Litchfield enquirer., 1868-12-03

..s Henry Wilson thought it worth his while
 tvt' el's.le days of his time tp the - Wnsnan's Suffrage Cnuven
 " ii i-nt indication of it- suc- tn re no other. But all the
 ifs aare- in asserting that the a'r, cr,wded eager and order lv. 4y'i t;.,t the speaking was of high or aev. At the final adjournment" says the Boston Post (Democratic), the man agArs had every reason to congratulate themselves on having had most success ful series of meetings"
 All private accounts agree that there was 8 wide difference between the whole tone and aspect of this meeting and those of former years. Formerly, the predominant aspect of the audience was one of mere curiosity. and the earnestness was all on the front seats. At this meeting the whole large body seemed to be in earnest; the people all came together early, and staid late, and were patient with dull speeches, as well as sympathetic with eloquence. Among single speeches, those which ap parently made the strongest impression were by Mrs. Julia Ward Howe, and by Rev. Mir. Stratton, of Worcester. The World has an admirable report of Mrs. Howe's speech; and it was remarkably dig nified, modest and sensible. Her descrip- tion of the steps by which she has gradu- ally come to recognize the justice of wo- man s suffrage was peculiarly clear and inn state of mind of great many present. Rev. Mir. Stratton's speech, though emi nently weighty and pungent in itself, had an especial value as indicating the change now going on in the opinion of the clergy on this subject. The speaker is the minis ter of the old South Church in Worcester, l one of the largest evangelical churches in New England. He had been converted to ] woman's suffrage, he said, by what he saw in California of the moral influence exert ed by woman in depraved community; and he had resolved henceforward to secure | to her the ballot It seemed strange to see Orthodox clergymen taking this posi- tion on the same platform where sat Abby Kelly Foster, whose mere presence in anti slavery meetings had been denounced by the clergy, only thirty years before. The world moves.
 Ha e7Rfst yst te J see aH the mHslSari frage, for this plain reason: there is one special point of legislation, upon which, as all agree, the advent of women into politics IS destined to have an overpowering infu- ence. That question is temperance. The day women begin voting in any state, that day all rum shops may as we'll begin to close up. Woman's suffrage means pro- hlbltory law. And, as most of the evan 1 geilcal clergy, at least, are prohibitionists, l we expect yet to see them the most potent advocates of the enfranchisement of wo- men.
 | The greatest en nthusiasm is expressed by all who were present at the long debate l which closed the meeting and kept the hall filled till half past eleven. The spectators say that it was as brilliant and effective a debate as any field day in Parliament or Congress. As the presiding officer, Col HlgglnsoD, at one time remarked, the char acter of the debate itself Was a better ar gument than any yet offered to show how tue talent as we'll as the tone of legislative bodies would be improved by an admixture 1 of woman's wit. Tine original reso. utions called on both parties to abandon their watchword. and unite in a constitutional amendment for suffrage truly universal l This raised the old question between tile iia'f-loaf and the no bread. Should the claims of woman be absolutely asserted, Wltucnt reference to the negro; or should woman give hlm precedence and wait her time?
 lne resolution was, therefore, attacked Ii aid.'r by some of the very aeene,t de- "''rfa whom i.e nation hoids-by Ga. ri- sit, D 'usias, St phen Foster, aud 4 by . AA Against tuese Lucy St, ne sag hau.itd ou the platform, .s".is- .,i.tesi several times effectively b, s''l,-i susg stlons or thrusts from the audi ebce. IL was really difficult question, admitting clearly of two sldes The most admirable hits were made and as dmiral ply parried; and the tide of feeling in the audience seemed always to follow the last l speaker. Again and again was the resolu- tlon assalled Tn different forms; and again and again did Lucy Stone come to its de- fense
 Her appeals for the paramount inpor- tance of the claims of woman were not more to ching than those of Frederick Douglas anu Mrs. Harper for those of their race. The debate Was pressed earnestly, but always with good feeling; and the pre- siding officer with assiduous effort kept the question technically clear Five times, in different forms, the matter came to vote; each tune every person in the convention seemed to vote, and each time Lucy Stone carried the day by majorities continually increasing. The resolution was finally adopted unchanged.
 Good d-nature prevailed throughout this debate and through all the debates-even the irrepressible Mir. Daniel Pratt, the present "fea of conventions" did not disturb 1t; and the final adjournment left a general conviction, that, when the wo- men of New England seriously undertake to do any thing, they do it well-Indeoea- dent