be
_just_, must have the consent of the governed;" to say woman,
one-half of the whole race, shall, nevertheless, be taxed without
representation and governed without her consent? Who hath made us
a judge betwixt her and her Maker?

It is said woman's mental and moral organization is peculiar,
differing widely from that of man. Perhaps so. She must then have
a peculiar fitness of qualification to judge what will be wise
and just government for her. Let her be free to choose for
herself, in the light of her peculiar organization, to what she
is best adapted. She is better qualified to judge of her proper
sphere than man can be. She knows her own wants and capabilities.
Let us leave her, as God created her, a free agent, accountable
to Him for any violation of the laws of her nature. He has
mingled the sexes in the family relation; they are associated on
terms of equality in some churches. They are active working and
voting members of literary and benevolent societies. They vote as
share-holders in stock companies, and in countries where less is
said about freedom, and equality, and representation, they are
often called to, and fill, with distinguished ability, very
important positions, and often discharge the highest political
trusts known to their laws. Which of England's kings has shown
more executive ability than Elizabeth, or which has been more
conscientious and discreet than Annie and Victoria? Spain, too,
had her Isabella, and France her Maid of Orleans, her Madame
Roland, yes, and her Charlotte Corday. Austria and Hungary their
Maria Theresa. Russia her Catharine; and even the jealous Jewish
Theocracy was judged forty years by a woman. It is too late, by
thirty centuries, to put in the plea of her incompetency in
political affairs.

But it is objected that it would not do for woman, particularly a
married woman, to be allowed to vote. It might bring discord into
the family if she differed from her husband. If this objection
were worth anything at all, it would lie with tenfold greater
force against religious than political organizations. No
animosities are so bitter and implacable as those growing out of
religions disagreements; yet we allow women to choose their
religious creeds, attend their favorite places of worship, and in
some of them take an equal part in the church business, and all
this, though the husband is of another religion, or of no
religion, and no one this side of Turkey claims that the law