The New York herald., 1870-01-23
NEW YORK HERALD SUNDAY JANUARY e. ls7o-rRPLE SHEET

gether this afternoonl Under the proud banner
which now waves from ocean to ocean strange ~ it
may seem we, who have ever been loya, csxems,
from place TO place. until at last beyond tne Dounus
OF civilization, under the guidance OF rIes,aens
Young we found an asylum OF peace Ia the Hiust OF
these mountains There are At times, smali anu APP
parentlv trivial events IN the lives OF lnuiv auals
with which every other event naturally asso ciates.
There are circumstances In the history OF natioas
which seem as centres around when everything
and the settlement Of tho Latter Day Saints n these
mountain wales, which then were only uaiIc,u,
savage wilds, are incidents with which not orl ohy
our future, but the future or the wnOle Woriu.
deeply associated. Here they struggled Win more
than mortal energy, for their hearts ana nands
were nerved by the spirit OF the Most Hlgn ana
through his blessing they succeeded IN drawing slis-
tenance from the arid sO and here they erected tne
standard on whicn the Star Spanged Banner waved
It's salutationS or welcome to tue nations OF tne
eartn; ana. although 1t had been stained win tue
blood Of innocence here It has been rescued from
1t has been honored and respected and here IT wil
be bequeathed unsuled to future generations. Yes,
that "dear old hag,n which IN my girlhood always
contemplated with joyous pride, and to winch the
patriotic Strains OF my earliest chanted.
Our numbers, small AZ first, nave increased until
now we number $780, 900, and yet we are allowed only
pettioned Congress for what 1t was our nallenab.e
right 10 clalm-a State governinent-and year after
year our pssons nave oeen treated s,Isa WsG
IS almost without parallel IN history. But now,
instead OF granting us our rights as American ciri-
zens, bills are beng presented TO Congress which
are q disgrace to men in responsible stations and
claiming to possess honor and magnanimity; bills
which, il carried into effect, would destroy us
as people But there is too much virtue yet exist
ing In the nation and, above all, there ID God In
heaven whose protecting &C care W is over US ana VINO
policy Ss
TO be exercised towards US by our republican gov
ernnent Aside from all local ana personal feelings
TO me u s source OF deep regret tnat the standard
oi American liberty should nave 80 iar swayed from
to circumstances which not only rendered such
meeting opportane. but absolutely necessary There.
fore, while uetraction and ridlcule have been poured
forth in almost every form that malice could invent,
while we have been misrepresented by speech and
press, and exhibited In every shade but our true light
the ladies' OF Utah. as general thing have remained
silent. Had not our aims been OF the most noble
and exalted character and had we not known that
we occupied q standpoint far above our traducers
we might have returned volley for v0ley; Dut we
have oil the time realized that TO contradict sucn
egregIous absurdities would be great stoop OF
condescenslOn lar beneath the dignity oil those who
profess to De saints OF the living God, and we very
unassumngly applied to ourselves saying OF an
ancient apostle In writing TO the Corinthians, "Ye
suEer fools gladly seeing that yourselves are wse"
But there is point al which silence Is no longer
virtue, and in my humble opinion we nave reached
it, Shall we, ought we TO be silent when every right
ol citizenship every yestige OF civh and religious
our fathers and biothers are threatened with being
eltner restrained In tner obedience 20 the commands
OF Goa incarccraed year after year IN the dreary
confines OF prison, will 1t be thought esumptuOus
for us to speak9 Are not our interests one with our
bretren Ladies' tins subject as deeply interests us
| as them. In the kingdom OF God woman has IN
terests separate from those OF man-al are mutual
Our enemies pretend that in Utah woman Is held IN
q state OF vassalage; that she does not act from
choice, but by coercion; that we would even prefer
life elsewhere were 1t possible for us to make our
ssoaSs Ms wished we coud leave q any my" tme s
either to 60 ,slngly or we could rise rise
| or would even wish to prevent us; and tnat little
! stronghold Camp Douglas, where men have moth
ing to do but eat drink and smoke at tne expense
OF the national treasury, would be no more In pre-
venting our escape than Whit from one or their
cigars VIII now ask this intelligent assemDlage or
ladies', DO you know OF any place the face oi
she enjoys such nigh and glorious privileges she
does here as u Latter Day nAs SAnSs Ss,n Scss MOI
slavery Is bnrlesque on good common sense.
The history OF THIS people, with very LITTLE
would show at once that the part which woman Eas
acted In It could never nave been performed against
her will. Amid the many distressing scenes through
which we have passed, the prvatlons and hardships
consequent on our expulsions from State TO State
and our location III an Isolated barren Wilderness
| the women IN this Church nave performed and suf
fered what could never have been borne and accom-
plished by slaves And now after all that has ran
spred can our opponents expect us TO look on with
silent indifference ana see every vestige OF that
liberty tor which many OF our patriotic grandsres
fought ana bed tnat they might beaueata to Gus u.s.
dom. wrested from our graspf They must be very
dull IN estimating the energy OF female character
ihe sake OF their religion LETT their homes, crossed
the plains with handcarts, or, US many mad
| horse teams, from Nauvoo and from other
points, when their husbands and sons went
yes tnat very country that had refused us prolec-
zion and from which We were then struggling to make
our escape-,l say, That those VINO think that such
women and the daughters OF such women do not
possess too much energy or character to remain pas
sive and mute under existing circumstances are
'yccKOnlng bills without their host" 10 suppose
that we should not be aroused when our brethren
threatened with fines and imprisonment for their
faith In and obedience to the laws OF God is an In.
suit to our womanly natures. Were we the stupid,
] degraded, heartbroKen things tnat we have been
represented silence might better become US; but as
women Of God; women filing high and responsible
POSITIONS, performing sacred dutles women who
stand not as dictators, but counselloIs to their
ssfi sense Of reaned womanhOod being .'a'als truly
their nepmatss, we not only speak be;
sny demand ne that sSo oua
/ OF being lorded over by tyrannlcal husbands we,
the ladies' or Utah, are already Ia possession OF q
| privilege which many intelligent and hga-aiming
ladies IN the States are earnestly seeklng-he rgh!
to vote. Although. as yet, we have not been ad-
mitted to the common ballot box, the right OF
suffrage is extended In matters OF far greater I'm
| portance. This we say truthfuly, not boastlDgy
and We may say further that II those sensitive per-
sons WHO profess to pity the condition Of the women
OF Utah will secure unto us those rights and prvi-
leges which just and equitable administration OF
the laws OF the constitution Of the United States
guarantees 10 every loyal citizen, they may reserve
their sympathy for objects more appreclative. MY
SISTERS lnaSmucn aS we are Ileo 10 90 all tnat love
| and duty prompt let US De brave and unralterinv
| IN sustaining our brethren. Woman's fairh can
| accomplish wonders Let us, like the devout and
steadiast Miriam, sustain our brethren as up-
held the hands Of Noses Like the loving Josephine,
/ whose firm vet gentle influence animated
| and so0thed the heart OF Napoleon, we
will encourage and assist the servants OF God
III establishing righteousness but, unlike Josephine,
never Will political Inducements threats or persecu
lions prevail on us TO rellnqush our matrimonial
ties; they were formed by the authority OF the holy
priesthood, the efficiency OF which extends into eter-
nifty. But 80 the law ana to the testimony Those
obnoxious, fratrlclda bills feel indignant at the
thought that such documents should disgrace the
federal capital The spirit that prompted Her0d
to seek the life OF Jesus, the same that drove our
Pilgrim Fathers.to this Continent, ana the same that
urged the English governments to the system OF
represented taxation which resulted In the lndcpen-
cence OF the American colonies, Is conspicuous In
those bills II such measures persisted In they
will produce serious results. They only threaten
exurpati0n TO us but they augur destruction to the
government. The authors or those bills would tear
the constitution TO snreds. They are sapping
the foundations OF American freea0m; they
would Obliterate every vestige OF the
dearest right OF man-Hbefty