The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1864-06-03
Ladies National Covenant "A Noble
Address to the Women Of the Land.

Senators, Representatives, Commissioners,
Generals, aud other officials was held on tho
evening Of Monday. Rev DIR. McMurdy
presided, and Mrs. Senator Lane, ofIudiana.
Mrs. Ann s. Stephens, tho autboress, Mrs.
Senator Wilson, Mrs. General Lane. Mrs.
Representative Pike, Mrs. Stephen A.
Douglas, and Mrs. Representative Ingersoll.
were appointed u committee to form con.
sti;ution and prepare an address to tho
women of America.
Article first of tho constitution declares
that the name Of the association sball be
tho Ladies National Covcnant-its object to
unite the women Of the country in the earn.
est resolution to purchase no imported ar.
ticlcs OF apparel where American can posi-.
bly, be substituted, during the continuance
Of the war.
The following wol-written and eloouen,
address deserves tho attention of oil the la.
dies Of tho loyal nation:
ADDRESS TO THE WOMEN OF AMERICA.
In tho capital of our country, VIC have
this day organized central society for the
suppression Of extravaganza, the diminution
OF foreign imports, and tho practice OF eoono-
my in oil our social relations. To this go
ciety wo have given the name Of "Tho La.
dios' National Covenant" Its Object is a
good and generous one, which shoud inspire
spirit of patriotism worthy of women VINO
are the glory of great nation. For this
society We have an example and precedent
at once august and encouraging.
In l770, tho women of Massachusetts
actuated with the samo impulse that in
spires US, assembled in the city of Boston, as
VIC have met hore, and resolved to sorvo the
country by an effort of selfsacrificing far
creator than We arc called upon to mako
On the 9th Of February threo hundred
matrons, each the mistress of household,
met as wo do now, and signod p,odgo to
abstain from the use of toa, tho greatest
luxury OF tho time, and the very life of all
tho social gathering for which our Now
England ancestors were SO famous. Three
days after. twice that number of blooming
young girls met in the samo place, aud
signed like pledge. From that brave as
sembage of women, Don.importation So
cieties sprang up that produced an effect
upon tho mother country, almost equal to
that created by the success of our RevoIu-
tionary armies. During all the terrors of
tho war these noble women hold firmly to
their pledges, asdby thoir earpestness awoke
the sympathy and CO. operation of every els
ter colony in the land. Tho spirit thus
aroused extended itsolf to imported goods
of all kinds, and evory hearthstone was
turned into an independent manufactory
Thus it was that tho flax.wheel, the atohel,
and the hand-loom became sublime instru.
nents Of freedom in tho hands oGuk1ierican
women. The house-mothers of sevonty.s
not only kept their pledge of non .importa-
tion, but with thor own hands wrought
from tho raw mnterial the garments which
clothed themselves, their husbands and
children. The pledge which they took, and
kept so faithfully, evoked not only great
self-sacrihco, but hard, hard toll, such as
the women of tho present day scarcely
dream Of. Had they not endured aud la
bored while their husbands fought, We should
have had no mighty Uuion to pray and
struggle for now.
We, the women OF 81, bavo the same OBJ
joct to obtain, and tho sa me duties to por.
form, which we're so nobly accomplished by
the women of 70 Shall We not follow
their example, and take up cheerfully tho
lesser burde rs that the welfare OF our coun.
try demands ? They gave up tho very COM
forts of life without murmur can we re.
fuse whom sacrifice of feminine vanity is
alone required? Can we hesitate to
yield up luxurios that are so unbecoming
whom the very earth trembles ander our
feet from the tread of armed mon going
down to battle, and almost every roof
the land shelters some mother
lamenting tho son who has fallen gloriously
with bis face to the foe, or widow whose
husband lies buried SO deeply among the
ihasses VI oiaiu hetoeo, tuat bne VIII mover
Iearn where to seek for his grave
Whom tho wife OF great prince, whose
husband was absent at the siege of Troy,
was urged by her friends to put on her roy.
al robes, and bo cheerful, she answered !:
my husband is under tho walls of Troy !;
shall adorn my hair while he wears he'll
met : Shall dress in new robes while he
carries arms : No my raimont shall be
like his hard labors, and in sadness will l
pass the time of this mournful war;"
Patriotism is beautiful in all eyes, and
was shared alike by the lady of classic story
and tho mother of the Revolution, Cad in
her homespun dress and steadily perform
ing more than household duties. Compare
the spirit of these women with the reckless
which has marked the dura-
lion of this terrible struggle for the Union,
and the contrast is indeed humiliating -
Still the women of America are not un-
worthy Of their ancestors. Tboughtless
hey may be, and luxuriously oxtravagant
rom long habits of prosperity, but cruel
md unjust mover |! Appeal to their reason
md gentle feelings, and the women of this
lay will prove themselves capable of as no.