Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1863-06-04
Address of the Women's National Loyal
League.
TO THE SOLDIERS OF OUR SECOND REvoLU-
TION.


League.
TO THE SOLDIERS OF OUR SECOND REvoLU-
TIoN.
BRETHREN-A thousand of your sisters, in
a convention representing the loyal women ol
The nation, greet you with profound gratitude,
Your struggles, suAerings, daring, heroic self
devotion and sublime achievements we exult in
them all.
To you, especially, whose terms OF service
haze expired or are soon to expire, we desire
TO speak of the shifting scenes now acting in
the nations tragedy. This war of slavery
against freedom did not begin with the first
shot ut Sumter; it did not begin when the slu-
vocracy broke up the Charleston Convention,
in order to secure the election of Mr.. Lincoln,
and thus palm upon the Southern masses a
false preence for rebellion. 1t did not begin
with notification in 1882, nor in the convention
that framed the federal constitution nor yet
in that which adopted the articles of confeder-
ation; but it began in 1920, when the May
Hover landed our fathers on Plymouth Rock,
nd the first slave ship landed its human cargo
III Virginia. Then, foi the first time liberty
and slavery stood face 10 fnce on this continent.
From then till now these antagonisms have
struggled in incessant conflict. Two years since
the slaveocracy, true to their instincts of vio-
lence after long and secret plotting, crowned
their perfdy by perjury, by pralical seizures of
government property that cost $4,000 and
then burst into open rebellion
This war is not, as the South falsely pre-.
tends, war of races, nor of sections, nor of
political parties, but a war Of principles a war
upon the working classes, whether white or
black, war against man the world over. In
this war the black man was the first victim, the
working man, of whatever color, the next and
all .l.,o Il r 1l.
free speech, free Schools free suffrage and a
free government, securing TO all life, liberty
and the pursuit of happiness are driven to do
battle in defence of these. to fall with them,
victims of the same violence that for two CEN
tulies has held the black man a prisoner Of
war. While the South has waged this war
against human rights, the North has stood by
holding the garments of those who were ston-
ing liberty to death. 1t was in vain that a few
at the North denounced the system and called
the people to repentance. II vain did they
point to the progress of the slave power, and
warn the people that their own liberties were
being cloven down. The North still went on,
throwing sop after sop to the cerherus of slave
ry that bounded her through the wilderness of
concession and compromise. until the crash Of
Sumter taught her that with the savocracy no
rights are sacred. The government, attacked
by assassins, was forced TO fight for its own life.
The progress of the war has proved that slave
ry is the feblood Of the rebellion. Hence the
necessity of the Presidents proclamation of
freedom to the slaves.
The nation is in death struggle it must
either become one vast slavocracy of petty ty-
rants, or wholly the land of the free. The
traitors boast that they have swept from the
national armament one third of the stars but
they have only darkened them with clouds,
which the sun of liberty will scatter, revealing
behind them the eternal pillars of justice en-
blazoned with liberty, equality, fraternity.
Soldiers of this revolution, to your hands is
committed the sacred duty of carrying out in
these latter days the ideal of our fathers, which
was to secure to all "lfe, liberty and the pur-
suit of happiness" and to every State "a re-
publican form of government" To break the
power of this rebellion calls for every available
force. You know how extensively black men
are now being armed. Some regiments are al
ready in the field, twenty more are now under
drill. Will you not in this hour Of national
peril, gratefully welcome The aid which they so
eaIerly profer to overthrow that slave power
which has 50 loas rulel the North, AMI now
that you spurn its sway, is bent on crushing
you? Will you not nbjure that vulgar hate
which has conspired with slavery against iber-
ty in our land, and thus roll from the sepulchrc,
has so long imprisoned their vicIim9 The army
Of the North will thus become the angel of de-
liverance, rescuing the nation from the shifting
sands Of compromise, and refounding it upon
the rock Of justice.
Some OF you have been mustered out of ser
vice many more are soon to return to your
homes. All hail to your Honor and gratitude
for what you have done and suffered. Enough
II you have only been fighting for the Union as
it was. But is it enough, if the work for which
the war is now prosecuted is not accomplished
Your country needs your power of sold erly
endurance and accomp mpiShment-your hard
earned experience, your varied tact and trained
SKILL your practiced eye and hand, in word,
all tina. makes you veterans ripe in discipline
and educated power. Rw recruits cannot fill
your places. Brave men, your mission though
tar advanced, is not accomplished. You will
not, cannot, abide at home, while your brethren
in arms carry victory and liberty down to the
Gulf.
With JOY and admiration we greet you on
your homeward way; while your loved ones
await your coming with mingled delight and
pride. When, after brief soiourn, you go
back again. conveyed by the grateful acclgim
aud Godspeed of millions TO consummate at
freedoms call her holy work, the mightiest of
all time, and now so near its end, with exul;ant
shouts your brothers in the field will hail your
coming to share with them the glory of the final
victory. 1t will be the victory of free govern
ment, sacred rights, liberty and law, over the
periidies, perjures, lying prelenees, and frantic
reyelries in innocent blood, of the loulest ma
tional crime that ever reeked to Heaven-the
overthrow of the most atrcious yet the mean
est despolism that ever tortured the groaning
earth.
In behalf of the Women's National Loyal
League.
L. CADY STANTON, President
SUSAN b. ANTHONY, Secretary.
This address was prepared by Mrs Angelina
Grimke Weld.
The Promotion Of Foreigners in the Amer-