hem the woman stood nearer to
heaven than the man. She was in some sense a priest, a law-giver,
and a physician, and she was worthy of the position. Is it
strange that with such foremothers we should love liberty?
Something of this spirit has always marked the race. And now
women ask for the right of suffrage, not because they are abused,
but because they are half of humanity--the other half of man.
They want simply equality, not superiority. She spoke of laws in
the statute-books which do absolute injustice to men, and asked
whether if the men could not legislate better than that for
themselves, it was not a little ridiculous for them to assume to
legislate for themselves and the women too? Mrs. Livermore spoke
of some of the injustice of the law to women. The law is not for
you, gentlemen, who are a law to yourselves, and who care for
your wives so that they forget the injustice of the law. They are
for the poor and down-trodden women, the wives of drunkards and
wife-beaters. Make them what they should be. But the main claim
of women to the ballot is that it is the symbol of equality.
Women can never be made men. There is no danger of woman losing
her womanhood. In fact we do not dream yet what womanhood can be.
Women are now obsequious. Many who want to vote, in awe of
husbands, fathers, sons, the pulpit, the press, ruled by men, do
not say so. They have been taught through all the centuries that
patience is the highest attribute of woman. She spoke of the
division of masculine and feminine attributes. They complement
each other, and together make the perfect whole. The assertion
that women are slaves is nonsense. The great reason for woman
suffrage is that it will aid a higher and grander civilization.

The following letter was read:

BOSTON, 148 Charles Street, October 10, 1874.

H. B. BLACKWELL, Esq.: My dear sir--I am sorry my first
letter never reached you, for I said in that just what I
wanted to express of my own convictions touching suffrage
for women. My opinion will go for very little, but whenever
an opportunity occurs I wish to say just this if nothing
more. It is my firm conviction that all who oppose so just a
cause as woman suffrage know not what they do; and, if they