Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1864-06-11
ADDRESS.

E ADDRESS.
TO the Women Of the United ,yidfes--teritten
by Mrs .1an g. Stephens for the Executive
Committee 81 the Ladies National Cove.
ndnt" at Washington. es
M i.i wAsBiSercx, May 10, 1894.
In Washington. the capital Of our couu.
try. we have just organised central socie.
" for the suppression Of cxtravagance. the
dimuntion of foreign imports, and the prac.
tice 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 uoe, which should
inspire spirit of patriotism worthy OF wo
men who are the gloty of great nation
For this society we have an example aud
precedent at once august and encouraging
lh ltI0 the women OF Massachusetts,
actuated by the same impulse that inspires
us, assembled 10 The city of Boston. as we
have met here, and resolved 10 serve the
country by an effort of self sacrifice far
greater than we are called upon to make.
On the 9.h Of February .h.ee hundred
ma,rons, each the mistress Of household.
met and signed pledged to abstain from
the use Of tea, the greatest luxury of the
time and the very life of oil The social gath.
criugs for which our New England ancos.
tors were SO famous Three days sfter,
twice that humber of blooming Young girls
gathered in the same place aud sigued like
| pledges, from that brave Assem- mblagc of
women aon-importation societies sprang up.
which produced an effect upon the MOI Ter
country almost equal TO that crea' ed by he
success OF our revolutionary armies Du.
ring all the terrors of the war these noble
women held firmly 10 their pledges, and by
their earnestDess awoke the sympathy and
CO. operation of every sister colony in the
land The spirit thus aroused extended it.
self 10 imported goods of all kinds, and
every hearth stone was turned into on ude-
pendent manufactory Thus it was that
the hax.wheel, the hatehel, and the hand
loom became sublime instruments of free
dom in the hands Of American wumen--
Inc house mothers of '7G not only kept
their pledge OF non importation, but with
their own bands wrought from the raw ma
terla the garments which clothed them.
selves, their husbands. and children The
pledge which they ok and kept so faith
fully evoked not ouly great self sacrifice,
but hard, hard toll, such as the women of
the present day scarcely d cam of Had
they not endured and ladored while their
husbands tongh', We should have had no
mighty unlou TO pray and struggle for
nov.
We. the women Of '6a, have the Same
object 10 attain aud The same duties to per-
10 IN which were so uobly accomplished by
the women of '76 Shall We not follow
their example, and take up, chee'fnlly, the
Lighter burders that the welfare of country
demaE ds! They gave up the very comforts
OF HE without a murmur; eau VIC refuse
When a sacrifice of feminine vanity Is alone
required? Can we hesitate to yield up lux.
uries That are so unbecoming when the very
earth trembles under our feet from the
tiead OF armed men going down to battle,
aud almost every roof throughout the land
shelter some mother lamenlipg the son who
has fallen glorously, with bis face to the
foe, or widow whose husband lies buried
so deeply among the masses of slain heroes
that she will never learn where to seek for
bis graveg
When the wife OF a greek prince. whose
husband was absent at the Sege of Troy,
was urged by her friends to put on her roy
al robes and be cheerful, she ans nswered:-
My husband is under the walls of Troy:
shall adorn my hair while he wears heI.
me'Y Shall dress 10 new robes while he
carries armse MOI my raiment shall be
like his hard labors, aud in sadness will
pass the time Of this mouruful wars
| Patriotism is beautiful in all ages, and
IVES shared alike by the lady OF classic story
aud the mother Of the revolution, clad in
her homespun dress and steadily perform:
ing more than household duties. Compare
the spirit Of these woman with the reckless
ex'ravagauce which has marked the dura-
tion Of this terrible struggle for the Uuion
and the contrast Is indeed humiliatng
Still The w,men Of America are not uu
worthy Of their ancestors. Thoughiless
they may be, aud luxuriously extrayagant
from long habits of prosperityi but cruel
aud unjust never. Appeal to their reason
and gentle feelings, aud the women Of this
day will prove themselves capable of as hoble
deeds as ever marked The struggles Of the
revolution Convince them of the evils
their thoughtlessness is producing and the
remedy is certain
Ii has not yet been sufficiently impressed
upon them that the encouragement OF ex-
travagant importations is injurious 10 the
public good. To impress this vital truth
upen The women of the Union, VIC have en-
tered into this solemn covenant, not only
binding opselSes to general system ol
ecououy in our persons, but holding it as 0
duty 10 impress upon others how unwow' al
ly it is to make outward display o ,ara
mount subject Of thought when ths nation
Is in throes Of o rebellioD such a. the world
never saw Gathered here Ia the centre Of
the nation, handful Of v.omen. in; ent on a
single object, enxioas only for the good OF
the country, We appeal to the patriotism
ana lp,eligence OF our sister women
,hroasaont tae longth and breadth OF The
.ana. Lei it he we'll understood, that eve
~ onrae Of gold that goes from The conn'
try detraets from the pay of the soldier whe
IS lighting for our salvation, and diminlshe'
{ the wages of our sisler women who toll ioi
their bread. into miserable pitiance that
scarcely suflices to keep them from starVa'
lion. The precious metal that fo"s irou
Q this tconntry In Enrone for the luxurles We