erests
of ambitious politicians, and then to be put one side and utterly
ignored when the voice of a free intelligent being is required.

It seems to be full time for women to take soundings of the depth of
the professions, and make calculations of the latitude and longitude
of the party to which alone they have looked for redemption from the
slavery in which they have ever been held, when the chief ones of that
party--now that there is any possibility of attaining that
object--utterly refuse all efforts in that direction, and, worse than
that, give indications of taking positive measures in the opposite
direction. It is important that Congress be flooded with petitions on
this matter--that it be allowed no rest from them; and, in addition to
petitions, a bill is needed excluding women from the basis of
representation so long as they shall be excluded from the
franchise--excluding them from the list of taxable persons and from
those who are by law liable to the death-penalty.

Should such a bill be tabled by Congress; should they refuse all
action on it that would place them in their true light, showing that
they look upon this question the same as the Southern Congress under
Polk, Pierce, and Buchanan looked upon the anti-slavery
movement--very much afraid of having the subject agitated; should they
give it a decided veto, that would place them in their true
light--greatly opposed to universal suffrage, although it is their
policy to sail under that banner, like the pirate who sometimes finds
an advantage in substituting for his own black flag some more
respectable one. Should they pass such a bill it would place them in a
better light than they have ever had the fortune to be in before,
while it would make it for the interest of the States to have this
bill followed up by another, giving women the franchise; and it is
very doubtful whether we will ever obtain it in any other way than
from motives of self-interest on the part of legislators--motives of
pure justice and right occupying a secondary place.

The statutes of the land present a remarkable conglomeration of
inconsistencies and injustice in regard to women, and show the utter
failure of the plan of having one class govern another class without
any consent or participation in the matter on the part of the class so
governed. The law ought not in certain cases to treat women as infants
and wholly irresponsible beings, merely to foster a weak ambition and
love