Delaware State journal and statesman., 1864-05-10
THELADIEs' NATIONAL COVENANT.
A NOBLE ADDRESS TO THE WOMEN OF
THE LAND

ington, wives of Cabinet ministers, Senators,
Representatives, Commissioners, generals, and
other officials was held on The evening of Monday
week. Rev. DR.. McMurdy presided, aud Mrs
Senator Lane, Of lndiana, Mrs. Ann s. Stephens,
the authoress, Mrs. Senator Wilson, Mrs. Gen.
Loan, Mrs. Representative Pike, Mrs. Stephen
A.. Douglas, and Mrs. Representative IHgersOll
were appointed committee to form q consttu-
tion and prepare an address to the women of
America.
Article first of the constitution declares that
the name Of the association shall be the Ladies'
National Covenant-its object. to unite the
women Of the country in the earnest resolution
to purchase no imported articles Of apparel
where American can possibly be substituted,
during the continuance Of the war. The presi
dent Of the executive committee is Mrs. General
James Taylor; secretary, Mrs Stephen Arnold
Douglas, Mrs. Vice President Hamlin heads
the list of the committee for Maine Mrs. Sena-
tor Hale that of New Hampshire Mrs Senator
Wilson, Massachusetts,, and so on throughout the
States, the whole organizing o moral aud pa
triotic movement of wide and promising in
fuenoe. The committee appointed for Penn
sylvania is constituted as follows; Mrs. Senator
Bupkalew, Bloomsbury; Mrs. J. W. Forney,
Philadelphia; Mrs. s. ]. Hale, Philadelphia
Mrs. Judge Kelley, Philadelphia; Mrs. Senator
Cowan, Greensburg Mrs Representative Moor
head, Pittsburg; Mrs. Bliss, Erie Mrs. Bishop
10y, Paila ephia, aud Mrs. Hon. John NJ.
Ia Lad, of Media
The following well.written and eloquent ad-
dress deserves the attention Of all the ladies of
the loyal nation:
ADDRESS TO THE WOMEN OF AMERICA
In the capital Of our country We have this day
organized central society for the suppression
of extravagance, the diminutiOn of foreign i'm
ports, and the practice of economy in all our
social relations. To this society we have given
the name of "The Ladies' National Covenant"
Its object is good and generous one, which
should inspire spirit Of patriotism worthy of
women who are the glory Of great nation
For this society we have an example and pre-
cedent at once august and encouraging.
In l7T0, the women of Massachusetts, actua-
ted by the same impulse that inspires us, as
sembled in tho city of Boston, as we have met
here, and resolved to serve the country by an
effort Of self-saorifce far greater than we are
called upon to make.
On he oh Of February three hundred mdtrons,
each hs mistress Of household met as sUe do noD
and signed pledge 10 abstain from the use of tea,
the gTsqtest ltztry of hs time, and the very hfe Of
all the SOCIAL gatherings for ,oAich our Net0 England
ancestors lcere 80 famous. Three days after, twice
that number Of blooming young girls met in the
same place, and signed like pledges. From that
| brave assemblage of women non-importauOn
societies sprang up that produced an effect upon
the mother country almost equal 10 that created
by the success Of our Revolutionary armies
During all the terrors of the war these noble
women held firmly to their pledges, and by their
earnestness awoke the sympathy and co-opera-
tion of every sister colony in the land. The
spirit thus aroused extended itself 10 imported
goods of all kinds, aud every hearthstone was
turned into an Independent mRnufactory, Thus
it was that the hax-wheel, the hatohal, and the
hand-lOom became sublime instruments Of free
dom in the hands of the American women. The
house-mothers Of seyenty-six not only kept their
pledge Of non-importaton, but with their own
hands wrought from the raw material the gar
ments which clothed themselves their husbands,
and children. The pledge which they took. and
kept SO faithfully, evoked not only great self
sacrifice, but hard hard toll, such as the women
of the present day scarcely dream of. Had they
not endured and labored while their husbands
fought, we should have had no mighty Union to
pray and struggle for now.
We, Ae soollea Of "a, have the same object 10
attain, and The same duties to perform, phich acre
so nsbly accomplished by the tOomel of 20. Shall
zoe not olOp their example, and take up clesyJuly
The lesser burdens that the Os!fdre Of our country
deman6s2 They gave up The VeFy comforts Of lije
t0'ihom a marmur; can zoe refuse whsn sacrifice
Of feminine pdniy is alone yeguireds Can we
hesitate to yield up Injuries that are so unbe
coming, when the very earth trembles under our
| leel irotn tne trehu OF armed men going down to
battle, and almost every roof Throughout the
land shelters some mother lamenting the son
who has fallen gloriously with his face to the
foe, or widow whose husband lies buried so
deeply among the masses of slain heroes TINT
she will never learn where to teek for his graveY
When he tOJfe Of great prince ichose husband
was absent al he siege Of Troy, was urged 5y her
friends TO put on her royal robes, and BE- cheerful
she answersd; My husband is under The aoaiis Of
| Il y L.
helmst3 Shall dress IN neiO robes tghie he carTi,s
arms? No my raialent shalt be IKE his hard Ia
5ors, and in sadness VW I pass The time of his
mOurntui sar."
Patriotism is beautiful in all eyes and was
shared alike by the lady of classic story and The
mother OF the Revolution, clad in her homespun
dress and steadily performing more thun house.
hold duties. Compare the spirit of these WON Ii
with the reckless extravaganoe which has mark ID
the duration Of this terrible struggle for the
Union, and the contrast is indeed hnmiliating.-
Still the women Of America are not unworthy Of
their ancestors. Thoughtless they may be, and
luxuriously extravagaut from long habits of pros
Perity, but cruel and unjust never Appeal to
their reason and gentle feelings, and the women
Of this day will prove themselves capable Of ~
noble deeds as ever marked the struggles of the
Revolution. Convince them Of the evils theiI
thoughtlessness 10 producing, and the remedy |,
certain.
1t has not yet been sufficiently impressed uoor
them that the encouragement of extrayaean
importatiOns is injurious TO the public good IL
impress this vital truth upon the women of th,
Union, we have entered into this solemn cove
nant, not only laudng ourselves to genera
system Of economy in our persons, but holdin,
it as a duty to impress upon others how un-
womanly 1t is to make outward display para
mount subject of thought, when the nation il il
I he fhEnaa of a rahailinn auab no tbo
saw. Gathered here in the centre of the nation
handful of women, intent on a single object
2 anxious only for the good Of the country, W
appeal to the patriotism and intelligence Of ou
sister women throughout the length and breadtl
= of the land Let il be pel understood that ever
ounce Of gold Mat goes from The country detraet
from the pay Of The soldier rho is fghtigg for Oui
:. salvation, and dimiHiShes he DGges Of our sstei
= i0omen, tgho toll for their bread, mo a miserabl
pittance that scarcely su6fces 10 Keep them from
D starvation. The precious metal that flows from
. this country to Europe for the luxurles we d
not need increases the price Of gold here, depre
/, | ciates the value of our national currency, an
helps to sweep the necessaries Of life beyond tn
d reach of the working man
n is a PAINFUL truth, for tVhich zoe shall yet lear
10 blush, that the importatons Of The most ezDensit
@ goods manufactured in Europe haze been far greGtt
Il during the lgar than at any time in Ms history
y our country. The inpOrtGtioas last veek at n
+ NeW York Custom-house alone amounted to III
millions Of dollars; and all that loeek-tOhieh iOi
+ yet fnd lis igHobls record in Aistory-ths streets
T. Washington Osre blocked up pih weary soldier
e marching through mud, rain, or dust doWn to Il
e Army Of the Potomac, t0lieh ho,0 hss tpith bate
!, courage gditiRg for the eaTniVat of death phieh
i almost lfinging is crimson shadow oVer u.s.
N For the good Of our country and the honor Q
10 our sex lei redeem ourselves from this rePToae
ID Of pdatOn extrapagaRes. Let us prove by cheer
- full retrenchment that the women of the countr
ir are not so welded to luxurious selfindulgenc