National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-06-03
MRS. LoCKWooD,S PLEA.
An Eloquent Address in the Woman
Suffrage Convention.

suffrage CONVENTION.
Mrs. Lockwood covered herself with
glory at the recent Boston convention. On thu
second days session she delivered an eloquent ad-
dress, which the Boston papers commend in strong
terms and claim that hers is the leading legal
mind of the bar of the District of Columbia
Mrs. Lockwood commenced with giving Black
| stones, Justinian's, and Hooker's definitions ct
law 1t would seem from these definitions that
there that in the law calculated to attract the
female mind. Law is study which concerns the
vital Interests of the Republic. Hitherto woman
has been repulsed from its portals.
The onward march of liberal ideas is overturn-
ing the old Blackstone idea that the husband and
wife are one and that one the husband There is
growing tendency to make equitable pleading.
Shakespeare created Portia from his learned BRAIN
and women in our day are entering these portals
of logic.
Among the earliest female instructors and pro-
fessors of the law, said Mrs. Lockwood, may be
mentioned Bettesia Gozzadina, who taught law to
thousands of students who came to listen to her
wisdom from every part of Europe; and the lovely
Novella DAndrca, the instructress of Petrarch at
Bologna, from 1928 to 1880. This beautiful woman
lectured on the "Decretals," or DEGREES of the
popes TO large classes Of students Helena Cornaso
about this period took the degree of doctor of laws
One of the professors Of the University of Bologna
was woman, who at the age of twenty three pro-
nounced funeral Grafton in Latin. Hortensia
and Amasia, Acarda Acorso, Isabella Cordana,
Deborah, the Hebrew prophet, and other vivid in
stances of womans power were given by this elo-
quent speaker.
Leaving Illustrations from the Scriptures and
from Roman history, Mrs. Lockwood cited ex-
amples of Toman's work in the law of England.
She related the history of her own entrance to the
legal profession. Appearing before the judge, he
q Mrc T111 npl II
am, Your Honor" she replied. 1.-THE case is con-
tinued for week." said the judge. At the end of
week she appeared again. Mrs. Lockwood
you are married woman" greeted her. al am;
am proud oft, Your Honor" she replied. 1.-THE
case is continued another week, was his response
And so it dragged on, leading, however to victory
at last. Later in her lecture Mrs. Lockwood said:
The vestiges of old influences upon women, al
though they the relics of barbarous age still
around u.s. Aye, even in this staid and learned city
OF Boston. To It we owe the disabilities of women
under the law and her peculiar social status. It de-
yeloped two codes OF rality-immaculateness in
woman, license in man, physical and mental
strength on the side and weakness on the other
1t incites the boy develop the grand possibilities
within him by throwing open the doors of colleges
and the learned professions of legislative halls of the
army and navy. points the girl to the kitchen and
the cradle and attempts srangle her al its birth
every laudable ambition i'll woman. Society presents
lue pIOOfeLu OI Il OuS-Slueu ueNelOpmenI Inc
children born of such unions of a necessity run
the chances of inheriting the weakness of the one
or the strength of the other, and nature. ever
true TO herself, always makes a struggle 10 pre-
serve the equil ibrium by giving the traits of the
father to the daughter and of the mother to
Every now and then gOd-like inspiration, stronger
than the thra that surrounded her. has thrust some
woman above the mass, and has given TO her a con-
trolling influence over the society in which she moves
often changing the fate of nations and of empires
: The London University has opened its doors
to women and Oxford, the ancient stronghold of
academic conservatism, is collecting fund for the
erection OF woman's hall, similar 10 NEWMAN and
Girton at Cambridge while the ratepaying women
are clamoring for the privilege of voting for members
0fparliament. In this new impetus the law
mas its full share of votaries and doubtless long before
he next decade the former will be open TO women
and the narrow policy which has hitherto
hut her out from its honors its profits and emolu.
nents, will be secuted the relic of barbarous age
The address of Mrs. Lockwood was one of the
most logical, strong, and effective ever deliv- |
cred by any woman and the legal profession may
veil be proud of her modern P0Ttia. !