The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-06-09
Ninth Annual Convention of the National
Woman Suffrage Association.

woman suffrage Association
convened in Masonic Hall, New York, on
Wednesday, May 10th, at 1920 A. NJ, the
President, Mrs. Matilda Joslyn Gage, in
the chair, while on the platform were also
Mrs. Clemence S. LoZier, NJ. D., Miss
Susan B. Anthony, Mrs. Helen NJ. Slo-
cum, Mrs. Sarah Goodyear, Mrs. Helen
NJ. Cooke, Miss Charlotte Gay, and
Mrs. Sarah J. Spencer, of Washington.
On taking the chair, Mrs. Gage said
that during the past hundred years man
had had his share of the advantages of
the Declaration of Independence, but
woman at the outset of the second CEN
tury of the Republic stood just where
she had in 1776, not having the advan-
tages which the Declaration professed to
give. There were, she continued, 20,-
900, 900 women in America who were
unable to say who shall rule them; they
were governed solely by a sex not their
own; they were taxed without represen-
tatiOn, and were tried by those who
were not their peers. In the Revolu-
tiOnary day women looked forward to
the rights of their posterity. Mrs. John
Adams, the woman whose name had
come down through years, wrote to her
husband that she longed to hear that
the men had declared Declaration of
Independence, but hoped that in a new
code of laws the ladies would be remem-
bered, and the injustice of their fore
fathers no longer perpetuated by the
granting of absolute power to the hus-
bands to the subjugation of the wives.
The speaker, in concluding, said that if
Woman Suffrage was not recognized by
one of the great political parties before
July, 1876, its advocates proposed to Gel
ebrate the Fourth of July by issuing to
the world their own Declaration of Inde-
pendence, and added that if the political
powers failed so to recognize their claim,
the coming national celebration would
not be celebration Of the independence
of the whole, but only half, of the Amer
ican people.
Mrs. De Zozier Wood next made
very brilliant address, in which, reply
ing to the argument often advanced,
that if women were to secure the right
of suffrage they would desert their do
mestic relations for politics, she claimed
that woman's political life would be
governed by the same higher law which
governed mans, and which elevates the
capable to positions of responsibility
and crust, while it drives the incompe-
tent back to private Obscurity. At the
conclusion of the address, upon motion
of Miss Susan B. Anthony, a committee
was appointed to superintend the prep
aration of an historical sketch of the
work titus far accomplished by the Ma
tional and State Conventions, the rec
ord, when completed, to be forwarded
to the President of the National Con-
vention at Philadelphia.
The afternoon session was opened by
Sarah J. Spencer, who spoke of the en-
couraging progress of the work of the
Convention at Washington, where ten
hearings were given to the advocates of
Woman Suffrage, three at their own re-
quest, and seven at the invitation of the
committee appointed to consider the sub
ject. She continued with a graphic de-
scription of the effect upon the commit
tee of these addresses and dquestions asked
them, concluding with several amusing
stories illustrating the anomalous posi-
tiOu of woman.
At this stage of the proceedings the
two sisters Smith, of Glastonbury,
Conn, came on the stage, were warmly
welcomed by the audience, and given
seats each side the President.
Miss Charlotte Gay, colored lawyer
of Washington, next addressed the
meeting, speaking of the legal aspects
of the present condition of women. The
following resolutions were then pre-
sented by Mrs. Spencer:
SELF CONVENIENT A NATURAL RIGHT.
WHEREAS, The right of self-govern-
ment inheres in the individual before
governments are founded, constitutions
| framed, or courts created and,
WHEREAS, Governments exist to
protect people in the enjoyment of their
natural rights, and when any govern
ment becomes destructive of this end, it
is the right of the people to resist and
abolish it; and,
WHEREAS, The women of the United
States, for one hundred years, have been
denied the exercise of their natural
right of self-government and self-pro-
lection; therefore,
! ReSOtUed, That it is the natural right
and most sacred duty of the women cit
iZens of these United States to rebel
against the injustice, usurpation, and
tyranny of our present government.
THE MEN OF 1776 AND THE WOMEN Oh
1876.
WHEREAS, The men of 1776 rebelled
against a government which did not
claim to be of the people, but, on the
contrary, upheld the "divine right oI
kings" and,
WHEREAS, The women of this nation
to-day, under a government which
claims to be based upon individual
rights, to be ''of the people, by the peo-
pie, and for the people," in an infinitely
greater degree are suffering all the
wrongs which led to the war of the Rev.
olution; and,
WHEREAS, The oppression is all the
more keenly felt because our masters
instead of dwelling in foreign land
are our husbands, our fathers, our broth,
ers, and our sons; therefore,
ReSoLUed, That the women of this ma
ton, in 1876, have greater cause for dis
content, rebellion, and revolution thar
our fathers of 1776.
ABIGAIL ADAMS IN 1776.
RESOLVED, That with Abigail Adams
iu 1916, we believe that "the passion fol
liberty cannot be strong in the breasts
of those who are accustomed to deprive
their fellow creatures of liberty" that
as Abigail Adams predicted, 1--WE are
: determined to foment a rebellion, anC
will not hold ourselves bound by laws
in which we have no voice or represen
tatiOn.n
OUR GOVERNMENT A MONARCHY.
WHEREAS, A monarchy is govern
ment based upon force, and a republic
isagOvernment based upon consent; and
WHEREAS, Consent is given in re
public by and through the ballot alone