The Portland daily press., 1868-11-23
The Woman Suffrage Csnventiom.
sEcoNDDA

To the Editor Of the Press kgN 81
Notwithstanding the continuance of very
unpleasant weather, the session of the Con-
vention yesterday was even more crowded
than- on the preceding day. This full attend
ance, under circumstances so unfavorable
must be allowed to furnish somewhat aecu-
rate index of the interest with which the
movement is regarded. Doubtless curiosity
would be the impelling motive with some; but
then curiosity which is strong enough to draw
men from their business and women from their
fresides in weather like this must itself be ac-
cepted as an evidence of interest. 1t Is very
evident that public opinion in relation to this
matter has undergone great change. One is
surprised to see how widely the conviction has
already obtained root that our changed So
cial circumstance, require the influence of
new agency in our politics; that If 1t be possi-
BILE to introduce into them an element of great
er moral purity the time has come when it is
most desirable to do SO. hsr-e9
One feature of the proceedings which can
hardly fail to strike an observer is that the
thing seems to be moving on peace basis
There is no arraignment of the one sex by the
other; no defamation about the wrongs en-
dured by woman at the hands of her oppressor.
man. BY almost all of the speakers the fact
seems distinctly recognized that the womans
cause is mans aiso,--that they can really have
no separate interest, and that the establish
ment between them of more perfect equality
is only desirable as leading, not to greater an
tagonism OF independence, but to a more per-
feet union. sss. o.s 3 IN. ---ra ..z sr--.
mn. TO- xl.o
Frederick Douglas, who was received with
cheers. He said he was a carpet-bagger, and
came from New York, which did not vote for
Grant, but he felt very much at home in a
meeting of this kind. He belonged to the wo.
men, for they had bought and paid for him.
To the women of the old Abolition Society he
owed it that he had bresthed for many years
the air of freedom. Mr. Douglass said that he
could not look at the question under discus
sion from the side of womans ,orongs He
must be pardoned if he could not think much
of the little wrongs of women which seem so
hard to them. He referred to declaration
made by Mrs Howe the day before that she
was willing the negro should vote before she
did, and said that he could be willing woman
should have the ballot before the negro was
made secure in that privilege if it were not 80
indispensable to the latter Women can OBJ
tain and exercise their rights to considerable
degree without it. tKu Klux Klans would not
molest them. The ballot is everything to the
negro. Without it in the South he dies or is
exterminated. .Tz Enoa slif a l-ala
No; he preferred to look at this question
from the side of woman's rights. He averred
1ot <ho g. - Az
ballot to women as to men. He claimed the
right to vote because he was a rational being.
or hoped he was, but he could not vote in New
York, except he owned $3.50 in dirt beside
himself, that amount in real estate being nec-
essary toentitle a colored man to the ballot
He thought woman suffrage was needed, not
for the sake Of the women, but for the sake of
the family. Her influence is needed as set
off to the vice Of the country. We desire to
con 'front.' at the ballot box all the vice with all
the virtue of the country, and not as now with
only part Of the latter. He had long wished
to see a thorough. earnest movement on the
subject 2r ~ -89sja ll @. .ie9 F. q Ei aa
These remarks called up Miss Lucy Stone,
who thanked Mr.. Douglass for his advocacy,
but in relation to what he said of the negro's
claim being more pressing, she thought be on
ly felt where the shoe pinched himself, but
where it pinched others he was not naturally
SO sensitive. She reminded him of the we'll
known fact that the freed women of his own
race in the South objected to marriage with
their male partners, as they would thus lose
the control of their earnings, openly preferring
concubinage to the subjeetion to husband
under which the law would place them. -
Some discussion here followed as to the ad-
visibility of pressing the question of woman
suffrage now, lest by dividing public attention
,itshould endanger the success of the move
ment for universal manhood suffrage. Several
speakers thought it not best to complicate the
question now.
A series of resolutions was introduced, ask
ing the Republicans to drop manhood suffrage,
and the Democrats their views upon the sub
ject, and unite in extending the privilege to all
men and women; calling upon the New Eng
land Senators and Representatives to use their
influence to obtain the right in the District Of
Columbfa; declaring that the Government
could not be a democracy SO long as one-half
the people are kept from the polls; recon-,
meDding the holding of conventions and peti-
tioning State Legislatures to SO amend their
Constitutions as to admit women to the fran.
chise; acknowledging the Improvements that
have thus far been made in the condition of
women by legislation; predicting that before
many years aid in their enfranchsement
would be the direct path to political prefer
ment; and conmending the subject particular
ly to the clergy as means of advancing the
morals of the community ava % PSI per '-1iF
The irrepressible Daniel Pratt, who had
made his way into the hail. and had several
times with great difficulty been restrained
from speaking, here refused any longer to he
silenced, and was allowed to occupy the plat
form to read his memorial to Congress, for the
use of the Representatives Hall for the de-
livery of an address that will be worth to the
country thousands of billions of dollars"
His illusions to General Grant were pro-
nounced sound" and his views of the woman
question excited much merriment. He reluc.
taLtly retired when his five minutes expired.
with the remark that he intended to ''hire this
hail. i7@lt-ii at1
After Daniel had subsidized telegram was
read from j. H. Wilcox invit ng the members
of the convention to attend the national gath
ering in January. Letters were also read
from various prominent persons, among other,
one from Judge Godfrey of Maine in which
he said that he did not consider an amendment
to the constitution necessary to admit women
to the suffrage. ssliaud nh q Lblii
The afternoon session was largely. occupied
with discussion of the resolutions introduced
in the morning. A great many persons Joined
in the discussion. A draft was read of a pro-
posed constitution, the preamble of which i
as follows: 9tu III HIl = Hl 8N5I
Believing in the natural equality of the two SEXES
and that women ought to enjoy the same legal rr,s
and privileges as men, that as long as women are
denied the elective franchise they suffer a great
wrong the undersigned agree to unite in an assoca
tion to be called the New England Woman Suffrage
Association. The object or the association Isl de
ctared to be to procure the right of suffrage tor yo
men, and support such changes in the laws as shah
place women in all respects on an equal footing
Adopted. .-.-....s....E =
Ihe Committee also proposed the following
ofhcers who were unaniomously elected:
President-Mrs. Julla Ward Howe.
Vice Presidents-W Lloyd Garrison. Pan
g.