This was one of the first States to form a Woman Suffrage
Society[325] for thoroughly organized action, with a president,
secretary, treasurer, and constitution and by-laws. From October,
1851, this association held annual meetings, sent petitions and
appeals to the legislature, and had frequent hearings at the
capitol, diligently pressing the question of political equality for
woman for ten consecutive years. Then, although the society did not
disband, we find no record of meetings or aggressive action until
1869, for here, as elsewhere, all other interests were forgotten in
the intense excitement of a civil war. But no sooner were the
battles fought, victory achieved, and the army disbanded, than
woman's protests against her wrongs were heard throughout the
Northern States; and in Indiana the same Amanda M. Way who took the
initiative step in 1851 for the first woman's convention, summoned
her coaedjutors once more to action in 1869[326], and with the same
platform and officers renewed the work with added determination for
a final victory.

For this interesting chapter we are indebted to Mrs. May Wright
Sewall, who has patiently gathered and arranged this material, and
laid it, as a free gift, at our feet. Those who have ever attempted
to unearth the most trivial incidents of history, will appreciate
the difficulties she must have encountered in this work, as well as
in condensing all she desired to say within the very limited space
allowed to this chapter. Mrs. Sewall writes:

The first convention after the war, June 8, 9, 1869, was held in
Masonic Hall, and continued two days. The Indianapolis _Journal_
devoted several columns daily to the proceedings, closing with
the following complimentary editorial:

As a deliberative assembly it compared favorably with the
best that have ever been conducted by our own sex. To say
that there was as much order, propriety and dignity as
usually characterizes male conventions of a political
character is but to put the matter in a very mild shape.
Whatever was said, was said with earnestness and for a
purpose, and while several times the debate was considerably
spiced, the ladies never fell below their brothers in sound
sense. We have yet to see any sensible man who attended the
convention whose esteem for woman has been lowered, while
very many h