Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1869-09-16
THE RUTLAND HERALD.
THURSDAY SEPT. 8, 1869.
woman Suffrage.

Mr. Dewey's speech on Woman Suffrage,
but did not como to hand till few days
since.
M, Editor ] have just been reading
Hon Chas @. Dewey's speech in the
Council OF Censors, upon the "Woman's
Suffrage" question. AS Lucy Stone seems
to hc the target at which most of the ar
rows of the speech were aimed, perhaps
the honor of warding them off should be
left to hcr-or. rather, Gulliver-like oi
shaking them off, for they seem to me
little more than Lilliputian arrows, at the
best.
But why select Lucy Stone as subject
for logical dissection rather than other
alvocatcs of the same cause, whose name
is ''legion ?" Can it be that she il the only
3ne among that host, whom the Hon. gem
tieman has heard discuss the question
lie evidently iatended to make some
heavy shots and hurl most overwhelming
arguments at her or the cause, of which
he takes her as the type and symbol; be-
cause he sets out with the avowed pur-
pose of discussing distinguished mem
and "thoughtful mems women" and the
popular mind" of the "sophistical rea-
soning," by which they have been "daz
2led" and entranced,' and lied captive"
He evidently considers himself as the
great expounder" ty which Li4 baneful
and mischievous Haynes female suffrage
is to be discomfitted, and that he brings
10 the combat weapons which he wields
with unequalled skill though modestly
admits that he Is " far behind in the eff
fectivene-s of the performance, lis as
sumed prototype, the great expounder ;
by which admission 1 suppose that the
sIieadg of female suffrage may still take
courage. as though Webster did "4as:hi-
late Haynes, yet Mr.. D., being less Of
flctive, has only maiIned or bruised his
enemy but not quite annihilated and
sent it to oblivion. Ahl well, may be
some Good Samaritan may yet eBaetually
bind up Its wounds and send it rejoicing
upon it, way.
But it ANY rate Lucy Stone and MI the
advocates and friends of female suffrage
WILL I am sure, be glad that this Hon.
gentleman has made his speech and viii
encourage its spread broadcast ever the
iand rs the more Sampsonian inteilec.s
1t can successfully resist in it's infancy,
the easier will be the labors of It's adult
years 1t may be David nOB and its
adversary "a Goliah, but nevertheless We
have hope of it, future.
If / understand Mr. ID. Alright, he ar
ranges his argument thus: Female suf-
fr4go il supcrstructure based ON the
foundation, ".hat the exercise of the
function of voting AZ "A natural right, and
that il is within the natural sphere OF
women to exercise it," which foundation
is a fllse assumption and that by these
-killfully aimed thrusts of his logical
word he will annillilate this foundation,
and thus demolish and sink in Lethcan
waters the entire supcrstructure. Thrust
NJ : "The exercise by woman of the
function Of human government, in any Of
its departments Of force, il contrary to
Divine regclation;" No. g. "to the nat
ural law Of The se1; )" No. s, and " is not
demanded by cxpediency.'
" Voting is function, not a natural
right" he says. | suppose he does not
mean hereby, an anatomical animal
function nor function Of PARTICULAR
station, professional, military, or the like,
nor 4 function of character, of rela-
tive or friend but that he does mean the
functions, or the doing, or the perform
ancc, Of human being, in his social or
a:yil capacity, or both The only reason
ihar ind for hiS denial that voting is
natural right is this "Nowhere in any
bill of rights, is the ballot defined to be
natural right" Tho right to life, and
hl'rty, and self-defence, is natural
right, because the constitution of tbs
State So declares it Is it really true
that the natural rights of human beings
are dependent upon the declarations ct
constitutions and Of bills Of rights And
do we inherit no rights from our Creator
Ly virtue Of the necessities OF the organ
.-ationp, mental qud physical, with which
he endowed US, have we no other rights
than those named Does Mr.. d. limit
Aio natural rights to those he names, and
Tor the reasons hc names Z Suppose the
permanent security of the "right 10 life,
liberty and self-dcfence" should require
the exercise of certain othrr rights, would
thGse latter be natural or unnatural rights?
ilna II mother right, Ia accordance with
the dr8anos Of the maternal nstinct with
which sho " created, TO claim the custody
aud care and privilege Of supporting her
child Then has she right to defend
hcrscli from those who would violate her
maternal rghtsi kay not voting some
times bo found necessary to secure the
undisputed right TO life and liberty Thcn
Ia it right, or only function What
thought and said the revolutionary faith
crs on this point? Will those who read
the speech Of Mr.. ID. reflect for moment
upon their own natures and conditions az
human beings and ask themselves what
rights they naturally possess, and how
'hey came In possession of thom? Ask
themselves also if they can honestlv per
ceive any difference between tho natural
rights Of men and women?
MIR. d. says again, the false assump-
uon that the exercise of the function of
voting is natural right" If the ECKER.