, 1864-05-06
THE LADIES' NA1loNkL COVENANT.
Address to the Women Of America.
HONE PRODUCTS TO BE ENCOURAGED,

Senators aud Representatives., Of well known
authoreeses, women Of fashion, mothers who
bad lest their sons, and wires who had lost
their husbands, WAS held in Washington,
few days since, the object Of which was to
ur{te 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. There Was an earnestness and unison
of feeling in this great meeting which have
never been exceeded In this lsnd.
: After adopting a constitution, the follow.
ing officers were elected: -, Z: :: /
Pressdeut-Mrs. Ger. Jas. Taylor.
ylce Presldent-Ars. Stephen 4. Douglas. -;
,l.e EeeS,d,nS seerstaties- nebscea ciiliss
e.: ss@ss NJ: a:i
ssa, I;s esp' kiadsp MIs. S3iii ,ia%s H.
: The sense of the meeting is we'll summed
up in the following beautiful appeal to the
> 1ntbe captfal Of olr- country We have this day
orCauizcd teutral eoc1ety for the suppression Of
extfnvneance, the dtmluItion OF iorcdgn imports.
and he fss M N q oa'
"The Ladies' National Covenant" Its object is
. good and generous one which ehoald 1ntpire
% psso ss sees ai .s
M example and precedent at once aueust and en-
I'M In .7so, the women Of Massachusetts, actuated
By tie same tmpulte that inspires u, assembled
In the city OF Boeton. aa we have met here, and
resolved to Eervo the country by m effort Of self
. sacrifice far greater than We arc chilled upon to
On The 9th Of February, three hundred matrons,
eaSR nd aantd peaes to sbsaa tom tue use
Of tca, the greatest luxury OF the time, and the
very lie Of III tie social gatherings for whteh our
dsys @ aitef srs twiee % thst nnm5er Of biong young
from that brave aasembtage Of women noa-tna6or:
a0e a. et eses npon e. osr o 9 eou, e.
most equal 10 that crested By the success
otEour Revolutionary armies. During the
drmly TO their pledges, and BY their earnestness
awoEe the sympathy and co-opeEatlanofe every els-
ter colony II the land. The spirit thqs aroused
every hearths tone was turned into an independent
mannlacto1y. Thus It WIS that the flax Wheel, the
hatehelnnd The hand loom became sublime iustrn-
| rnents Of freedom in the ta1ds Of American wo-.
The house molhess Of seycuty-tix not only
kept their pledge Of hut with their
naaSf Sc o ns hs
Kept 20 aitbfny, etoked not only g1sst self sacri
Gused and 1abored while their husbands fought, VIC
sssu1d hare hsd no mighty Union 10 dghs and pray
We, The women sf ~, have the same object to
attain and the aue duties to perform which were
70 nobly accomplished by the women n,of'7d. Sha
~e not follow their example, and take up, chess-
iuIly, the lesser burdens that the welfare OF oar
country demands, They gave mp the sery CON.
| eac11fce OF feminine vanity Is alone lnfreG
Can hesitate to yield up u1uiee that ara 80 IN
leeonng Then the xeEy sarsh sreu1les n1der lr oas
battle, tnd almost every roof throughout the land
shelters some mother 1amentin. the eon who has
s Mh basss h s h ~adx
masses OF ela1n heroes, that she will ,nerer Know
where to see X for biz EraEe2
@s ssseaf ss eaEe
chez 1inl she answered: MY husband j. under the
sha 2se. r E foSss %a III:
he carries a11uss Mol my rsinent shall be like
his hard lAboFs, and IN sadness will Il pass the
Patriotism is "eautlfnl In all eyes, and shared
xke BY the lady Of Classic story and the mother Of
the Revolution. clad in her homespnn dress aud
Compare the epirit ot those women With the reek:
LEES extraTsFaDce which has marked the duration
Of this terrible struggle for the Union md the coa
AnerIcs are not unworthy of their 1ncestora.
Thought1ees they may be. and Ii uxuriousy extrava.
eagt from lonF habits Of p1osPsrt. but srael aad
feclinee. and the women: of this day win prove
thu xneelSes capable of noble deeds a. ever ark
q
the remedy ts certain
+ It Las lot yet been sufficiently impressed upon
theEn th1t The tneauraGeIne1t ct extFava,ant tHs.
poItat,ons i injurious to the public rood To In.
press thas. vital ruth upon the women OF The
tn,on. we hare ertered Into this solemn covenant
| cc.nomy in our persons, but holding Il a. d duty
10 impress upon others how unwomanly It is te
make outward display paramount subject O.
beltion, ouch as the world never sew. Gathered
here IN the centre Of the nation, a handinl Of wo
mer intent on single object an1ioqs only ior 70.
ind intelligence Of our sister women thronsbou
the length and breadth Of the land. LetIt BE- vel
rom the country detzscts from the paY Of tbs 80.
der who ID fighting for our salvation. aud dtrnin
tahee The Tages Of: o4F sieter women, Who tsfi fo
tnft,ces to keep them from starvation. The pre-
cious metal that dows from this country to
Europe for the lnxuries We do not need increases
I national currency. and helps 10 sweep the neees
saEee OF lite beyond The reach Of the working man
to bash. hat ths impo1tstions Of the most e1oen
| sire goods manufactured In Europe have been "A
greater during tbs nar than At any time II tho hie
ii Ut. the New York custom house alons amounted +
Eve millions Of dollars and all that week-whfcl
E n1S II .noSs rfSe n
. 10 the Army Of the Potomac, which now lies viii
mSsa i nsS e. son ssadov o.
For the good Of our country aud the honor OF on
SEX. let us redeem ourselves from this rcproach
~auton exrava-ance. Let us prove By! cheeslt
: ! retrenehment, TINT The women Of the country al
, not 20 welded to Injurious se1ftndulgence tha
| they cannot fl glorious page in the history {
this and yet tain all that IL retiring and bear
| tiful in womanhool. In all humane woska the
hare proved themsel charitable, kind and mi
nj Tlpf
tioc will aceomplfsh more than works Of: charity
and they will not be less earnest 10 saeTidce thai
II must not Be said Of Us that we hare been will
Ing to giye up our husbands. sons and brothers t
fight or die for the Union, and Ect refuse to r.
That thought would cover rs With shame be'or
the uktione OF the earth. No: our women at th
gIton only lack knowledge Of the means By whlcl
heroes who are fighting our battles.
Impress It upon them that ln dl.co9raging ez
s hs1 sss ea IL t. aea
! ience il the Go7ernmen1, nd they M prove ho'
II order to invoke this spirit Of se1fsacr;ace,
Is important thas tbe s great object Of ths covsnan
. thoroughly uncerstood-: It discourases prof
= sate sspenaltares ct any Eta. rssonmepd e.
f can be substituted for, those q iforeis
+. mike, and advises simplicity .ot attire. bot
: as matter Of policy aud good taste. It ast
this reform before 1t is too lnte. Thank God
r. science has given the means Of reaching thor
snnds On thous&nds IN q stngle hour. While y
hearts may trembc In fire along the telegraph au
awake kindred Inspiration throughout the enti'
T. land. By every means OF commnnfcatio1 IN OF
power, let us urge the necessity Of prompt actio1
> In every town and village throughout tie Unio
> some woman who loves her country Is impaored
nancs oi the ladies Invited 10 oct fo. tha State
which her dnty lice. We AK Simultaneous ac,1o1
: earnest WORK, and generous Ee.Eeacrifce at II
p | hands Of our Rfsfer women. With their nrt1e,
help, a work will be accomplished SO Important
its leEults, that the woman Yho shares init ma
: hereafter, leave the emblem OF our object as II
a ncheat jewel that she can leaTe to poatcfisy.