nfederation; third, the
Constitution; then the ten Conciliatory Amendments, quickly followed by
an eleventh and twelfth, each one of these designed to more fully secure
liberty to the people, and making fifteen successive steps in the short
period of twenty-eight years.

At the time of framing this government women existed as well as men,
women are part of the people; the people created the government. Now,
when speaking to you to-night, I am speaking to the people of this part
of Ontario County, I am not speaking to men alone, I am not speaking to
women alone, but to you all as people. When people frame a government
the rights not delegated by them to the government, are retained by
them, as is declared by the tenth amendment. Now where do men get their
constitutional right to govern women? Women have either delegated their
right of self-government to certain delegates, by them to be elected
according to all the forms of this government, or they have not so
delegated their rights of self-government, but have retained them. In
either case, according to the genius of our government, what is there to
prevent them from exercising these rights any moment they choose, unless
it is force? What prevents them unless it is unjust illegal power? The
ninth amendment declares that the enumeration of certain rights, shall
not be construed to deny, or disparage others retained by the people.
Remember what are the foundation principles of just government,
principles fully acted upon by the old revolutionists; remember that no
government of whatever kind or character can possibly _create_ the right
of self-government, but only _recognize_ rights as existent; remember
the non-use of a right does not destroy that right.

I have a natural right to as much fresh air as I can breathe; if you
shut me in a close room with door and windows barred, that does not
invalidate my right to breathe pure, fresh air. I have a natural right
to obey the dictates of my own conscience, and to worship God as I
choose. If you are physically stronger than I am, or if you are legally
stronger than I am and use your strength to prevent the exercise of
these natural rights, you by no means destroy them. Though I do not use
these rights, I still possess them. The framers of this government, the
men and the women who voted at that early day had never until then,
exercised their natural rights of self-government; when they chose, they
took them up.

But people t