Goeethe said that if you plant an oak
in a flower-pot, one of two things was sure to happen: either the
oak will be dwarfed, or the flower-pot will break. So we have
planted woman in a flower-pot, hemmed her in by restrictions, and
when we move to enlarge her sphere, society cries out, "Oh!
you'll break the flower-pot!" Well, I say, let it break. Man made
it, and the sooner it goes to pieces the better. Let us see how
broadly the branches will throw themselves, and how beautiful
will be the shape, and how glorious against the moonlit sky, or
glowing sunset, the foliage shall appear.

[Illustration: MARTHA C. WRIGHT (with autograph).]

I say the very first claim, the middle and last claim of all our
Conventions should be the ballot. Everywhere, in each State, we
should claim it; not for any intrinsic value in the ballot, but
because it throws upon woman herself the responsibility of her
position. Man never grew to his stature until he was provoked to
it by the pressure and weight of responsibility; and I take it
woman will grow up the same way.

The first three resolutions on the Presidential election were brought
up for discussion and adopted. Those persons in the audience who
desired to speak were urged to do so.

Mrs. ROSE said: In reference to this last election, though it was
not my good fortune to be here during the time of that great
excitement, being then on the continent of Europe; yet, even at
that great distance, the fire of freedom that was kindled here
spread itself across the Atlantic. The liberal, intelligent, and
reformatory portion of the people of Europe, as well as in
England, have most warmly, most heartily sympathized with us in
the last struggle of freedom against slavery. It is a most
glorious epoch. I will not enter into a political or anti-slavery
lecture, but simply state this fact--the time has come when the
political parties are entirely annihilated. They have ceased to
exist. There is no longer Whig and no longer Democrat--there is
Freedom or Slavery. We have here an equally great purpose to
achieve. This, too, is not woman's rights or man's rights, but it
is human rights. It is based on precisely the same fundamental
truths with the other question. In the last election the general
feeling prevailed that woman ought to take m