, 1863-05-30

TO THE SOLDIERS OF OUR SECOND REVOLUTION.
BRETuRES-A thousand Of your sisters, in
a convention representing the loyal women
Of the natlsn, greet you with profound graft
tude. Your struggles, aufferings. daring, he
roic sclfdeyotion md sublime achievements
We e1ult in them all.
To you, especially, whoee terms Of service
have expired or arc soon to expire, we desire
to speak Of the shifting scenes now acting in
the nations tragedy; This var Of slavery
atSumter; it didnot begin when the slarocracy
broke up the Charleston Convention, in order
to secure the election Of Mr.. Lincoln, and
thus palm upon the Southern masses false
pretence for rebellion. It did not begin with
nullif1eation in 1sS;, nor IN the Convention
yet in that which adopted the Articles OF Con
federation; but 1t began in 1920, when the
Mnytlower landed our fathers on Plymouth
Rock, and the first slave ship landed its hu-
man cargo In Virginia. Then, for the first
time, liberty and slayerJ stood face to face on
this continent From, then till now these an-
tagonisms have struggled IN inccssant conflict.
Two years since the slayeocracy, true to their
instincts Of violence, after long and secret
plotting, crowned their perfidy by perjury, by
piTatical seizures Of Government property
that cost sl00, ,000, 600, and then burst into
open rebellion.
This war is not, as the South falsely pre-
tends, q war Of races, nor Of sections, nor Of
political parties, but war Of principles; q
war upon the working classes, whether white
In this var the black man WIS the tlrstyictim,
the working man, OF whatever color, the next;
and now all who contend for the rights Of Ia
Dor, for free speech, free schools, free suffrage
| md free Government, securing to all, life,
liberty and the pursuit Of happiness, are driv-
en- to do battle in defence Of these, or to I'LL
| with them, yictius Of tho same violence that
| for two centuries has held the black man =
| prisoner Of War. While the South has Waged
this war against human rights, the
North has stood by holding the gar-
erty to death. 1t was in vain that d few
at the North denounced the system and called
| the peuTe to repentance. In vain did they
| point to the progress OF the slave power, and
warn the people that their own liberties we're
being cloren down.. The North still went
on, throwing sop after sop to the cerbcrns OF
slavery that bounded her through the wilder
ness Of concession and compromise, until the
crash Of Sumter taught her that with the
eiayocracy no rights are sacred. The Govern
ment, attacked by assasstns, was forced t"
war has proved that slavery is the lifcblood oi
the rebellion. Hence the necessity Of the
Presidents proclamation Of freedom to the
slayes.
The nation is in Il death struesl-it must
either become ono vast slavocracy Of petty
UT lllE 1fiiu " ttt 1EEE. 4tAt
| traitors boast that they have swept from the
national frn,ament one.third Of its stars
but they have only darkencd them will
clouds, which the sun Of liberty will scatter
revealing behind them the eternal pillars O.
justice, emblazoncd with liberty, equality
fraternity.
Soldiers of this revolution, to your hands
Is committed the sacred duty Of carrying ou1
In these litter days the ideal Of our fathers
which WAS to secure to all life, liberty ant
thu pursuit Of happiness and to every Stat
IN republican form Of government Tt
every available force. You know how exten
siye,y black men arc now being armed. SOM
regiments arc already in the field, twent,
more are nov under drill. Will yon not i
this hour Of national peril, gratefully vel
to overthrow that Slave power wlicl
has so long ruled the North, an'
NOW that y0u spnrn its sway Is ben
on crushing you! Will you not abjure th!
vulgar llatt which has conspifcd with SLAYER,
the sepsllchre, where they hare buried it alive
the stone which has SO long imprisoned thcl
victim. The army Of the North will thus he
; come the angel Of deliverance, rcscuiDg III
nation from tile shifting sands Of compromise
and re1ounding 1t npon tho rock Of Justice.
Some Of you have been mustered out o
Eeryiee; many more are soon to return t.
your homes. All hail to you. Honor an
gratitude for what you have done and suffer
Cd. Enough if you have only been tghtin
/ for the U1,iun as it WAS. But is it enong!
if the work for which the war is no'
: prosecntedi is snotaccomplishcd? Your countr
] needs your power Of soldcrly endurance nj
uccomplishment-you hard earned cxpel
iencc, your varied tact aud trained skill, you
practiccd eye and hand, In 4 word, all tha
: makes you yctcrans-ripe in discipline an
! educated power. Raw recruits cannot iii
:. your places. Brave men, your mission
I though far advanced, is not accomplished
: You will not, cannot, abide 1T home, Will
! your brethren in ay1ns carry victory and lii
! erty down to the Gulf.
i With JOY and admiration VIC greet you o
your homeward way; while your loved one
await your coming with mingled delight au
). pride When, after brief sojouFn, you e
back again, conveyed by the grateful accl.it
;, . | and godspecd of millions, to eonsillnInAte
j freedom's call her holy work, tue nghtic=
/ Of all time, aud now so near its cnd, with c,
c ultant shouts y0ur brothers In the field vi
It hail your coming to share with them the gluI
. of the final victory, 1t will he the victory
!. free government, sacred rights, Justice, liber'
!, and law, over the perfdies, perjurics, lyiu
i pretences, and frantic reyclrics In innoce1
II blood, OF the foulcst national crime that ey'
Q reeked to Heaven--the overthrow Of the mo
: atrocious yet the meanest despotisnl that e1'
q tortured the grooming Garth.
In behalf Of the Women's National 10y
n League.
y F. CApY STANTON, President.
SUSAN G. ANTHONY, Secretary.
E Tile address was prepared By Mrs. Augeli1
: | Griu,kc Weld.