, 1878-07-25
M Z M ORIAL ApDR e s s
ON BEHALF OF THE
LADIES OF WASHIHGTON TERRITORY
Delivered June IS, 1873, before the
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION,
By HRS. Abigail Scott Duniway.
ON BEHALF OF THE

Mr.. PRESIDENT AND GENTLEMEN OF
THE CONVENTION: come before you at
this auSpicious hour. Oh behalf OF a large
body of the unrepresented citizens OF
your embryo commonwealth. and at their
instigation aud invitation, to Ask you in
their name, for reasons which they and
are prepared to give and substantiate, to
so honor your present important public
works, by recognizing their inalienabe
rights and interests, that Washington,
NO q first in war. first in peace, and first in
the hearts of his countrymen,' may also
be the first In the grand galaxy of states to
wheel nlajesticllly into her proper orbit
IN harmony with the declaration of ilide-
pendence the constitution of the United
States. TO which your >ilenced and I'M
represented citizens have ever remained
loyal, despite the legal and political dis
abilities ofwhich they complain.
fam not commissioned at this time by
the sileneed cltizeas, whom | have the
high honort thus to represent, to enter into
4adeail concerning the many petty preiu-
dices that may be, or have been brought
to bear In eXtemlation OF the upwarrint-
able Jurisdiction over item which causes
them "a be
TAXED WITHOUT REPRESENTATION
And governed without consent. The
PROS and CONS OF these questions will be
considered In the CANVASS which will ma
turally follow such action as your petit
tioners are praying you to adopt. But
am commissioned 10 lay before you the
4 declafation of Independence from their
stand point; and | feel assured that my
'sroney ground hearers ARE so few, if
any at all, that no word that shall utter
need fail to take root IN good and honest
minds because OF u scarcity of intellect In
this body; and IL do fail, also realize
that IL is n0t because my constituents have
/ not supplied me with manifold tacts upon
which to base their pea. The declaration
of independence was document born OF
the exigcnces of time that tiled human
souls. 1t was the product OF generations
oI experience, thought, action and pur-
lose, that eliminated at last in this i'm
mortal instrument, which Is destined. so
long IA truth and valor appeal to the h!l-
shan heart, totil every niche in the sa-
cred temple OF liberty. to giId the frames
Ot freedom through all the ages, and to
answer while time shall endure, to the in
ncrnost needs Of every aspirant inalien-
able right of fsell-Ownership and self repre-
sentation. For centuries before the deClara-
tinm OF independence crystalized into
words aud sentences. il had been all un-
consciously gathering materials unto it.
sell. into whose every invisible fibre the
warp and woof OF human experience aud
human need were woven. Generations
were born, grew old and died; kingdoms
rose and fell; empires shook and thrones
tottered, and all the while the
HALLowED PRINCIPLES OF CIVIL. RELI.
GIOuS AND POLITICAL LIBERTY.
Were gathering their forces to feed this
immortal child OF free America. The
prosecutions of Galileo, of the Walden
Scs. Of the IIugenots Of Michel Servetus.
and of The Plritans, were but fuel 10 feed
the flames which at last lighted the the
way across the Atlantic for this yet unborn
bill of rights. Aud when at last its full
time was come and 1t startled the earth
with It's first shrll cry. the whole world
paused and wondered: "All men are ere
nted free and equal; endowed by their
Creator with certain inalienabe rights.
Among these are Iile liberty and the pur-
suit ofhappincss. Monarcls listened and
trembled. 'rhe mighty Moloch OF war
grinned gllastly smiles. and shook his EN-
hattled front in deadly defiance. Nothing
thlmtcC, the new born bill Of rights cried
on: 10 secure these rights governments
are instituted among men, deriving their
JUST POWERS from the CONSENT OF TIE
GOVERNED" For Il little while the poten
tates of curth were dazed with astonish-
ment. They did not know, they lid not
understand, aud they could not appreciate
this young chId's proclamation.
And monarchs grew mad with ambi-
tion. Cannon doomed, sabers CLEANED,
muskcts ratified and swords were sheathcd
in human gore. But still the child cried
on: Whenever any form of government
becomes destructive of these ends IL Is the
right Of the people to alter or abolish it;
and to institute new government, laying
its foundation in such principles, and or
ganizing itself in such forms as shall
imost likely effect their safety and happl-
ness"
Then the fathers of men llearkened to
he cry OF the chih liberty, for oppression