ution was established, as set forth in the preamble, "to
establish justice." Does it establish justice to deprive of all
representation or voice in the Government one-half of its adult
citizens, and compel them to pay taxes to and support a
government in which they have no representation? Is "taxation
without representation" justice established? "To insure domestic
tranquillity." Does it insure domestic tranquillity to give all
the political power to one class of citizens, and deprive another
class of any participation in the government? No. The sure means
of tranquillity is to give "equal political rights to all," that
all may stand "equal before the law."

"To provide for the common defense." We have seen that the only
defense the citizen has against oppression and wrong is by his
voice and vote in the selection of rulers and law makers. Does
it, then, "provide for the common defense," to deny to one half
the adult citizens of the republic that voice and vote?

"To secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our
posterity." As has been already said, there can be no political
liberty to any citizen deprived of a voice in the government.
This is self-evident; it needs no demonstration. Does it, then,
"secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity,"
to deprive one half the citizens of adult age of this right and
privilege?

Tried by the expressed objects for which the Constitution was
established, as declared by the people themselves, this denial to
the women citizens of the country of the right and privilege of
voting is directly in contravention of these objects, and must,
therefore, be contrary to the spirit and letter of the entire
instrument. And according to the rule of construction referred
to, no "contemporaneous construction, however universal it may
be, can be allowed to set aside the expressed objects of the
makers, as declared in the instrument." The construction which we
claim for the 1st section of the XIV. Amendment, is in perfect
accord with those expressed objects; and even if there were
anything in the original text of the Constitution at variance
with the true construction of that section, the amendment must
control. Yet we believe that there is nothing in the original
text at variance with what