National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-02-23
Mrs. STATIONS LETTER.
The Veteran sufi'ragist Greets ana En-
courages Her CoInborers,

cOurages Her CoIabOrers.
The following is the letter read at the
close Of the recent convention in the Church
of Our Father:
To THE NATIoNAG. WoMAN SUFFRAGE
ASSOCIATION IN CONVENTION ASSEMBLED -
Dcdr Friends: My convictions from year TO
year have been growing stronger that be-
fore we can secure woman's emancipation
from the slavery and superstitions Of the
past we have an important work to do I'm
the church. Hence would suggest in "Our
plan Of work. for the coming year, that we
now begin the same vigorous agitation in
the church that We have kept up in the
state for The last forty years, as the canon
law,with all the subtle Influences that grow
out of 1t, Is more responsible for woman's
slavery to-day than the civil code. With
the progressive legislation Of the last half
century we have an interest in tracing
the lessons taught women in the churches to
their true origin, and a right to
demand Of our theologlans the same full
and free discussion in the church that we
have had In the state, as the time has fully
come for the woman to be heard In the
ecclesiastical councils of the nation. To
this end j suggest that committees and
delegates from all our state and national
associations visit the clergy in their
several localities and attend their
semblies to press on their CON
sideration the true position of woman as q
factor IN Christian civilization. Woman
to-day, as ever, supplies the enthusiasm
that srstains the church, and she has a right
in turn to ask the church to sustain her In
this struggle for liberty, and not only as
individuals, but as influential organizations,
to take some decided action with reference
to this momentous and far reaching move
| ment.
1t matters little that here and there
some clergyman advocates our cause,
ON our platform, so long rs no sec
tartan organization has yet recognized
our demand as n principle Of Justice, and
| the debate Is rarely opened in their coun-
| ellis, being generally treated as a specula-
| tive, sentimental question unworthy serious
| consideration. Neither would 1t suffice IL
| they gave In their adhesion to the demand
| fer political equality, so long as by script
| ural teaching sthey perpetuate our social
and religious subordination.
| The state has never granted us respectful
| hearings, before congressional committees
and legislative assemblies, and IL is now
| full time for the church to follow her eX-
ample; lawyers and judges have listened to
| our arguments, while the civil code has
been essentially modified, and some Of the
| worst features of the old common law
| abolished.
Leading statesmen have taken part in the
| debates ON the constitutional rights Of
women, and recognized our claims as cit
liens of q republic. Scientists in a rigid
analysis of sex have proved by innumera-
| BILE facts that the primal form of all life is
feminine, exploding the fable that man
was first IN the creation.
And now the time has come for the
ologians to give expression to some well
digested ideas on this question and substi-
| II N m N a ha nft
used in our pulpits. In view of the intelli-
gence, morality, and liberal education of
the women of this period, all these texts of
Scripture and parallels referring to her rs
"the author of SIM as 'an INFERIOR and a
"subiect,n "weaker vessel should no
longer be read in our churches, as they
humillate and destroy the respect that Is her
due from the rising generation. All these
old ideas should be relocated to the ancient
mythologies as mere allegories, having no
application whatever to the womanhood of
this generation.
Everything points to purer and more ra.
tional religion In the future, in which
woman, as mother Of the race, will be rec
ogniZed as an equal In both the church and
the state. Archdeacon Farrar, in an article
in the January number Of the North Imri-
Cdn ReriGlU, says: "The three elements which
are essential to the teaching of q strong
living church are tolerance, freedom and
progress" lie gives in this article sugges.
lions on various popular questions, in which
he says 1t is the duty of the church to make
Its voice heard. To his list / add "iustce,
equality, and liberty for woman"-a more
important question than any to which hC
refers, as 1t involves not only the sacred
rights Of one-half the race, hut the most
vital interests of all humanity.E sour system
of theology is based on woman's degrade
ton, and as long as herreligious sentiments
80 Ia, I,ar, ,I,Hs1 al
to false crecds and doctrines, with the pro
mise of salvation, she will readily sacrifcC
freedom in this life to save her soul in the
life hereafter. No opinions are so obsti
nately adhered to, no feelings so sedulously
cherished as those based on religious super
| stitions.
1t is not civil or political power that hold:
| the Mormon woman in polygamy, the Turk
ish woman in the harem, the liindoo woman
on the funeral pyre Of her husband, nor the
| American woman as subordinate every
where. The central falsehood from which
all these different forms of slavery spring Is
the doctrine of original sin and woman az
a medium for the Vaccinations Of Satan, Its
author, On this idea other demoralizinp
superstltions are based, all having a com
mon origin in the ancient eastern mytholo
gies.
TO change the position of woman In dog
matte theology, where she Is represented as
the central figure In Paradise lost and re
gained, the medium alike for rebellion and
redemption, Is to revolutioniZe the system
hence all those who believe in progress
within the church should hail the present
movement for woman's emancipation, as
that brings us to the next onward step Ii
the new religion.
ELIzABETH CADY STANTON.
TENAFLY, n. j., Feb. 10.