Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-01-09
EVENING STAR,
DREADFUL FEsrsIsE APPEAL,

The New York papers contain an a. Cd
6rass from Mrs. Elizabeth Cadv Stan.
ton, the chairwomen of a Homen's
Rights Convention, dating from Seneca
Falls. 1t is "strong," very, in its
terms,-ana must have been written
when the good lady had worked her
SELF up to pitch of passion more elo-
quentin tha engaging. The strength of the
philippe consists in clamorous demand
for an extension Of the right of suffrage
to the fair sex, and she talks in bitter
terms of many Of our laws. Take aa ex.
ample. Is not this peice of fierce wri-
ting, " iorcibly feeble!''
"lt is most hamliatins 10 know that
many educated women so stultity their
conscience as to declare they have ali the
rights they want. Have you who make
this declaration ever read the barbarous
laws In reference TO women, to mothers.
to wives and daughters, which disgrace
our statute books! Laws which are not
surpassed In cruelty and injustice by any
slave holding code in the United States
laws whichstriks at the root of the glorious
doctrine for which our fathers fought and
bled and died, ''no taxation without rep
resentation'-laws which deny a right
most sacredly observed by MANY of the
monarchies of Europe, "tLe right of trial
by a jury of ones own peers"-laws
which trample On the holiest and most
unsetish of all human Affections"
She then proceeds:
"WOmen falsifies herself and bias
phemes her God, when, in view of her pre.
sent social, legal and political position
she declares she has all the rights she
wants. II few drops Of Saxon blood
gave our Frederick Douglass such a clear
perception of his humanity, his inalienble
rights, as to enable him, with the slave
holders bible, the Shareholders constitu-
ton, southern public sentiment and
education all laid heavy on his shoulders,
to stand upright and walk forth in search
OF freedom with as much ease as did
Sampson Of old with the massive gates of
the city, shall we, the daughters of our
Hancocks and Adamses, we in whose
veins flow the blood of the Pilgrim F hers
shall we never try the strength of these
wlthes Of law aud gospel, with which in
cur blindness we have been bound hand
and foot! Yes, the time has come:
6. TIE slumher is broken, the sleeper is risen,
The day ct the Goth and the Vandal is o'cr,
And earth fceis the tread of FreeGcm once Il2re.v
Fail not, women of the Empire State,
to swell our petitions. Let TO religious
scruples hold you back. Take no, heed
to mans Interpretation of Paul jniunc.
tons to women. 70 any thinking mind
there is no difficulty in explaining these
passages of the apostle as applicable to
the times in which they were written, as
having no reference whatever to the wo.
men of the nine, e,eenth century.
The writings Of Paul, like our State
constitutions, are susceptible of various
interpretations. But when the human
soul is reused with holy indignation
against injustice and oppression, it stops
not to translate human parchlnents, but
follows out the Law of its inner being,
written by the finger Of God in the fiji St
hour of its creation.
Our petitions will be sent to every
county in the State, and we hope thai
they will find at least ten righteous wo
men to circulate them. But should there
be any county so benighted that a pc
:ition carnot be circulated throughoutits
length and breadth, giving to every man
and woman an opportunity to sign their
names, then We pray, not that God will
send down fire and birthstone upon it,
but that the 'NapoleoHs' of this move
ment will food it with Women's Rights,
tracts and missionaries