Also 7–8 Torism. [f. as prec. + -ISM.] The principles, practices, and methods of Tories: spec. a. those of the British Tory party; Conservatism.
1682. in Westm. Gaz., 22 Jan. (1909), 2/3. [The Loyal London Mercury declared that it would not go with either] Whigism or Torism.
1711. Medley, No. 24. 279. Put Torism instead of it, and it sits exactly in all its Parts.
1773. (title) Torism and Trade can never agree.
1735–8. Bolingbroke, On Parties, ii. Wks. 1809, III. 47. An inquiry into the rise and progress of our late parties; or a short history of toryism and whiggism from their cradle to their grave.
1786. Mrs. Piozzi, Anecd. Johnson, 40. Of Mr. Johnson’s toryism the world has long been witness.
1791. Boswell, Johnson, 22 March, an. 1776. I felt all my Toryism glow in this old capital of Staffordshire. Ibid., 3 June, an. 1784. Oxford, that magnificent and venerable seat of Learning, Orthodoxy, and Toryism.
c. 1832. Borrow, in Knapp, Life, etc. (1899), I. xiv. 144. The chief reason for Toryism, a reason sufficient by itself, is that within it are comprised love of country and pride of country.
1862. Knight, Pop. Hist. Eng., VIII. xxix. 528. The principle of ultra-Toryism.
1886. T. E. Kebbel, Hist. Toryism, viii. 335. Lord Beaconsfield carried Toryism into the next stage. Ibid., 337. The Toryism of the future must be popular Toryism or nothing.
1895. Oman, Hist. Eng., xlii. 709. Disraeli, seated firmly in power, was able to display the characteristics of the ‘New Toryism.’
1910. S. J. Low, in Encycl. Brit., VI. 346/2. He was actively spreading the gospel of democratic Toryism in a series of platform campaigns. Ibid. In 1884 the struggle between stationary and progressive Toryism came to a head, and terminated in favour of the latter.
1913. F. E. Smith in Daily Express, 12 Feb., 2/4. Not the least potent method of preserving it [the State] is to link the conception of State Toryism with the practice of Social Reform.
b. of the American Tories or Loyalists at the War of Independence: see TORY sb. 4.
1777. J. Adams, Diary, 18 Sept. We are yet in Philadelphia, that mass of cowardice and Toryism.
1888. Bryce, Amer. Commw., III. ciii. 468. Because the Anglican Clergy were prone to Toryism (as attachment to the British connection was called).
c. Applied generally to principles analogous to those of English Toryism: cf. TORY sb. 5.
1832. Gen. P. Thompson, Exerc. (1842), II. 7. Why will nobody re-write the Greek and Roman histories, and give us an insight into the Toryism of antiquity? Ibid. (1837), IV. 367. Toryism … is not a thing of modern date, but goes back to the earliest histories.
1837. Arnold, Lett., 3 March, in Life & Corr. (1845), II. 79. If I dared, I would put in a word for ‘As in præsenti,’ perhaps even for ‘Propria quæ maribus.’ Is not this a laudable specimen of Toryism?
