his paper a
position superior in respectability. Having originated the present
system of reporting, and thereby acquired his first reputation, Mr.
Raymond prided himself upon reportorial sharpness, even at the expense
of veracity and common self-respect. That woman so long degraded
should dare to speak of injustice, so long defrauded of her social,
civil, and political rights, should dare to demand some restitution,
was to Mr. Raymond so fit a subject for ridicule that he could not
refrain from making even such women as Lucretia Mott and Ernestine L.
Rose targets for his irony.

_The Empress_, an organ of the Democratic party, was in its debasement
on a par with _The Herald_ and _Times_, though each had different
styles, more or less refined, of doing the same thing. Encouraged by
these three papers, the mob element held high carnival through that
eventful week. Starting in the anti-slavery and temperance meetings,
they assembled at every session in the Woman's Rights Convention.
Gentlemen and ladies alike who attempted to speak were interrupted by
shouts, hisses, stamping, and cheers, rude remarks, and all manner of
noisy demonstrations. The clergy, the press, and the rowdies combined
to make those September days a disgrace to the metropolis, days never
to be forgotten by those who endured the ridicule and persecution.

Although the Mayor with a large police force at his command made no
show even of protecting the right of free speech, the editor of _The
Tribune_ sent forth his grand fulminations against bigotry, hypocrisy,
and vulgarity in every issue of his journal. William Cullen Bryant,
editor of _The Post_, one of the purest men that ever stood at the
head of a daily paper, also spoke out grandly against mob law, and for
the rights of woman. We have made this brief episode on the press,
that our readers may see how characteristic are the comments of each
paper that we give here and there in this chapter.

This Convention, interrupted throughout by the mob, has an unique and
historic value of its own. It was the first overt exhibition of that
public sentiment woman was then combating. The mob represented more
than itself; it evidenced that general masculine opinion of woman,
which condensed into law, forges the chains which enslave her. Owing
to the turmoil we have no fair report of the proceedings; it was
impossible for the representatives of the press to catch what was
said, hence their reports, as well as th