Hillsdale Whig standard. (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1846-1851, 1851-07-15
Mrs. II. B. stanton's Letter.

The following letter was addressed TO the
! Woman's Rights Convention, which recent.
ly assembled at Akron, Ohio, by Mrs. HEN
RY b. STANTON, wife of Senator STANTON.
and daughter Of Judge CApY, OF the Court
of Appeals. 1t is siugularly original and
bold in It's positions and suggestions, aud will
well repay perusa:
"DEAR FRIENDS: II would give me great
pleasure TO accept your invitation TO attend
the Convention, but as circumstances forbid
my being present with you, allow. me in ad-
dressing you by letter, TO touch on those
ats, h0eir DC cupied my iuo ughis.' it's OF
ten said to Us, tauntingiy, well, you have
held Conventions, you have specified and re-
solved, protested and appealed, aud now,
what next! why do you not do somelhng!"
have as often heard the reply, I'VE know
not what 10 do
Having for some years rehearsed TO the
unjust Judge our grievances, our legal and
political disablaties and social wrongs, let
US glance at what we May do-at the vari-
Gus rights OF which we may, even now. qui.
etly take possession. True, our rights to
vote we cannot exercise until our State Con-
stitutions are remoded; but we can petition
our Legislators every session, and plead our
cause before them. We can make mani
festation by going to the polls, at each re-
turning election, bearing banners, with in
scriptious thereon of great sentiments handed
down to us by our revolutionary fathers:
such as "no taxation without representation,
''no just government can DE formed without
the consent of the governed etc. We can
refuse to pay all taxes. aud like the English
dissenters suffer our goods to be seized aud
sold, il need be. Such manifestations would
appeal to class OF minds that now take no
note Of our conventions or their proceedings;
who never dream, even, that woman thinks
herself deftauded Of single right. The
trades and professions ATE all open TO us; let
us quietly enter aud make ourselves, if not'
rich aud famous, at least independent and re-
spectacle. Many Of them are quite proper
to woman, and some peculiarly so, As mer-
chants, postmastets and si,versmiths, teach
ers and physicians, woman has already
proved herself fully competent. Who so
we'll fitted to ill the pulpits of our day as
Woman! All admit her superior TO man n
the affections, high moral sentiments, aud
religious enthusiasm; and so long as our pop
ular theology and reason are at the logger
h eads. we have no need 10 acute metaphys-
icisns, or skilful logicians in our pulPits.-
We want those who can make the most eff
ective appeals to our immaginations, our
hopes and fears.
Again, as Physicians. How esirable are
educated woman in this profession! Give
her knowledge commensurate with her ma
tural qualifications, and there is no position
wo nan could assume that would be so pre-
eminenty useful 10 her race al large, and her
! own sex in particular, as that Of ministering
angels 10 the sick and afflicted: an angel;
not capable of sympathy merely, but armed
with power to relieve suffering and prevent
| disease. The science Of Obstetrics is a
branch OF the profession which should be mo-
nopolized by woman. The fact that it is
now almost wholly in the hands of the male
practitioner, is an outrage on common decen-
| cy, that nothing but the tyrsnl CUsroM can
excuse. "From the earliest history down
to 1868, il was practiced by woman. The
distinguished individual first to make the in
noyalion on this ancient, time sanctfied Gus
tom, was no less parsonage than a court
] prostitute, the Dutchess Of VIlliefs, a favor
] ite mistress Of Louis XIV. of France.'-
! This is formidable evil, and productive OF
much immortality, misery and crime. But
now that some colleges are open to women,
and the 'Female Medical College Of Penn
sylvauia" has been established Tor our sex
exclusively, hope this custom may be abol-
isbed as speedily "a possible, for no excuse
can be found for It's continuance in the want
Of knowledge aud skill in our own sex. Ii
seems 10 me- the existence of this custom
argues a much greater want Of delicacy and
refinement Ia woman. than would the prac.
tiee of,hs profession by her 10 all IT'S Various
branches.