Women -- Suffrage -- History; Women -- Suffrage -- United States -- History; Women's rights -- History; Women's rights -- United States -- History
The Hon. A. G. Riddle (D. C.) offered a fine testimonial to Francis
Minor and Gen. Benjamin F. Butler, saying: "Mr. Minor was the first to
urge the true and sublime construction of that noble amendment born of
the war. It declares that all persons--not simply males--born or
naturalized in the United States are citizens of the United States and
of the State wherein they reside. Those who are denied or are refused
the right to exercise the privileges and franchises of citizenship are
less than citizens. Those who still declare that women may not vote,
simply write 'falsehood' across that glorious declaration." General
Butler, as a leading member of the House Judiciary Committee, in a
matchless argument had asserted the right of women to vote under the
Fourteenth Amendment,[89] and used all his influence to secure
suffrage for women. Miss Anthony said in part:
The good of this hour is that it brings to the knowledge of the
young the work of the pioneers who have passed away. It seems
remarkable to those standing, as I do, one of a generation almost
ended, that so many of these young people know nothing of the
past; they are apt to think they have sprung up like somebody's
gourd, and that nothing ever was done until they came. So I am
always gratified to hear these reminiscences, that they may know
how others have sown what they are reaping to-day.
One of the earliest advocates of this cause was Sally Holly, the
daughter of Myron Holly, founder of the Liberty Party in the
State of New York, and also founder of Unitarianism in the city
of Rochester. Frederick Douglass will say a few words in regard
to Sally Holly, and of such of the others as he may feel moved to
speak; and I want to say that when, at the very first convention
called and managed by women, Elizabeth Cady Stanton read her
resolution that the elective franchise is the underlying right,
there was but one man to stand with her, and that man was
Frederick Douglass.
Mr. Douglass (D. C.) told of attempting to speak in Buffalo against
slavery in 1843, when every hall was closed to him and he went into an
abandoned storeroom:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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