The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1857-03-20
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE.
ArorsrA, March II, 1857.

womsnS rights and woman's wrong
Mrs. Lucy Stone Blakwell enforced the first,
and depicted the las, in most earnest and
eloquent language, in the Representatives
Hail, on Wednesday last, at the hearing
given her by the Special Committee "on
woinan's Rights" Galleries, AREA rear OF
members seats. space in front Of the Speak
err, all crowded with crinoline and broad
cloth. of the most appreciative character
gave substantial evidence Of the attractive
ness Of "Mr. Lucy" The writer Of this,
for the first time, had the pleasure Of seeing
this distinguished defender and advocate 81
that really useful class Of, shall we call them
citizens, by permission Of Judge ranneys
Court, womankind. Lucy is by no means
that light, elegant, rosy specimen OF the class,
that his worn and futile fancy pic ured.-
Blooiner costume would not be suited to her
physiOgnomy, though it might answer well
enough for her figure She is not handsome
she is not homely nothing striking in 'ace
or figure, yet the moment she opens her
mouth. to give free vent to the stores OF elo-
quence and argument which are ut her CON-
mand, the nearer feels that failure is word
never to be written or spoken in connection
with her efforts. On this occasion, Mrs
S,oase or Mrs. Blackwell, we hardly know
which of these names she most rejoices in,
opened the ample s,orehouses of woman
wrongs, and took therefrom a quantity
which, IN number and enormity OF size, few
Of the numerous audience present, supposed
to have been deposited there. We, who
have some idea Of the tyranny which Is
practiccd towards her. though she does al
ways claim, and obtain the best seats in the
railroad car, lecture rooms, helpei first and
to the best ut public tables, never before had
any adequate idea or conception Of what she
suffers from mans tyranny and man injus-
ticc. We doubt whether there were half q
dozen Of the elias present. and they were
there in great numbers. radiant in beauty,
and bcwitching with their smiles, who, un-
I'll they listened to the eloquent invectives
Of their accomplished advocate, had any con-
ception Of the tyranny to which they are
subjected by the cruel, and invidious laws
which men had made to Cypress them. Not
allowed to vote, debarred from Office, taxed
but no representation, forbidden to make
wills, subject to their husbands, deprived OF
the custody Of their children, responsible to
laws which they had no voice in making,
prevented when in the married state from
taking the fruits Of their labors, and every
turn, subjected to the inexorable tyranny Of
mans laws and his passions, Lucy thought
il was time that these intolerablc oppres-
sions, that had been borne by them, in meek
ness and without repining, for near siI
years, should come to an end, and
that woman in the strength Of her nature,
and in the force Of her persistent will should
be allowed to take those rights, those priv
ileges, and those responsibilities too, to
which nature and natures God entitled her.
Many, very many, and it is by no means
certain but that more Of Lucys positions
than is generally supposed, are sound, and
measures predicated on them would benefit
the race. Starting on the hypothesis, that
the truth announced in the Declaration OF
Independence, that all just governments de-
rive their power from the consent OF the
governed, she declared the right Of woman
to have share in the government which
operated on her, and argued that society
would be all the better for giving her the
SINE political rights which men now possess.
There was ingenuity, Ms well a. force IN her
argument, ard there was very little chance
for escaping from the fore Of her head log
&c. She thought that a we'll educated 10
male who had had the opportunity Of years
of schooling, was at least AS well calculated
to vote intelligently rs the son OF sweet
Erin, who gained right to vote bya resi-.
deuce Of five years in our country, and
whose education as n scholar amounted to
making his mark, and whose skill in Me-
chanics enabled him to dig n creditable
ditch. There were Others present besides
Lucy who were Of like opinion. To the OBJ
lection generally made, that the coarseness
Of mems conduct at the polls would render
il improper for women to attend there, she
replied, .'that give the women chance to
vote she would make the polls decent
place, and failing in this she would have
separate place for them to vote with the
permission Of asking the decent men to vote
with them. Lucy spoke near an hour and
half, and IL would not be just, IL il were
not said, that her argument was both able
and eloquent. Ii has been, and in some
quarters now Is, fashionable to stigmatize
those who think that woman should be al.
lowed the rights Of the citizen Us radicals,
and perhaps there Is some ground for the
charge. IL Is certainly radical to strike at
old and firmly rooted institutions, but IL
does not follow that there are not reasons
for the blow. There is no perfection in hu.
man institutions, and the task OF the REFORM