Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1851-08-04
From the Philadelphia Bulletin.
HIGHLY IMPORTANT!
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, JuLY 4

DECLARATEON OF INDEPENDENCE, JULY
s.s@ aa.s.8 1851. @
When in theacours of passing events it
becomes necessary, for the women. of one
nation to break of, the bonds which Fashion
has thrown around them, and to, assume
among the females Of other nations, a sepe-
rate and istinet dress, to which the laws of
nature and asregard for their health sofully
seatitle them,s decent respect for the
opinions of mankind requires that they
should declare the causes which impel them
to this assumption. '} saAs 's9',3
T We hold these truths to be self.eyident
that all women are created equal--that they
are endowed by their Creator, with oertain
inalienable rights, and among these are life,
liberty and the pursuit Of health = that to
secure these rights dresses are instituted
drawing their fashion from the consent of
those,who adopt them-that whenever any
form of dress becomes destructive, of health
or comfort it is the right Of WON n to alter
or abolish it, and to institute new dress
formed and shaped on such principles and
arranging Its contouE.after such a mode as
to them shall seem most likely to promote
their health and insure their happiness
Prudence, indeed, will dictate that costumes
long established should not be changed for
Hight and trifing causes-and accordingly
woful experienre hathashoWn that woman
kind are more disposed to suffer, while the
evils arising from their costume are suffera-
die than to right themselves by abolishing
the long and very ineonvenient skirts to
which they have been accustomed. But
when the long trains eftheir dresses, inyari.
able sweeping the payemenls as they move
along, eyince design on the part of the
Tyranness Fashion to reduce our women
under its absolute despotism, tits their right
| 1t is their duty to'throws off the long and
cum beEsome skirts and to provide shorter
ones for their future wear. .t..,..,..-. -..-.
And such have been the patient suferings
Of our American women, and such is now
| the necessity which c6nstrains them to alter
their former system Of dress, and to abodt t
other modes for theirafuture comfort. va.
The history of the present Tyranness
Fashionis a history of repeated injuries
| both to the comfort of the women and to
their pockets, having in direct object the
constant soiling of their garments, and the
ruination oftheir health. To prove this, let
facts be submitted to all candid women, and
/ to the rest of the world. .a.
She has refused her assent to those modes
of dress, most wholesome and necessary for
the preservation of female health.
She has forbidden her mantua-makers to
introduce any new costumes, however hand
some and convenient, until her consent has
been obtained. sssi 8ssE b .zlE ssf
She has refused for the accommodation o.
large districts of women, the privilege to
| dress in frocks and trowsers-a right most
/ inestimable to them and formidable to their
! tyrants only. ~. -. y -
She has aimed to prevent the women from
assembling together to deliberate on the ad'
vantages which would result. from throwing
off the yoke Of the Tyranness, for the sole
purpose of forcing them TO constant COM
pliance with her own measures.
She 'kas invariably assailed with ridicule
all those of the sex who, with womanly
!. frmness, have 5endeavored TO assert theil
rights and regain neutrality-suspicious..
/ She has endeayored to prevent the adop
| tion Of ths new costume in all the States
for the purpose of enabling foreigners tt
maintain that influence in regard to ths
m udes of dress which they have always ex
erted oyer the women of the country.
She has affected to render the mantua
makers independant Of, and superior to
those who ought, in fact, to hold them un
der their power II E.5a.s4fEE- z4E
4 She has combined with dressmaker
abroad to subject our women to modes o
costume foreign to, and injurious to, thei
i American constitutions, prohibiting them
by acts of pretended legislation
4 From venturing to promenade our street
in the proposed new and every way becom
ing female appafel;oiss4l i.sy isass asa
!. i From consulting their own comfort ant
convenience in regard to loeomotien and tn
free use of their limbs: