Woman and the Republic: A Survey of the Woman-Suffrage Movement in the United States and a Discussion of the Claims and Arguments of Its Foremost AdvocatesJohnson, Helen Kendrick
History
Woman and the Republic: A Survey of the Woman-Suffrage Movement in the United States and a Discussion of the Claims and Arguments of Its Foremost Advocates
Johnson, Helen Kendrick
Women -- Legal status, laws, etc. -- United States; Women -- Suffrage -- United States
These quarrels, stirred up through the unseemly conduct of men and women,
as we have seen, they were willing to precipitate upon a convention in a
foreign land, a convention, too, which had declared its desire not to
receive them as delegates. Upon the calling of the roll, the meeting was
thrown into excitement and confusion on a subject foreign to that which
brought them together. Wendell Phillips eloquently pleaded for the
admission of the women. The English officers, while showing their personal
courtesy, begged to remind them that the Queen, and many ladies in various
stations, were represented by male delegates, and that to admit the
American ladies would be to cast a slight upon their own active members,
many of whom were present. During the heated discussion Mr. James Fuller
said: "One friend has stated that this question should have been settled
on the other side of the Atlantic. Why, it _was_ so settled, and in favor
of the women." Mr. James G. Birney answered: "The right of the women to
sit and act in all respects as men in our Anti-slavery associations was so
decided in the Society in May, 1839, but not by a large majority, which
majority was swelled by the votes of the women themselves. I have just
received a letter from a gentleman in New York (Lewis Tappan)
communicating the fact that the persistence of the friends of promiscuous
female representation in pressing that practice on the American Anti-
Slavery society, at its annual meeting on the 12th of last month, had
caused such disagreement that he, and others who viewed the subject as he
did, were deliberating the question of seceding from the old
organization."
Lewis Tappan, a founder of the American Missionary Society, was intimately
connected with his brother Arthur in all anti-slavery work. Arthur was a
founder of the American Tract Society, and of Oberlin College, and a
benefactor of Lane Seminary. He established "The Emancipator," and was
president of the American Anti-Slavery Society until compelled, with his
brother Lewis, to withdraw on account of the conduct of the no-government
men and women, and take nearly all the Society with him.
When the vote was taken in the London meeting the women were excluded on
the ground that "it being contrary to English usage, it would subject them
to ridicule and prejudice their cause."
George Thompson then said: "I hope, as this question is now decided, that
Mr. Phillips will give us the assurance that we shall proceed with one
heart and one mind." Mr. Phillips replied, "I have no doubt of it. There
is no unpleasant feeling on our part. All we asked was an expression of
opinion; we shall now act with the utmost cordiality."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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