 1861-5. During that period the members of a political faction on the Northern side received the name of Copperheads, because they were regarded as secret foes to the common cause. The allusion was to the poisonous copperhead serpent, which gives no warning of its approach. The Know- Nothings were a secret political party in the United States whose chief aim was the expulsion of foreigners by the repeal of the Naturalization Laws and the promotion of native Americans to public appointments. Their title was certainly merited, inasmuch as they disdained all knowledge concerning the rights of aliens and all argument with those who opposed their principles.

The Tammany Ring is the name used to designate a powerful organization among the principal officials of the United States, by means of which they for a long time succeeded in enriching themselves and plundering the nation. These schemes were eventually brought to light in 1871. The name of the "Ring" arose from Tammany Hall, the headquarters of the fraudulent officials.

The Chartists constituted an enormous body of the inferior orders in this country who, soon after the passing of the Reform Bill in 1832, loudly clamoured for "The People's Charter," of which the six principal points were these :- Universal Suffrage, Vote by Ballot, Annual Parliaments, Payment of the Members, Abolition of the Property Qualification, and the Equalization of Electorial Rights. William Lovett, the author of this document, died in August, 1877. The English war party, who sided with the Turks in the Russo-Turkish struggle of 1878 received the nickname of Jingoes, or The Jingo Party, from the chorus of Macdermott's famous music-hall song, commencing- "We don't want to fight, but, by Jingo, if we do!" "Jingo," let us add, is a corruption of Jainko, the Basque term for God. Hence the expression, "By Jingo!" is properly a direct appeal to the Deity.

Its introduction into this country is of much older date than most persons may imagine. The Plantagenet kings held possession of the Basque provinces, and, when Edward I. imported a number of the Basque mountaineers to assist him in the subjugation of Wales, their continual use of the word Jainko soon found imitators among our native soldiery. A Protectionist is one who advocates the protection of home-produce and manufactures against foreign competition by the imposition of import duties.

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