Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1840-07-15
"Jesus can make dying bed
Feel soft as downy pillows are,
While on his breast [ lean nv head,
For the Vermont Telegraph
1THE WOMAN QUESTION,

THE WOMAN QUESTION:
An apology is due from me TO my broth
er Holcomb, for expressing myself so as
not TO be fully understood and my only
excuse is, a want of time,-not having
had even enough to allow of trauscribing
the original rough sketch Of my communi-
cation.
II occurred TO NE, when it was too late,
that had failed to STATE dearly the single
proposition which wished to present, and
attempted to illustrate by what supposed
TO be parallel case: And though my BROTH
er thinks he has detected. a defect in the
parallel, yet must still insist that for all
The purposes of my argument it is unim-
paired. H. 49,,
My proposition is very simple one, the
basis of which is fully admitted in his first
article, and as ingenuously acknowledged
IN his last-Ihat as Females stand upon
equal footing .avitlt the Males, on The A. S..
platform, WE HAVE NO RIGHT TO DEPRIVE
THEM OF ANY OF THE PRIVILEGES APPERTAlN-
ING TO MEMBERSHIP on ACCOUNT OF THEIR
SEX.
1t is true, we are pledged by our constitu-
ton TO endeayor 10 elevate the colored man
TO equal privileges with ourselves; it is not
less true thai we are pledged 10 admit. to
our society upon perfect equality ANY PER-
soN'-any human being, without respect TO
nation, color, party, sect or sex, who be-
lieves in the sinfdiness of slaveholding and
the duty of immediate Emancipation, and
who will cooperate with US in all WAYS
which his conscience may approve for the
accomplishment Of our object To deprive
therefore, any one-male or female, Pres
oyterian, Methodist, or Quaker, Locofoco.
Wing, or Non-Resistant, of any of the privi-
leges of membership. because of the clam
or OF those who may be opposed TO their
equal rights, is justas much violation Of
our constitution as 10 trample on the rights
OF colored man by shutting him out of our
meetings or gagging him when there.
When we associated in the Anti-Slavery
cause and pledged ourselves to the slave.
we recognized the rights of our colored
brethren as equal in sacredness with our
own, but not superior 10 them, and certain
ly not superior 10 those of each other and
however willing we may be TO 'waiye' our
OWN RIGHTS for The sake Of peace, land
where the violation Of principle is not in
volVed, would gladly Go il and recommend
the women to do it, yet we are not lib
er'y to waive or in any manner abridge
The right of one brother or sister. Il j.
enough for Us to. know that the riubt in
question Is theirs, and if for any reason the
exercise Of ii is demanded the responsible
ty OF that exercise rests entirely with the
one to whom The righ; belongs.
A presiding officer of an Anti-Slaverr
meeting, understanding the constitution as
Francis Jackson and as ]. Holcomb under
stand it-that il gives to females the equal
participation with men in all the transac-
tons of the society, acting under that con-
stItutlon and in behalf of a meeting.
large majority of whom had just given
their unequivocal expression in favor Of the
same construction, is not at liberty, in nv
opinion to waive the RIGHTS of any member
oil that meeting, on the ground advocated |
by my brother; but, as / have before re- |
the fact Of that right being ones
toned, and its sacrifice demanded, is sufi- |
cIent reason why the presiding officer should I
sustain 1t. This was undoubtedly The view
taken OF the case lastyear by GerIitt Smith.
and on this principle it was. he acted, and
SO lar as | know his decision was not cen
sured even by the opposition. +:
Let it be borne in mind that the posi,ion
Of my brother is, if 1. rightly understand
nim' and would not willingly misrepresent
him, that the RIGHT of an Individual man
De '0dired,' or diSregGrded, or trampled
upon, because O hhe high state offeeting'
y some IN the meeting. If to-day we may, ,
or auch cause disregard the RIGHTS of a
'ensdte, tomorrow we may for the same {
eason trample on the rights Of the eolored {