The Life and Work of Susan B. Anthony (Volume 1 of 2): Including Public Addresses, Her Own Letters and Many From Her Contemporaries During Fifty YearsHarper, Ida Husted
History
The Life and Work of Susan B. Anthony (Volume 1 of 2): Including Public Addresses, Her Own Letters and Many From Her Contemporaries During Fifty Years
Harper, Ida Husted
Anthony, Susan B. (Susan Brownell), 1820-1906
A short time thereafter Miss Anthony, Mrs. Stanton, Mr. Phillips and
Mr. Tilton were in the Standard office discussing the work. Mr.
Phillips argued that the time was ripe for striking the word "white"
out of the New York constitution, at its coming convention, but not for
striking out "male." Mr. Tilton supported him, in direct contradiction
to all he had so warmly advocated only a few weeks before, and said
what the women should do was to canvass the State with speeches and
petitions for the enfranchisement of the negro, leaving that of the
women to come afterward, presumably twenty years later, when there
would be another revision of the constitution. Mrs. Stanton, entirely
overcome by the eloquence of these two gifted men, acquiesced in all
they said; but Miss Anthony, who never could be swerved from her
standard by any sophistry or blandishments, was highly indignant and
declared that she would sooner cut off her right hand than ask the
ballot for the black man and not for woman. After Phillips had left,
she overheard Tilton say to Mrs. Stanton, "What does ail Susan? She
acts like one possessed." Mrs. Stanton replied, "I can not imagine; I
never before saw her so unreasonable and absolutely rude."
She was obliged to leave immediately to keep an engagement, but as soon
as she was at liberty went straight to Mrs. Stanton's home, and found
her walking up and down the long parlors, wringing her hands. She threw
her arms around Miss Anthony, exclaiming: "I never was so glad to see
you. Do tell me what is the matter with me? I feel as if I had been
scourged from the crown of my head to the soles of my feet!" They sat
down together and went over the whole conversation, and she then saw
and felt most keenly the insult and degradation concealed in the
proposition of the two men, and agreed with Miss Anthony that she would
sacrifice her life before she would accept it.
This incident illustrates one marked difference in these two women,
each so strong in her own characteristics. Mrs. Stanton in the presence
of brilliant intellect and elegant culture at times would seem to be
entirely psychologized, even though the arguments used were in direct
conflict with her own instincts and judgment. On the contrary, no
eloquence, no persuasiveness of manner, no magnetic power could induce
Miss Anthony for one moment to abandon her convictions of truth and
justice. Mrs. Stanton's disposition was one of extreme suavity which
loved to please, while Miss Anthony's nature was rugged, unflinching
and stern in upholding the right without regard to expediency.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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