New-York daily tribune., 1858-09-01
THE PURCHASE OF MOUNT VERNON

SENECA FALLS, n. \. Aug. y, lo1S.
MARY NORRIS HAMmToS-Dear Madam have
ust received your letter OF the oath ine inviting me
to become one Of the " Lsdy Managers tfths Mount
Vernon Association.
Gladly would aid work in which noble women
feel such enthusiasm the purchase and renovation OF
Mount Vernon seems everywhere TO call forth. Buf
most respectfully Go decline the honor you offer me;
for every energy of my body and soul is pledged to
higher end hoier work thsn building monuments or
gathelng up the sacred memories Of the vererated
dead.
So lorg as the constitutions and statute laws ofevery
State in the Republic are in direct antseorism to the
mmu,ab,e truths set forth in our Declaration of Inds
pendepoe let not the iecreant sors Of the Revolution
coss with mpious foot the thresholds Of Mount Yer
ron, Morticelo, and Fsneuil Hall, lest the ghosy
rdgr alton Of Washington, Jefferson and Adams should
haunt IL EN- with the cry Of liberty: Go, strike the
chains from every slave! Go, give your mothers
their rights to personsl liberty, to their children.
property and homes Go, give to every citizen of
this Republic black and white, male and female, the
right Of tal by jury of his peers Let no citizen be
taxed without Representation !" So lorg as the first
elements Of pure Democracy are found wanting in
the administration Of Government, today let Us
rather restore TIE glorious spirit OF the Revolution
than the frsi walls that sheltered Washington IN nls
last retreat.
Have tie women Of this nation ever yet taken 10
uLitecly labor 10 make our present experiment
successful ard triumphant. What mightier mOU
uu ent car we raise TO the memory of Washington
than to complete the pure Temple Of Liberty,
f urdetiors he laid in suffering ard blood
Five hundred Thousand dollars to restore Mount
Vernon Zee it rather to educate the daughters Of
this Republic Wha. the n.otber is TO the isuily is
W. man 10 the nation. II the women OF na.ion are
brave self reliant indepsrdert ard virtuous wisdom
and equity will govern its councils; for the mother
greatness sreaks forth in her cons. When l look
HouLd ard see how the enthusiasm CT woman -
everywhere perverted from Its legitimate chanuel.,
10y u ind yeciilstss between admiration for her self
ssciifoe and pity for Ter ignorance She sews pln-
cushions 10 educate poor and pous young men for the
ministry, hen sne osn scarcely read ana wi.te neg
self he helEs 10 buld ana decorate sacred temples,
though etc lsbors at fifty cents day she endows
colleges where size is forbidden to enter Yes such
women as Elizabeth Blick1ell, Harriet Hosmer,
ard Maria ZskIzevsks may travel Up and down tie
lergth srd breadth Of the land 10 beg admission
ito these colleges which vomsr by tsI and bequest,
hss helped TO bui.d snd sustain snd yet, ever
AID anon, ich women give large gums Of money
10 thcse very institutions that thus rudey shut their
doors in the faces CT our young women Of genius.
Woman builds obssrvs.ories, ths. scientific men may
stgdy the heavens, while che heTeef has never oo-
served the tail, ever, Of he Great Bear. Size works
snd pleads il most pathetic for Bleeding Kan
&C. wbiles the very men whose suffering che brayely
tsIes oery to Der the light ef srfsge-deny the sa-
cIed principle Of 80 ths. "TaIs.ioH ard represents
ton sYe icsepsrsbe." She lsbors hard - restore
Mount Vernon ard forgets tha. the good old Rsyolu
iicrsIy Fstteis, in deesiiog that al mer are
ed free and equs les. sgot, altogether, of the ne
eIo and tie woInsp, and pIcIoulced ell those laws
al statutes which they repudistei for themselves,
we aud good for tte mothers, wives, daughters and
lsyes.
What work 60 bscenirg in the slave a. escape from
tie laLd Of boI dsge Wat duty go imperative
woman As 70 educate, elevate and dignity her own
sex Until we give TO the world fresdOm and new
type Of wouanhoOd, We have no energies 70 spend
elsewhere. Yours respectfully,
ELIZABETH CADY STANTON
MARY MoRrIs HAMILTON