Volume II Part 35 (1/2)

ELIZABETH A. KINGSLEY, of Philadelphia, CHARLES BURLEIGH, Rev.

HENRY BLANCHARD and Mrs. ROSE made brief addresses.

FREDERICK DOUGLa.s.s deprecated the seeming a.s.sertion of Rev. O. B.

Frothingham, that one good cause was in opposition to another. I champion the right of the negro to vote. It is with us a matter of life and death, and therefore can not be postponed. I have always championed woman's right to vote; but it will be seen that the present claim for the negro is one of the most _urgent_ necessity. The a.s.sertion of the right of women to vote meets nothing but ridicule; there is no deep seated malignity in the hearts of the people against her; but name the right of the negro to vote, all h.e.l.l is turned loose and the Ku-klux and Regulators hunt and slay the unoffending black man. The government of this country loves women. They are the sisters, mothers, wives and daughters of our rulers; but the negro is loathed. Women should not censure Mr. Phillips, Mr. Greeley, or Mr. Tilton, all have spoken eloquently for woman's rights. We are all talking for woman's rights, and we should be just to all our friends and enemies. There is a difference between the Republican and Democratic parties.

OLYMPIA BROWN: What is it?

FREDERICK DOUGLa.s.s: The Democratic party has, during the whole war, been in sympathy with the rebellion, while the Republican party has supported the Government.

OLYMPIA BROWN: How is it now?

FREDERICK DOUGLa.s.s: The Democratic party opposes impeachment, and desires a white man's government.

OLYMPIA BROWN: What is the difference in _principle_ between the position of the Democratic party opposing the enfranchis.e.m.e.nt of 2,000,000 negro men, and the Republican party opposing the emanc.i.p.ation of 17,000,000 white women?

FREDERICK DOUGLa.s.s: The Democratic party opposes suffrage to both: but the Republican party is in favor of enfranchising the negro, and is largely in favor of enfranchising woman. Where is the Democrat who favors woman suffrage? (A voice in the audience, ”Train!”) Yes, he hates the negro, and that is what stimulates him to subst.i.tute the cry of emanc.i.p.ation for women. The negro needs suffrage to protect his life and property, and to ensure him respect and education. He needs it for the safety of reconstruction and the salvation of the Union; for his own elevation from the position of a drudge to that of an influential member of society. If you want women to forget and forsake frivolity, and the negro to take pride in becoming a useful and respectable member of society, give them both the ballot.

OLYMPIA BROWN: Why did Republican Kansas vote down negro suffrage?

FREDERICK DOUGLa.s.s: Because of your ally, George Francis Train!

OLYMPIA BROWN: How about Minnesota without Train? The Republican party is a party and cares for nothing but party! It has repudiated both negro suffrage and woman suffrage.

FREDERICK DOUGLa.s.s: Minnesota lacked only 1,200 votes of carrying negro suffrage. All the Democrats voted against it, while only a small portion of the Republicans did so. And this was substantially the same in Ohio and Connecticut. The Republican party is about to bring ten States into the Union; and Thaddeus Stevens has reported a bill to admit seven, all on the fundamental basis of const.i.tutions guaranteeing negro suffrage forever.

OLYMPIA BROWN again insisted that the party was false, and that now was the time for every true patriot to demand that no new State should be admitted except on the basis of suffrage to women as well as negroes.

LUCY STONE controverted Mr. Dougla.s.s' statement that women were not persecuted for endeavoring to obtain their rights, and depicted in glowing colors the wrongs of women and the inadequacy of the laws to redress them. Mrs. Stone also charged the Republican party as false to principle unless it protected women as well as colored men in the exercise of their right to vote.

_The Tribune_ said the resolutions adopted declare that suffrage is an inalienable right without qualification of s.e.x or race; that our State and National Governments are anti-Republican in form, and anti-Democratic in fact; that the only way to decide whether women want to vote is to give them an opportunity of doing so; that the Republicans are bound to extend the application of manhood suffrage to women; that Reconstruction will fail to secure peace, unless it gives women the right to vote; they invite the National Conventions of both parties to put a woman suffrage plank in their platforms; pet.i.tion[107] Congress to extend suffrage to the women of the District of Columbia, and to propose a Const.i.tutional Amendment prohibiting political distinctions on account of s.e.x; a.s.sert that the laws depriving married women of the equal custody of their children and of the control of their property, are a disgrace to civilization; and thank the men of Kansas who voted for Woman Suffrage.

FOOTNOTES:

[92] Following this hearing, Mr. Folger presented a resolution in the Senate for the women of the State to vote for delegates to the Const.i.tutional Convention, and nine members voted in its favor.

[93] The _Albany Evening Journal_ of January 24th, says: ”Mrs. Stanton had a large audience to hear her argument in favor of so amending the Const.i.tution as to permit women and colored men to vote and hold office. She said all that could be said and said it well in support of her position, but it is still a problem whether the Judiciary Committee were convinced. Like most men of old-fas.h.i.+oned notions, they are slow to believe that women would be elevated, either in usefulness, or dignity, by being transferred from the drawing room and the nursery to the ballot-box and the forum!!

[94] Horace Greeley, Westchester Co., Leslie W. Russel, Lawrence Co., William Ca.s.sidy, Albany Co., William H. Merrill, Wyoming Co., George Williams, Oneida Co., John G. Schumaker, Kings Co., Isaac L. Eudress, Livingston Co.

[95] _June 20, 1867._--Mr. CORBETT presented a memorial from citizens of Syracuse for securing the right of suffrage for women on equal terms with men.

Mr. GRAVES--Pet.i.tion of Mrs. F. D. Fish and 180 other citizens--worthy and intelligent men and women--of the city of Utica, asking equal suffrage for men and women.

Referred to the Committee on Suffrage.

_June 26, 1867._--Mr. RATHBUN--Pet.i.tion for universal suffrage for women as well as men.

C. E. PARKER--Pet.i.tion for citizens of Tioga County.

Mr. CURTIS--A pet.i.tion from Mrs. Daniel Cady, of Johnstown, and 200 others, asking to have ”male” stricken from the State Const.i.tution.