The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1863-05-16
Saturday Morning, May 10, 1863.
From the Independent.
.gm SOjOurner Truth.
BY MRS. f. D. GAGE.

From the Independent.
.r Sojourner Truth.
BY MRS. f.. ID. GAGE.
Mrs. Stoves remarks on Sojourners opinion
of Womans Rights, bring vividly to my mind
a scene in Ohio, never to be forgotten by those
who witnessed it. In the spring OF 1881, a
Woman's Rights Convention was held in AaS-
ron, Ohio, by the friends OF that then won
drously unpopular cause. attended that
Convention. No one OF this day can con-
ceive of the state of feeling of the multitude
that came together on that occasion.
The leaders of the movement, struggling
under the weight of dsapprobation already
laid upon them, and tremblingly alive to every
appearance of evil that might spring up in our
midst, were many Of them almost thrown
into panic on the first day of the meeting, by
seeing tall, gaunt black woman, In a gray
dress aud white turban, surmounted by an un-
couth sun-bonnet march deliberately into the
church, walk with the air of queen up the
aisle, and take her seat upon the pulpit steps
A buzz oil dlsapprobati0n was heard all over
the house, and such words as these fell upon
listening ears:
"An abolition affair! Woman's Rights and
niggers. We told you so. Go it, old darkey p
charced upon that occasion to wear nv
first laurels in public life, as president of the
meeting. At my request, order was restored,
and the business oil the hour went on. The
morning session closed; the afternoon session
was held; the evening exercises came and
went; old Sojourner, quiet and retcent as the
"Libyan Statue" sat crouched against the
wall on corner OF the pulpit stairs, her sun
bonnet shading her eyes, her elbow on her
knee, and her chin resting on her broad, hard
palms. $3.50
At intermission she was busy selling the
Life of Sojourner TRUTH" narrative Of her
own strange and adventurous lile
Again and again timorous and trembling
ones came to me and said with earnestncss.
Don't let her speak, Mrs. g.; it will ruin us.
Every newspaper in the land will have our
cause mixed with abolition and niggers, and
we shall be utterly denounced" My only an
swer was, I'VE shall see when the time comes"
The second day the work waxed warm.
Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian and Univer-
salist ministers came in to hear and discuss the
resolutions brought forth.
One claimed superior rights ard privileges
Tor man because OF superior intellect; another
because OF the manhood of Christ. Ii God had
desired equality OF women, ,he would have given
some token OF his will through the birth. life
and death of the Savior. Another gave us a
theological view OF the awful sin of our first
mother. There were few women in those
days that dared TO speak in meeting" and the
august teachers of the people, with long wind
US, while the boys in the galleries and sneer-
ers among the pews were enjoying hugely the
discontinue, as they supposed of the strong
minded. Some of the tender skinned friends
were growing indignant and on the point of
losing dignity, and the atmosphere OF the con-
vention betokened storm.
Slowly from her seat in the corner rose So
Journer Truth, who, till now, had hardly lfled
her head. Don't let her speak, gasped half
dozen in my ear. She moved soemnly and
slowly TO the front; laid her old bonnet at her
feet aud turned her great speaking eyes
to me.
There was a Kissing sound of disapprobation
above and below. l rose and announced $50
journer Truth" and begged the audience to
keep silence for a few moments. The tumult
subsidized and every eye was fixed at once
on the almost Amazon form which stood
nearly six feet high, head erect, and eye pierre
ing the upper air like one in dream. At her
first words there was profound hush She
spoke in deep tones, which though not loud,
reached every ear in the house, and away
through the throng at the doors, and windows.
well, chillen, whar dar's so much racket dar
must be som'ting out of kilter. | tink dat,
twixt the niggers Of de Souf and de women
at de Norf, all talking bout rights, de white
man will be in pretty fix soon. But what's
all dis here talking bout? Dat man ober dar
say dat women needs to be helped into car
riages. or ober bitches, and to have de best
places eberywhar. Nobody ever helps me into
carriages or ober mud puddles, or give me any
best place;7 and, raising herself to her full
height, and her voice TO a pitch like rolling
thunder, she asked, sand ar'nt | woman?
Look at me. Look at my arm,' and she barred
her right arm TO the shoulder showing its tre-
mendous muscular power. 81 have plowed
and planted and gathered into barns, and no
man could head me, and ar'nt a woman |? |
have borne thirteen chillen an seen EN- mos
all sold off into slavery, and when cried out
with mothers grief, none but Jesus heard
and arnt a woman? ? Dey den talks bout dis
ting in de head. What dis dey call it ?" "Intel-
iect," whispered some one near "Dat's il
honey. What's dat got to do with woman's.
rights or nigger's rights Ifmycup won't hold
put pint ana yourn holds quart wouldn't
ye oe mean not to let ME have my little half
measure null 7" and she pointed her significant
hnger to the minister who had made the ar
gument.
The cheering was long and loud aDen dat
little man In black dar, he say woman can't
have so much right as man cause Christ want
woman. War did your Christ come fro,7Sy
Rolling thunder could not have stilled thar
crowd as did those deep wonderful tones as
she stood there with outstretched arms and
eyes of fire. Raising her voice still louder.
she repeated:
"Whar did your Christ come from? From
God and womGn- Man had nothing 10 do
NTH him" Turning again to another objector.
she took up the defence of Mother Eve. /
cannot follow her through it all. 1t was point
ed and witty and solemn, eliciting at almost
every sentence deafening applause; and she
ended by asserting 'that if de flst woman God
ever made was strong enough to turn de world
upside down all her lone, all desc together"
ana sne glanced her eye over us, sought to be
able to turn it back and git it right side nm
again, and now dey is asking to, de men better