Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1852-06-05
ADDRESS
by MRS. cATiIARINE NJ. SEVERANCE,
al The WomanS's Rights Conveni,on.


Urged by warm friends of the cause. and
impelled by my own earnest impulses, hnve,
with many misgivings as to my ability greatly
to intel est or edily those so much longer
enlisted, and so much better informed upon
the subject of womun'S position aud duties,
vcntured to offer my views upon the main
points OF the question rs far as tangible to
myself, and as well MS in the brief time
may be able TO do: Promising, that since
among us, the appearing of woman in public
is conceded without hesitation, and in so
many ways enjoyed, it must be purely mat
ter OF taste IN what manner any shall use
the right; aud that we, who choose thus TO
present earnest thoughts in calmness aud
courtesy, aud in all purity of motives, may
surely trust the verdict of candid and
thoughtful minds, MS TRANQUILITY us those, who,
obeyng the call Of their genius, and neces-
sity, or both, delight their audiences with
the concord of sweet sounds, or realize TO
them the ideals of the great masters. And
dSsWedly with more confidence than the vast
multitude of our sex, who, fitting from their
hearlhs and homes nj, il may he, the mere
prompings of vanity or of idle craving for
variety and relief from the enn,ie of list
less ilie, crowd for long weeks together the
Halls OF Saratoga, Newport, Niagara, or
Washington. public sentiment that will
tolerate the one, and condemn unsparingy
the other, is too puerie for our regard, too
senseess and vitiated TO claim our respect.
or endure the test of discriminating ANALYSIS.
Conscious of our own integrity OF purpose,
confident OF the approval of our Creator,
and the gratitude of the future, we may well
forego the worthless praise of the Ignorant
and unthnking. For myself while can but
mourn the necessity for any such womnnly
efforts aud vindicalion, and shrink with ali
| the pain of n highly sensitive nature from
the reproach and personal embarrassment of
such course, cannot but rejoice that ann
have arisen valent enough to utter an indg-
nant protest against the trivolity of life and
nnI, TO which woman, as ser, has been so
long condemned, and it would he false in
me, plllable cownrdice, TO Withhold the SYM
pathy and Zeal ! cannot but feel in the efforts
aud aims of such.
But coming to the question before us. To
me II seems important that the first claim we
make, aud indeed the only one we need make
MS underlying aud jnstiyng all others,
should be Tor full recognition of the indi-
| vidunlity of woman--her right ms human
being, To recognition as such. As a simple
| proposition, it may seem self evident, that
none would have the hardihood to deny its
truth; but practically, its denial meets us on
every hand, aud from this error, / conceive
all the evils which obtain in society every
where will be found To flow In law, in
politics she is no citizen, but classes with
idiots, imbecles, and negroes; and even in
religion, with few exceptions, is recognized
only as I" The ladp Of one who may not in
any wise correctly represent her in mind,
manners, or morals. 1t is true, that if the
husband be not altogether stern and selfsuffi-
cent, she may at times, if she have ability
and courage, Influence him TO the Right and
the True as developed in her own mind.
Bit that in how JeiO cases thsremains to her,
we mny realize when we remember how n
veterate the prejudice, and how vigilant the
efforts against the mecst suspicion of being