the money she earns by her own labor, and give her the
right of suffrage; for she knows as much as the freedman. Bring
in these elements, and you will achieve a success. But I will
stand firmly and determinedly against the oppression that puts
the newly emancipated colored woman of South Carolina under
subjection to her husband required by the marriage laws of South
Carolina. I demand equality on behalf of the freedwoman as well
as the freedman."

I might follow Mrs. Gage further; I might detain the Senate here
hour after hour reading extracts from the various speeches and
essays which have been delivered and made upon this subject
within the last few years, and I may again make the challenge
which I made yesterday. Let us have a reason why these are not
potent to influence our action. Let us be told wherein the object
of this argument is defective. Let us be shown why it is, if
these things are rights, natural or conventional, that those who
have interests are not to participate in them.

I listened to the eloquent and ingenious remarks of my honorable
friend from Maine [Mr. Morrill]--old, time-worn, belonging to the
region of paleontology, far behind the carboniferous era. I would
not undertake to go back there and answer them. All I can do with
them is to refer them to the next meeting of the Equal Rights
Society, which more than likely will meet in Albany or Boston the
next time. There they will be attended to, and there they will be
answered in such satisfactory phrase, I have no doubt, as would
pale any poor effort of mine in the attempt. I have also listened
to my honorable friend from Oregon [Mr. Williams], and still
there are the same ancient foot-prints, the same old arguments,
the same things that satisfied men thousands of years ago, and
which never did satisfy any woman that I know of, the same
traveling continually of the tracks of the lion into the cave
along with his victim, and _nulla retrorsum vestigia_, not a step
ever came back. But let me say to my friends that Mrs. Elizabeth
Cady Stanton, Mrs. Frances D. Gage, Miss Susan B. Anthony, are
upon your heels. They have their banner flung out to the winds;
they are after you; and their cry is for justice, and you can not
deny it. To deny is to deny the perpetuity of your race.