The New York herald., 1872-11-20
W00DHULL's DEFIANCE.
LUDLOW STREET JAIL, l
NEW YORK, Nov. 10, 1872.

LUDLOW STREET JAlI,l
NEW YORK, Nov. II, 1872
To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
No one can be more conscious than am that
prudent forethought SHOULD precede any appeal
made TO the public by one circumstanced as l am;
and think have not ignored that consciousness
in asking the attention OF the public through your
columns.
Ever since II became generally known by the
press that am csnstitutionaly, theoretically and
practically social revolutonist, the discussion OF
the principles upon which my theories are based
has been excluded from their columns, while have
been subjected to all sorts OF personal abuse. To
those whe do not know me personally am this or
that, which renders me an object OF fear or hate
either a "ghoul,r q "vampire'' or "devli."
i have been Systematically written down as the
most immoral OF women, but no act OF mine has
been advanced in support or the charge Ny theo-
res have been first misstated or misreprcsented
and then denounced as "revolting.. Thus have
been gratuitOusly misinterpreted by the press to
the public, whose interests it processes to watch
over and protect. But has il occurred to this
great public, which now holds up its hands in
horror OF me, that even IN its estimation, manu-
fsctured by the press IL has been, am no worse
than thirty years ago were the prime movers in
the antl-savery movement In the estimation OF
the public OF that time Is II remembered how
they were abused by the press, imprisoned by the
authorities, and stoned and almost hanged by the
people And yet, strange as IL is, on the great,
broad earth, there are none more esteemed and
respected TO-DAY than are the veritabe persons
who so recently were generally condemned. And,
what is stin more strange, some who were thus
condemned, forgetting the lesson Of their own ex-
periences earnestly join in the present persecu-
ton. Verify, history does repeat itself, even with
in the remembrance OF a single generation.
who in their own time and among their own
people, have been the bad people OF the past
Were there ever any more loudly decried and
persistenty prosecuted than Christ and His
apostles and disciples, than Calico, Luther,
calvin, Fox, Harvey, Ann Lee and Murray,
than Douglass, Garrison and Phillips In some
form each and all Of these were the adv0-
Gates OF new ideas OF freedom, as ! am now the
advocate OF freedom in its full sense, and they
prosecuted by the public Of their times as am
by the public Of to-day, because they advocated
ideas which were not fully comprehended. The
public OF their time interpreted the freedom they
advocated TO mean anarchy, as the public now In
terpret the freedom advocate to mean anarchy.
But nobody now pretends to condemn them; but
everybody uDites In commencing them for the
courage which gave them the strength to do right
in spite OF the public prejudice. And yet every
body aiis TO learn the lesson taught by their eXpe
riences.
But what is the great danger which the public
pretends to fear from me3 The plain statement OF
the public howls, is this:-I desire that woman
shah be emancipated from the sexual slavery main
It IS by reason Of her sex only That woman,
whether as wife, y, now supports
herself; and man is determined not to give up
it long since declared war-relentless and un-
ceasing war; ! desire that woman shall, so far as
her support is concerned, be made Independent OF
man, SO that all her sexual relations result from
other reasons than for maintenance; In word,
shall be wholly and only for love.
Is there any thing so dreadful, as the public has
conjured up in its mind that there is in this Ask
those about to enter marriage .f0r home," those
who have already done SO and the so-cal ed prosti-
tutes If they think this is dangerous and terrible
proposition And yet it is the sum and substance,
the intent and effect, OF my 'Tevoting theories"
These theories ought to appear dangerous TO such
men, only, as now purchase women by money
whO under other circumstances, would be unable
dangerous to such women, only, as now prefer to
sell themselves to men they loathe, for money sup
port or "a home" rather than to rely for them
ing money. i can think Of no other classes who
should be frightened of me.
great public danger If this he permitted to go on.r
Letme see fit be possible to find what that danger
is "Bnt these bad women, Of bold and unabashed
upon it," and "have hurled defiance at decency and
virtue" heinous crime; truly most heinous
CRIME! have been bold and unabashed enough to
make plain statement OF facts which found eX-
isting in and detrimental to the community, and
according to the immaculate press, have thus
Now let me ask this condemning public to stop
right here and answer me this question. Does the
defiance to decency and virtue emanate from me
or from those who commit the acts which expose
Is II In the facts themselves or in their exposure
Is IL in tcr existence or In making their existence
known Answer this upon your honor Great Pub
lic and then condemn me II you can.
Again; among the most dangerous forces is
so-caled free thought, that would make immortality
free from all restraint, and that, under the name
OF liberty Of the press, would make the journal the
the flthiest expression OF debauched thought
And again, ask does the immortality consist OF the
facts that exist in the community; or is it in
making them known to the unsuspectng, to the
great honest and moral masses And is the act OF
thus making them known, "the fthiest expression
Answer this also, and then condemn me II you will.
The persecution to which am subjected seems to
me to be the enort OF the magnates OF society to
hide from the great public, over which they assume
to preside the pitfalls into which, rather than that
should point out the danger and its location, they
structon. danger, to be dangerous, must remain
unsuspected, since from the very moment
body knows that fact Better r'i than the the very %
persons who In the name of the public
are now pursuing me. ! have had the courage
to warn the public Of subtle poison that is being
steathily but steadily distributed in society," ur-
dermining the very foundation OF morality in the
human heart and erecting in its stead the most
consummate but degrading hypocrisy. Where the
moral conservators would have the public think
virtue exists If the assumed masks be stripped Off,
the fouest slime will be discovered.
The great public danger then is not In my expo
sure Of the immoralties that are constantly being
committed, but In the fear that their enactors will
be shown up TO the public they have so long de-
ceived. The public is In no danger from me; but
those who are disting poisons and digging pitfalls
for 1t are in danger, and will remain In danger
long as / live; and, since this Is known, the
danger must be removed at whatever cost OF pub
lie justice or private right. To the public would
say in conclusion they may succeed in crushing me
out, even to the loss OF my life; but let me warn
them and you that from the ashes OF my body
thousand Victorias will spring to avenge my death
by seizing the work laid down by me and carrying
1t forward to victory. Very respectfully
VICTORIA q. W00DHULL.