Volume II Part 36 (1/2)

Mr. HAMMOND--Mrs. J. C. Holmes and many others from Westchester County.

_July 10th._--Mr. TUCKER--A pet.i.tion from a large number of men and women for extending the right of suffrage to woman.

Mr. GRAVES--Fifty-four ladies of New York City, asking suffrage for women.

_July 11th._--Mr. CURTIS--From Charles J. Seymour, Mrs. Mary Newman and 500 others from Broome County, for equal suffrage.

_July 12th._--Mr. CORBETT--Henry Ward Beecher, Edwin A. Studwell, and many others, of Kings County, for woman suffrage.

_July 16th._--Mr. FOLGER presented a pet.i.tion from Emily P. Collins, of Rochester, and others, asking that women be granted the privilege of voting, that in 1869 the proposition be submitted for all who can read and write.

_July 18th._--Mr. GREELEY--From Mrs. Louisa Howland and many others, of Mt. Vernon, Westchester County, for woman suffrage.

Mr. CURTIS--From Mrs. Eliza Benton and others of New York City, asking for equal suffrage. Another from Caroline E. Hubbard and 20 others, of Westchester County.

_July 31st._--Mr. POTTER--Lydia Baldwin, F. Brucklin, and others, of Erie County, asking for the extension of the suffrage to women.

Mr. GRAVES--Jane E. Turner, Rev. C. H. Bebee, and 56 others, Bridgewater, Oneida County. Another from Julia M. Sherwood and 22 others, Westchester County, asking for woman suffrage.

[102] The ladies suggested to Mr. Curtis to present Mrs. Greeley's pet.i.tion last, and with emphasis, that it might attract the attention of the reporters, and thus have Mrs. Greeley's pet.i.tion and Mr.

Greeley's report to antidote each other, and appear side by side in the Metropolitan journals. After the Convention adjourned that day, some of the ladies lingered in the vestibule to congratulate Mr.

Greeley on his conservative report; but he had disappeared through some side door, and could not be found. A few weeks after he met Mrs.

Stanton and Miss Anthony at one of Alice Cary's Sunday evening receptions. They noticed him slowly making his way toward them, and prepared for the coming storm. As he approached, both arose, and with extended hands, exclaimed most cordially, ”Good evening, Mr. Greeley.”

But his hands hung limp and undemonstrative by his side, as he said in low and measured words, ”You two ladies are the most maneuvering politicians in the State of New York. You set out to annoy me in the Const.i.tutional Convention, and you did it effectually. I saw in the manner my wife's pet.i.tion was presented, that Mr. Curtis was acting under instructions. I saw the reporters p.r.i.c.k up their ears and knew that my report and Mrs. Greeley's pet.i.tion would come out together, with large headings in the city papers, and probably be called out by the newsboys in the street.”

Turning to Mrs. Stanton, he said, ”You are so tenacious about your own name, why did you not inscribe my wife's maiden name, Mary Cheney Greeley on her pet.i.tion?” ”Because,” I replied, ”I wanted all the world to know that it was the wife of Horace Greeley who protested against her husband's report.” ”Well,” said he, ”I understand the animus of that whole proceeding, and now let me tell you what I intend to do. I have given positive instructions that no word of praise shall ever again be awarded you in the _Tribune_, and that if your name is ever necessarily mentioned, it shall be as Mrs. Henry B. Stanton!” And so it has been ever since.

From that time Mr. Greeley was seemingly hostile to the woman suffrage movement, just as he was toward the anti-slavery cause, after the Abolitionists in rolling up 60,000 votes for James G. Birney, defeated Henry Clay, and gave the ascendency to the Democrats by electing Polk.

Clay being a strong Protectionist was a great favorite with Mr.

Greeley, and his defeat was a sore disappointment, and for years he denounced Abolitionists individually and collectively in his scathing editorials. Still in his happier moods he firmly believed in the civil and political equality of both women and negroes.

[103] This amendment was on the following section of Mr. Greeley's Report:

SECTION I. Every man of the age of twenty-one years who shall have been an inhabitant of this State for one year next preceding an election, and for the last thirty days a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the election district where he may offer his vote, shall be ent.i.tled to vote at such election, in said district and not elsewhere, for all officers elected by the people.

_Provided_, That idiots, lunatics, persons under guardians.h.i.+p, felons, and persons convicted of bribery, unless pardoned or otherwise restored to civil rights, shall not be ent.i.tled to vote....

[104] The Albany _Evening Journal_ of July 25, 1867, in speaking of the ”Suffrage Discussion,” said: ”All men and women have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. If when deprived of the ballot the consequence is that this inalienable right is abridged, then society owes it to the cla.s.s thus practically enslaved to bestow suffrage upon them. At the South there is no safety for the negro from oppressive laws but in the ballot. It is idle to argue ignorance.

Political enfranchis.e.m.e.nt is the best educator.”

[105] Beals, Bell, Corning, Curtis, Duganne, Farnum, Field, Folger, Fowler, Graves, Hadley, Hammond, Kinney, Lapham, M. H. Lawrence, Pond, Tucker, Vedder, Wales.

[106] _President_--Lucretia Mott.

_Vice-Presidents_--Elizabeth Cady Stanton, N.Y.; Frederick Dougla.s.s, N.Y.; Henry Ward Beecher, N.Y.; Martha C. Wright N.Y.; Elizabeth B.