: That the natures of men
and women showed that their spheres were not the same, and woman
was only truly lovely and happy when in her own element. He
wished woman to recognize the feminine element in her being, for
if she understood this, it would guide her in everything. In the
domestic animals even this difference was manifest. Women should
be keepers at home, and mind domestic concerns. The true object
of this Convention is, I fear, not so much to acquire any real or
supposed rights, as to make the speakers and actors conspicuous.
I urge those engaged in this movement to claim nothing masculine
for woman.

Mrs. NICHOLS said: Mr. Brigham's allusion to the animal world is
not a happy one, as no animal has been discovered which
legislated away the rights of the female.

GERRIT SMITH said: He would hand his esteemed friend over to
Lucretia Mott, that he might be slain like Abimelech of old, by
the hand of a woman; as evidently from his estimate of the sex,
that would be the most humiliating death he could suffer. I trust
no gentleman on this platform will consent to play the part of
the armor-bearer in his behalf, and rescue him from his impending
fate.

LUCRETIA MOTT said: It was impossible for one man to have
arbitrary power over another without becoming despotic. She did
not expect man to see how woman is robbed. Slaveholders did not
see that they were oppressors, but slaves did. Gerrit Smith
alluded to one woman that he intends me to personify, whom our
friend would consider far out of her sphere. Yet if he believes
his Bible, he must acknowledge that Deborah, a mother in Israel,
arose by divine command, and led the armies of Israel,--the wife
of Heber the Kenite, who drove the nail into the head of the
Canaanite General, and her praises were chanted in the songs of
Israel. The preaching of women, too, is approved in the Bible.
Paul gives special directions to women how to preach, and he
exhorts them to qualify themselves for this function and not to
pin their faith on the sleeves of the clergy. I would advise Mr.
Bingham not to set up his wisdom against the plain decrees of the
Almighty. As to woman's voice being too weak to be heard as a
public speaker, did Mr. Brigham send a protest to England against
Victoria's proroguing