The Portland daily press., 1869-06-02
A Woman's Demand for the Ballot.
ANNA DIcKINsoN's ADDRESS AT COOPER INST

Will be done.-Ine AdUGnce.
A Woman's Demand for the Ballot.
ANNA DICKINsoN's ADDRESS AT COOPER INsTI-
TUTE.
The following will be found interesting read
ing, even if it offends the prejudices of the
person who may chance to peruse it. Miss
Dickinson is not SO strong in the logic Of hu-
man suffrage as some of the ladies who are as
sociated with her in the work, but in the not
less important and necessary work of present
ing the sentimental-we use the word in its
strict sense-and pathetic side of the question
she is without rival:
A criminal accused, arrested, arrsaIaned
tired, and convicted, has yet fight 10 speak
for herself. Inc Judge J9dt,e, wnen he decides the
Case According TO due course of law, stops for
q moment to ask this prisoner at the bar
whether she has any reason TO show why SEN
tence of death should not be pronounced upon
her. 1t is not unreasonable, surely, for me,
who am no criminal, but a faithful law-abid-
ing citizen of the Republic, to demand, as an
act of justice, The right TO defend mysel. who
am concerned to political death. 1t is not
unreasonable for me, who am one of the most
devoted citizens, you will say, of the Republic,
and consequently interested in the preserva-
ton of ous Union, in Its best welfare, and in
the establishment of peace everywhere-it is
not unreasonable for me to ask share in the
council, and right TO interfere with the plans
of our rulers. The fact is plain that we have
no right, no voice or choice, in regard to the
representatives who are to vote away our tax
es. Taxation without representation il wrong
1t is a great de easier fighting
for good cause than bad one. A man would
get to heaven with half the trouble that be
goes to hell.
TAKING COURAGEOUS STAND.
There are women in this land, and women
on this platform, who believe that they are
men, having no redress for their wrongs, are
rot to be put aside. The women who make
these demands, and the men who support
them in their demands are not TO be trifleo
with. When such men and women as John
Bright and Stuart Mill, Prot. Huxley and
Wendell Phillips, Mrs. Stanton and Mrs
Stowe-when such men and women as these
stand up for our rights, look out for heavy
cannonade. You offer opposition against the
demand which make when rise as an Amer
lean citizen; but give fair warning that am
not to be terrified by hard names or unpleas-
ant titles. You may call me infidel, free
lover, strong minded, unsexed, but these
names don't touch me. They fall to the ground.
I am proof against them, having the right ON
my side. / give fair warning again that the
leaden bullet of slander, and malice, and en-
Wy, and detraction fall away harmless from me-
and the cause which ! represent tonight
Nothing save the silver cartridges of truth can
hurt me. NIX
DOES WOMAN WANT THE BALLOT?
You say women, as class, do not want this
right; that the women who DO claim this right
are a few singular, strong-minded exceptions
to their class. In saying this, you demon
strate one of two things. These women must
be a host in themselves, or silent host must
be back OF them. The pulpit knows, the press
knows, everybody knows that the majority is
opposed to granting this right, and they are all
crying out against us. Is it in accordance With
prejudice or with truth that you are to decide
the justice of a cause? Will you say that the
opinions of many are to be considered? The
Tribune says and repeats-and because it is so
much our friend, it is all the more our enemy
the Tribune says when all women demand
the right, women shall receive it. and that un-
til all women shall demand it they do not real
ly desire it. Is there any assumption here?
One may very easily and readily renounce a
right which has never been claimed. WheL
women have once exercised this right at the
pt lis and then renounced it, it will be right to
say they have renouneed it.
SOME MEN ARE DIsTAsTEFUL TO THE SPEAKER
A woman is not to have these rights because
| it will make her distasteful to men. There
| are men that are distastefu to me. Laughter.
you are not to vote, or take part ln politics,
says this man, because do not like II. :" do
not argue" say men, 'but be womanly." But
how do these men try to please women? If We
do all to please you, what do you give in turn
to us? This demand of women should be sec
onded by men, as it is to their interest that the
right should be granted. Absolute power
makes good man selfish and bad man bru-
tai. The power that is great enough TO make
or unmake laws should be dragged out of the
darkness into the face of the sun, to be held
amenable TO the laws which it can make or
break. lApplause.] The thunder Of the first
cannon against Sumter did more against slav-
cry than all the lulminatIons of the speak ers
of the land. 1t is true that the one pen-stroke
OF Abraham Lincoln did more to destroy slav-
cry than all the entreaties Of an armys of re-
formers, though they had spoken with the
it has said in the past, that men are the natu
raj lawmakers of the universe. If this is so,
then I say it is high time that art should try to
improve upon nature lAppause.
SOCIETY AGAINST WOMAN.
Society here in New York forces women to
sin, and then punishes them for il, while
man goes unpunshed for the same sin, though
he commits it voluntarily. God thought that
1t was not good tor man to be alone ir the
Garden of Eden-aud it is certain, also, that 1t
IS not good for a man TO be alone in WashiRg-
ton. Laughter and applause. Humanity
and morals, pleasure and pain, vice and virtue,
life and death, recognize no sex. The same
Christ died tor them all-the same ct. rnity
awaits them all. God does not need mans ;
interference to save a woman's soul. The mis-
takes that such men as the editor Of the OBJ
server are constantly making, is in supposing
that their interfering with politics is politics
ITSELF To-day politics means an indecent
scramble for office, where every man Is for
himself, and the devil takes the hindermost.
As for the foremost, they are already safe in
his possession.
A CONFESSION ARD A PLEA
That we are not the women that most men
would want to see in their midst is true. We
are the women who have to bridge over the
rivers aid make the roads, and, that being the
case, it may well be that we have grown stern,
and our features have become somewhat har-
dened. Be it SO. 1t shall not swerva us from
our purpose. 1 claim these rights for myself
in defiance of the past, which ths Tribune
this morning summons to oppose me tonight.
What is the past to me? What are the mis-
read aud misinterested records OF its history?
There is an authority of the consent OF the
human race-it is the right. lApplause.I
claim these rights for the sake OF the Republic
because injury or wrong to one is wrong 10 all.
If the slaves Of France centuries ago were en-
franchised ON the plea that the kings OF
France were too august TO reign over any but
freemen, women in America may well be en-
franchised upon the plea that the Republic is
too august TO rule over seris, aud 90 Just to
ignore the wants of its people. claim these
rights, though to grant them should render
new science of politics necessary 10 the world
II you tell me that there is evil in iniust,ce as
injustice, claim then, that this american
Republic has demonstrated that it is able to do
1ustice without having justice wrung from it.
Is this American Republic 10 wait in this mat
ter, az 1t waited in other matters, until it has
no longer authority to refuse?
BOLD PRoPHECy-ANNA AS A CONGRESSMAN
The speaker commented with the keenest
sarcasm on the criticisms OF The Observer con-
cernning the Convention, and said concern
ing the time serving course of its editor with
respect to Slavery: When vote, as 1 shall nye
years from now lapplause,] and when speak
as member of Congress, as shall ten years
from now [applauseL expect to be held up
as . paragon Of wisdom and and eloquence Dy
claim these rights because the cries of feminine
weakness and masculine protection are the
upper and neither millstones between which
the working women are crushed. The Tri-
bune said the other day "Don't give these
women the ballot" and winds up with advis-
ing them to 60 to Albany and ask for aid,
for lands and houses My Godi will the world
never learn that it is justice and not mercy