National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-01-14
DESTINY or THE REPUBLIC.
v;,,,-;. r uoodhrlI,, Lacture,

Victoria C. Woodhulrs Lecture.
twas terrible under foot last night, but for
all that Lincoln hall was we'll filled by ladies
and gentlemen assembled to hear Victoria O.
woodruff on 1.-The Destiny Of the Republic"
As one listens to Mrs. Woodruff no doubt can be
entertained Of q supreme belief on her part OF
the efficacy Of her theories, and that she is sim
eere and honest in their advocacy. To any one
accustomed to the ordinary. modes Of thinking
and acting they appear wholly imprscticable,
especially when presented in piece-meal. She
claims that Justice and right are always practi-
cable, and can be introduced at any time to take
the place Of injustice and wrong. Her mind is
one Of strength and comprehension, and her en-
dursnce is something marvellous. Her appear
anee is unchanged since her last visit, and she
still has that winning personal way which does
so much to disarm foes when in her presence.
THE LECTURE
Mrs Woodruff began her remarks by the we'll
established historic fact that westward the star
Of empire takes its way" She then, in q bold,
tsrse manner, grappled the outlines Of history,
always been from the East westward that 1t was
first heard Of in India and China; that 1t burst
the barriers Of the Himslsyss and spread first
into Assyria, next into Egypt, then through the
Persian empire into Greece and Rome, scattering
its seeds throughout Europe during the Dark
and made q Judgment in America, across which
continent it has now forced its Way-thus COM
pletinR the circuit Of the world.
She next endeay0red to show that there is Q
new race Of people being or to be developed upon
this continent This was evident, she said now,
from the fact that here all nations and races con-
gregate. and gradually, but surely, assimilate.
She holds that each present race Of people now
occupying the world has some distinctive traits
of character, and that there can never be a per-
fected race until all these various traits are
blended and harmoniZed in one race. She claims
that society, as well as the material universe is
subject to the slow processes of revolution, and
hat af ufv n
were as good as they could have been, by virtue
of subsection to this law, which makes great,
She believes and argues that frem the fact that
this process Of the assimilation OF the races is
actually begun in this country, the time is
approaching when some
GREAT PRACTICAL MOVEMENT
will be inaugurated to unite the interests OF all
the people Of the world. She thinks that this
movement is to be the beginning of the time
prOphesied about BY all the great seers and
realization OF the teachings of Christ. She seems
to have fixed faith that the great human family,
lied and in this regard claimed to be a more con-
sistent Christian than those who have no such
faith.
She made q specially strong argument to prove
that this country must furnish perfect form OF
government to the world, which Al! other cOun-
tries Twill either initiate Tor become part Of
eventually. Ithere is any truth In the theory OF
the evolution OF government, it was, she said, i'm
possible to escape this fact.
But, she then asked, Is the present system OF
government such as to warrant any such future
for il? On the contrary is held that it is every
where
MARKED BY THE HAND OF DECAY,
and that in its present form it cannot endure; in
deed that IL is liable to 20 in pieces at any time
Here she reached what she evidently Intended to
be the real pith and point Of her lecture. She
argued that anything in nature that is exclusive
as to either sex cannot exist for any considerable
length OF time, and that government is no excep-
tion to the general law. The joint action OF the
two sexes is requisite, first to produce everything
that is permanent, and next to maintain every
thing that is produced. A mans government for
men would be proper enough but a mans gov
eminent for women is a natural absurdity, and
ought not to endure If IL were possible that 1t
might do so. She claimed that all the troubles
that now beset the nation are q legitimate and
tO-be- anticipated result of the
EXCLUSION OF WOMEN
from Joint participation with men in the gov
eminent. Woman is by nature the constructive,
the legislative element, while man is the eXecu-
tive both being required to constitute the judicial
She then entered into an elaborate argument
to prove that woman under our present Constitu
ton and laws is entitled to participate in the
government, and that she is arbitrarily prevented
from doing so by men by the right Of might,
and not by law. She said that until it became
necessary, in order to exclude women from par
ticiPation in the Government, the term citizen
had always been held to describe person who
was entitled to the suffrage, and she quoted va
rious authorities to sustain her position. Among
them was the following decision of the Supreme
Court Of the United States, delivered by Chief
Justice fancy, in the celebrated bred Scott case
1.-The words people Of the United States and
citizens are synonymous terms, and mean the
same thing. They both describe the political
body, who, according to our republican tnstitu
tions, form the sovereignty, and who hold the
representatives. They are what we Familiarity
call the sovereign people, and every citizen is
one Of this people and constituent member Of
This decision of the Supreme Court, which she
said had never been reversed, together with the
ments to the Constitution, she held, determined
clearly and unmistakably the political status Of
women. She was not satisfied with this, how
ever. She produced authorities to show that 1t
has always been held by the courts that the
elective franchise is
ONE OF THE RIGHTS OF CITIZENSHIP,
and that 1t could not be regulated out of exist
enee, legally and rightfulIy, as It is held to be
done in the case OF women.
She also advanced one new argument that suE.
fage must perforce be an universal right, by
quoting from the amendments to the COnstitu-
ton to show that the Government was created by
the delegation to 1t Of powers that existed pre-
viously in the people; and that all rights that
were not so delegated in express terms remain
vested in the people. A Government thus exist
ing not rise higher than Its source; 1t cannot
destroy q right which II did not create and It
never I. created the right Of Suffrage, for t was
people, independent Of all established govern
ment. A government could never have rightful
beginning or legal existence anywhere If the
right of suffrage did not exist in the people be-
fore the government was created.
Her animadVersiOns upon men for denying the
suffrage to women simply because they are
women-a thing which they would not dare to do
to an equal number Of their own seX-Was any,
thing but complimentary TO their prolessed gal
lantry and respect for women and from her stand
point they seemed Just. She said that whatever
men might attempt TO do to remedy the evils that
are now pressing, they would only succeed in
getting deeper and deeper In trouble. They must
hrst determine to be just, and this they could
not be so long as they illegally and unconstitu-
tionally deny the right of universal suffrage and
by so doing degrade women politically 70 the
level Of serfs.
She said If the Government would save the
country from going into revolution it should re-
move disfranchisement from women to commence
with; then It should provide methods to give en-
ployment to all needy persons who cannot other
wise obtain it; it should abolish the national
banks, and replace their circulation by green
backs; pay the national bonded debt in green
backs, and save the two hundred million dollars
per year now paid as interest, and finally estab-
lish system tor loaning greenbacks to the peo-
pie on ample security without interest. She also
vent the eXtOrtiOnRte charges for transporting
merchandise and products, or else to provide for
doing it in behalf Of the people, as 1t now does
the post office business; and that all the special
Ver iron, coal OIL salt etc., belong to the people
as q whole and that they ought to be worked for
the benefit Of the people instead Of now by in.
Gividuals for their own benefit.
She concluded her address by appealing to the
Government 10 consider these vital things as the
only method by which the right may be gained
for the whole people without violence blOOdshed
C0RC0RAN ART GALLERY.
Report for the Year Ending December 81,
1874