ms to me essential that woman should be proffered
such a range of employments, with such adequate recompense, as to
enable her at all times to support herself in honored and
virtuous independence, so that marriage shall be accepted by her
at the dictates of love, and not of hunger. Much might be urged
on this point, but I choose simply to commend it to the
consideration of others.

4. As to woman's voting or holding office, I defer implicitly to
herself. If the women of this or any other country believe their
rights would be better secured and their happiness promoted by
the assumption on their part of the political franchises and
responsibilities of men, I, a Republican in principle from
conviction, shall certainly interpose no objection. I perceive
what seem to be serious practical difficulties in the way of
realizing such assumption; but these are difficulties, not for
me, but for them. I deem it unjust that men should be so
constantly and unqualifiedly impeached as denying rights to woman
which the great majority of women seem quite as reluctant to
claim as men are to concede. I apprehend that whenever women
shall generally and earnestly desire an equality of political
franchises with men, they will meet with little impediment from
the latter.

5. I can not share at all in the apprehensions of those who are
alarmed at the Woman's Rights agitation, lest it should result in
the unsexing of woman, or her general deflection from her proper
sphere. On the contrary, I feel sure that the freest inquiry and
discussion will only result in a clearer and truer appreciation
of woman's proper position, and a more general and rigid
adherence thereto. "Let there be light!" for this is an
indispensable condition of all true and healthy growth. Let all
convictions find free utterance--all grievances be stated and
considered. In the range of my observation, I have found those
women who were conscious of defects in the present legal and
social position of their sex among the most zealous, faithful,
and efficient in the discharge of their household and parental
duties. I feel confident that a general discussion of the subject
of Woman's Rights will result in a more general recognition and
cheerful performance of woman's appropriate duties.