Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1853-06-01
Woman,s Rights Convention.

This Convention met, pursuant to the call of
the Secretary, at the Universalist Church in this
village, on Wednesday last, and was in session
two days. A large number of persons were in
attendance from abroad, among them number Of
ladies of high order of talent.
Not having attended the Convention, we are
unable to furnish our readers with full account
of its doings. In the absence of the regular pre-
siding officer, Mrs. Helen Tracy Cutler, Mrs.
SEvEREncE, of Cleveland, was called to the chair,
and CAROLINE STANTON, of Salem, chosen Secre-
tary.
On the first day an interesting and spirited dis
cussion took place between JOE BARKER, the great
English philanthrophist and reformer, who has
come to this country and graciously condescended
to instruct Republicans in their duties, and some
of the clergy, in regard to the teachings of the
Bible on the subject of "Woman's Rights.
The Convention was addressed by Mrs. Aid
rich, of Cincinnati; Rev. Miss Antionette Brown;
Joseph Barker; Mrs. Boynton; Mrs. Coe; MIR.
Brown; Joel Tiffany, Esq, and Mrs. Severnce.
The folloing resolutions were reported by the
committee previously appointed for that purpose,
and after some discussion, adopted:
Resolued, That as equality knows no difference
of sex, the law of equal rights or equal freedom.
applies to the whole race, female as well as
male
Resolved That it is the duty of any class suffer-
inc political or social grievances, to arise in the
dignity of selfhood and protest against the wrong
expose the evils under which they suffer, declare
principles and purposes for the present and FUTURE
and never weld the contest until the object of
their righteous desires of Reform be attained.
Resotued, That the same reasoning which es-
tablishes the law of equal rights or equal liberty
for man, will establish it for woman.
Resolued, That the unequal distribution ofrights
among male and females is productive of incal-
culable vice and misery in the domestic, social
and political circle.
Resolued, That the rebuke and denunciations
uttered against tyrants and despots by the advo-
Gates of masculine freedom, will be found on ex-
animation to be equally applicable from the ad-
voeates of Womans Rights against those who
withhold from her an equal participation WITH
men in the blessings of personal, social and po-
litical freedom.
Resolued, That the right of the mother to her
own offspring is clearly defined by nature, in the
near relation existing between mother and child,
in the physical dependence of her children upon
her; and her adaptedness as a teacher, governor,
| and moral instructor of the young, all of which
prove most conclusively the supreme dictation of
creative wisdom.
Resolved, That valid c1aim of property al
ways requires proof of ownership The Almigh-
ty has given the mother in her maternal nature
the strongest possible proof of right to her Off
spring by enabling her to substantiate her claim
upon this ground And all rules of law or legal
enactments depriying her of this claim, and le-
gally securing the father in the same; giving him
the care and custody of her children, are fragrant
outrages against nature and the laws of God; and
as such should be opposed by Christians philan-
thropists and civilized society every where, until
society emerges from this barbarous thrall, and
the mother be restored to her God-given claim in
legal bona .,fde right to her own offspring.
Whereas, the Declaration of independence
adopted by our forefathers in 1776, embraced and
promulgated the principles upon which this move
ment is founded, namely, the right of every one
to liberty and the pursuit of happiness, to which
may be added the freedom of conscience and free
dom of speech, and, whereas, the Constitution
and laws of the U. s. deprive women of these in
valuable rights, by disqualifcating them for the
exercise of that most inestimable privilege, the
suffrage, and that still greater privilege the dis.
charge of official responsibilities of any charac-
ter; and whereas, the Constitution and laws oil
the State of Ohio deprive women of the right to
acquire and posses property Independent of her
husband strip her of her earnings to enrich others
at the death other husband, and rob her of her
children, if, to improve her social condition, she
becomes divorced from her husband; therefore,
Dee. of Ind. are, as they must ever be, admitted
to be correct the claims we advocate must be re-
garded as just.
Resolued, That it is right, not as privilege,
| that we ask to have secured to women the suf-
fage and eligibility to Office of every description,
of which they are now unjustly deprived.
| RESOLVED, That SO long as law deprives us OF
our property, custom Of our earnings, and public
sentiment of the rights which the Dec. of Ind.
acknowledged and promulgated, and can not see
the force of the much .vaunted respect which
the chivalry of the age would have us believe is
paid to womanhood.
/ Resolped, That to substitute the mere ceurte.
sizes of society for the more important duties Of
life, is treating woman as the cunning trader does
i the unskilfuI Indian-exchanging gaudy trinkets
and baubles that tgltter before the eye and please
the fancy, for substantial gold and silver.
\ RESOLVED, That Committe of three be appoint
ed to draft Petition and canse it to be circulated
throughout the State of Ohio for signatures, ad.
dressed to the General Assembly of Ohio, ask.
ing to have removed the various disabilities un.
der which women suffer at the present time by