u
have been in providing for those in the hospitals. With
grateful feelings and many thanks and best wishes, I remain,

Very respectfully yours,

JAMES E. YEATMAN,
_President Western Sanitary Commission_.

The submission of a constitutional amendment in Kansas, and the
preparations for a thorough canvass of that State, had its
influence in heightening the enthusiasm and increasing the
agitation in Missouri, as most of the speakers going to Kansas
held meetings at various points. Mrs. Stanton and Miss Anthony
stopped at St. Louis both going and returning, held large
meetings in Library Hall, and had a pleasant reception in the
parlors of the Southern Hotel, where many warm friendships that
have lasted ever since, were formed.

The subject of woman's enfranchisement had doubtless often
occurred to the thoughtful men and women of Missouri, long before
the movement in its behalf assumed anything like a practical
shape. The manifest absurdity and injustice of declaring, as the
constitution of the State did, "that all political power is
vested in, and derived from the people; that all government of
right originates from the people, is founded upon their will
only, and is instituted solely for the good of the whole," and at
the same time, denying to one-half of the people any voice
whatever in framing their government or making their laws, could
not fail to strike the attention of any one who gave the subject
the slightest consideration. But no attempt was made towards an
organization in behalf of woman suffrage until the winter of
1866-7; and the movement then had its origin from the following
circumstance: During the debate in the Senate of the United
States, on the district suffrage bill, December 12, 1866, Senator
Brown, of Missouri, in the course of his remarks said:

I have to say then, sir, here on the floor of the American
Senate, I stand for universal suffrage, and as a matter of
fundamental principle do not recognize the right of society
to limit it on any ground of race, color, or sex. I will go
further, and say that I recognize the right of franchise as
being intrinsically a natural right; and I do not believe