The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-10-03
Address Of the Republican Women OF Massa-
sachusetts

WOnieu vi AUieflCd. ~ Is well WTlJIoi
document, signed by several of the mos
illustrious women of the country, and will
repay perusal. The Republican party o
Massachusetts, has planted its feet OF
the rock of Impartial Suffrage, and its
onward pathway is secure. We send te
its fearless and noble workers for liberty
and progress, words Of hearty cheer
Meanwhile. let all who believe that Re
publicanism means something more than
getting into office, labor and battle in faith
for the new truths which beam for us in
the sky of promise, and by whose light
alone we can mount the heights Of an en-
during victory:
To the Women Of Amsricd
The time has come, in the progress of
Civilization, when the women OF America
may make themselves felt in politics as a
recognized and beneicent power. This
manifestation will naturally precede the es-
tablishment of the equal rights of Woman,
as cause precedes effect.
The National Republican Convention re-
Gently held in Philadelphia unanimously
adopted the following, as part of its dec
laration of principles:
a. The Republican party is mindful of its
obligations to the loyal women of America for
their noble devotion to the cause Of freedom;
their admission to wider fields of usefulness is
viewed with satisfaction; and the honest de.
,nand of any class of citizens for additional
rights should be treated with respectful consid-
Grafton.
The cause Of women is the cause of Civil
lization! and, in the providence of God, the
Republican party has been pre-eminently
the party of Civilization. 1t has eftectually
suppressed most formidable rebellion,
excited and carried on to perpetuate the
worst form of tyranny ever inflicted upon
mankind, and has maintained the Union
and its free institutions Mt priceless cost.
II has liberated four million slaves, -one-
half being women. 1t has lifted them from
the auction block to the plane Of American
citizenship. 1t has essentially aided grand
educational movement at the South, which
must ultimately be of inestimable value to
that depressed and impoverished section Of
our country in all that pertains to popular
enlightenment, general industry, business
enterprise, accumulative prosperity, and
public order.
1t has conferred political equality upon
four hundred thousand colored men, once
bought and sold in the market like cattle.
1t has gathered to itself an overwhelming
proportion of the intelligence, virtue, pat
riotism, and piety of the land. lthas evincs d
disposition to enlarge its sphere OF action
for the furtherance of equal rights to the
extent of its possibilities, in accordance
with the progressive spirit OF the Age.
While, in all these and other matters of
vital importance to our national unity and
stability, it has been persistently and viru.
lently opposed by the Democratic party, to
the imperilling of our dearest rights and
most precious interests as people.
Therefore we hail the Republican recog-
milton OF Women's devotion to Freedom in
the Past as tribute well-timed and well
deserved; we accept the Republican con-
graduation upon Woman's admission to
wider fields Of usefulness as opportune and
statesmanlike we receive the Republican
assurance of respectful consideration for
Woman's rights in theafnture as sincere
expression Of good will, and as an nitato-
ry step toward securing the elective fran
chise for all citizens, irrespective of sex.
In submitting this grave issue to the ire
spectful consideration" of all parties, the
Republican party has not only indicated an
increasing sense Of justice, but has done
much toward Fastening the hour for its
satisfactory solution. Already, the Repub-
licans of Massachusetts, have responded by
adopting platform containing the follow
ing explicit declaration:-
S. Re8olyed, That we heartily approve of the
recognition of the rights Of woman contained in
the fourteenth clause of the National Repub-
lican platform that the Republican party OF
Massachusetts, as the representative Of Liberty
and Progress, is in favor of extending Suffrage
oil ANN tc.n nj Fpa.
spective of sex, and will hail the day when the
educated intellect and enlightened conscience of
woman will find direct expression at the ballot.
box.
In marked and dishonorable contrast
with this advanced action OF the Republic
can Conventions at Philadelphia and Wor-
cester was the refusal of the so.called lib
eral Convention at Cincinnati, and the
Democratic Convention at Baltimore, to
admit women as delegates or to give the
slightest heed to Woman's claim which
was respectfully presented to them thus
evincing settled purpose to discountc-
nance any consideration of the 'honest de-
mand" Of American women "for additional
rights" or political enfranchisement.
We believe the utmost reliance may be
placed upon the readiness of President
Grant to sustain any Congressional action
that may be taken, under his administra-
ton, in favor of basing the right of suffrage
upon personality, and not upon sex; so
that whatever may be the limitation to the
exercise of that right, they shall cease to be
proscriptive in reference to natural dis
tinction which ought not to effect the liber-
ties and interests of human being. In
his humorous appointments Of women to
the superintendent of postofiices, and
other public trusts, he has given practical
proof that he is in favor of woman's admis-
sion to "wider fields Of usefulness !" and
in the employment of tt lSands of women
in the various departments of the general
government, similar spirit has been indi-
Gated on an unexampled scale.
In the person of his Presidential compe-
titor, Horace Greeley, we see enc who
formerly gave his hearty approval 10 the
Woman's Rights movement, but who has
since treated it with hostility and contempt;
and whose journal, the Tribune, has dealt
it many an unmerited blow. lt behooyes
every woman, therefore, who sees in the
success of that movement the removal of
an odious prescription and the adjustment
of caste legislation, to exert her utmost
personal, social and moral influence to pre-
vent his election.
In the nomination of Henry Wilson for
the Vice-Presidency of the United States,