New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-11-28
VOMAN SUFFRAGE,


inc occasions ON which that half of the human race
especay devoted to the acts and interests of private
life has claimed and obtained public utteranco oil
wishes which their restricted condition has failed to
crafty.
No woman's rights protests are recorded among
tbe Bible histories for the twOfod reason that the
ordinary Jewish women had too little culture to WISE
TO transcend their appointed sphere and that the
extraordinary women were all allowed the dignity
of their power and merit From Aristophanes to the
present day is indeed long step but IN making II we
can only mention not reason upon the quaker move
ment which made as incumbent upon women as upon
men the following of their moral inspirations Ana
this latter element comes appropriately INTO our
thoughts to-day, when the act OF suffrage; Sonle-
times bargained for rs right, subject 10 the con-
ventions of society is presented in the light oil
grave and solemn duty, abont which no Dargahlhg
is i'm place. but which claims TO be PERFORMED ny
those made aware of it, in the face OF all dlCullcs
save that of absolute and pcrempt0IN pohDltlon
The Womans Suffrage Convention, lately helI III
Boston, assumes this ground though II docs NOT loi-
muate the corresponding intention. Although tnoSe
who addressed the Convention did so with Opinions
already formed, Yet the occasion itself as was hau-
raj induced certain progress IN the views Oh mos
who met together, many Of them for the first time.
ore of the most striking features of the Convention
was The care with which the unwomany type OF
their sex was excluded from IFS representation Inc
service and merit of these might be elsewhere com
mended and appreciated. but the Convention met 10
bring forward the views and claims OF those woman
TO whom the claims and duties of the honseh0ld are
sacred and whose syInpathieS. beginning duly ~
home flow abroad from their fullneSs. not skipping
out Of bounds through their cccentnclty. lhGee
women will ndOTso the saying OF Napoleon; We
must have Mothers And II Is not too muCh 10 say
that all good women have the heart OF motherhood,
whether consummatug its actual conditions or not.
Despite this careful selection Of types there was
perhaps little nervousness IN the hearts of some
| who approached and Of many who looked mp 10 the
capacIOus platform upon which were seated the
officers and many OF the callers OF the Convention:
The remembrance of the injudciOus friends, and of
very discriminating adversarics caused some 10
trcmblo for much that might be said. and more that
might be inferred. 1he platform assumed however,
an inviting aspect the more that IT showed had all
given the seal of earnest life TO earnest conviction
Ontlawcd and Tidicued once the progress OF society
had justified their efforts and assumptions The lido
! of pleasantly was now turned against me wealth.
f>hior, Nnd isnoro"eo that formerly mol"d them
ST. the time when thy fingers clutChed my throat =
II pray thee forget IT," replies Beacon-st.
81 have given my soul since then for thy battle. "
And indeed. it is quite right that Abolition should
forget it, if Beacon-st. will not
OF the women on the platform it scarcely becomes
one of them 10 speak The best known OF them have
been of the strenuous not of the clamOrOus. order
Several Of them have attained prominent popularity
as advocates of the measures contemplated 10y the
Convention. Some of them had taken no part ia
previous mOvemcntS-one or two were recent con-
voTts TO the order Of the day.
To those loving moderation. the presidency Of the
Rev. Jas. +. Clarke gave a comfort and assurance
which future proceedings did not belle. lis opening
remarks Indicated the golden prize but did throw
the apple of discord Very pleasant was the reading
Of friendly and sympathetic letters from persons in
vited but unable to attend the sitings OF the Con
ventOn. Among those read on the irst day one from
John Neal of Portland deserves especial mention.
The spirits of the assembly clearly with It's sym
pathetic and ringing sentences. On the morning Of
the second day letter from George William Curtis
expressed and aroused the same enthusiasm. The
appearance of Frederick Douglass hailed with
loud applause. Not less welcome the presence OF
Henry Wilson. Both Of these gentlemen seemed To
III.
the occasion And when on the second day Mr..
Garrison took his seat the platform, aud in the
evening John Weiss gave his presence and his
utteTance the assembly surely felt that good thing
had been withheld from them.
OF what was said and done during the two days Of
the Conventions the busy reporters have probably
given the substance. In the morning hiitings the
speakers appointed. and rarely interrupted. Ia
the afternoon, free discussion, under the character
istic leadership OF Col. Wentworth HiggnsOn, was
announced, and enjoyed. Among the invited speak
ers, Messrs Wilson and Douglass indicated at
length the priority of the question of Negro Suffrage
upon the political docket The urgency of the latter
measure matter Of life and death 10 a Of
peaceabe and unarlned men living among enemies,
armed and ferOcions was easily made patent.
Women. as body cannot pretend that men, as
body, stand toward them IN anything like the OppO-
sitOn of the former STAKEHOLDER against his former
slave. But Mrs. Stone. the special partisan of the
Woman's question: was not disposed 10 yield prccc-
dence in its behalf 10 the elder necessity and moro
mauTed reform. Ii was by the way. very Tcassuring
to hear from Henry Wilson that ont of the - Lcgis
latllTcs now allowed to function IN this country %
prepared to consider the point of Negro Suffrage.
He, the friend of both measures. was very anxious
that they should not he presented together for poi-
cal action. Mrs Stone remained of her own mind
aud her clOquence for the time OyerbOre all oppOsi-
ton The two questions WILL nevertheless, have TO
come up and be managed they may. for though the
ideal conception Of reforms is immediate and a-in-
elusive. their actual accomplishment proves slow
and painful work. Quite number Of crcdiablc adj
dresses were made during the morning sessions, from
these two points oil view.
afternoon
naturally subject 10 more frequent interruptions
Of the desired order of proceedings. In these, how
ever, COL lligginsOn showed himself To- he armed at
all points with patience and courage. a little Inn
aCy, of the harmless sort allowed at large, asked
leave Ia vent itself ON these occasions. The unwc-
come mtcTlOpcrs were handled hy him with great
tenderness for their iulirniy and with entire per-
sOnal respect. The introduction of the ten minutes
Tnc ObVated these uDtoward periods oil which there
were not many.
Among many friends one adversary appeared 10
contest the jnstice of the claim put forward 10y the
Convention. This adversary was David NassOn, a
man of wcl-knOwn gifts and accomplishments.
whose opposition To all extension of suffrage rests
upon the corruption already too evident IN lis cXcI
else. When Mr.. WATSON charged that men vote
and coriuptly in such cities rs New
York no one disposed 10 say him nay but when
he charged upon American suffrage the evils Oi the
crime aud pauperism Of Europe the
Of lis position became patent. Those
who replied to him at once indicated the lcseI-
yoIs OF Ignorance and political exclusion
from which flow these darker currents which
lmpart something OF their cOlOring 10 the
white waters of orr republic. That the remedy
against the evils induced by repression does not lie
in further repression evident enough 10 the Amer
lean mind The hope and belief now 50 largely prey
aent. that woman suffrage will do much 10 help the
working Of male suffrage, are not shared
by Mr. WATSON. lie will none the less rejoice IN the
good. when once accomplished. Even he. however,
reluctantly gave his assent TO the measure ~ ogi-
cal necessity disbelieyng in it an ideal condition.
In this disbelief. dealist aud radical We may
say that he stands alone among his males.
(tarTiSOn'S lIimuIOIslg COufIuSfp0
public support given to tho present Convention with
the intolerance of thirty years ago, when the
OdOus" AMI ridiculous" negro question derived
fresh Odiurn and ridicue from the fact that women
Wv amnuR ila alYnnalna Now lllc IAla ln