ion."

These principles are:

_First_--The natural rights of each individual.

_Second_--The exact equality of these rights.

_Third_--That rights not delegated are retained by the
individual.

_Fourth_--That no person shall exercise the rights of others
without delegated authority.

_Fifth_--That non-use of rights does not destroy them.

Rights did not come new-born into the world with the revolution.
Our fathers were men of middle age before they understood their
own rights, but when they did they compelled the recognition of
the world, and now the nations of the earth are this year invited
to join you in the celebration of these principles of free
government.

We have special reasons for asking you to secure suffrage to the
women of the District of Columbia. Woman Suffrage has been tried
in Wyoming, and ample testimony of its beneficial results has
been furnished, but it is a far distant territory, and those not
especially interested will not examine the evidence. It has been
tried in Utah, but with great opposition on account of the
peculiar religious belief and customs of the people. But the
District of Columbia is directly under the eye of congress. It is
the capital of the nation, and three-fifths of the property of
the District belongs to the United States. The people of the
whole country would therefore be interested in observing the
practical workings of this system on national soil. With 7,316
more women than men in this District, we call your special
attention to the inconsistency and injustice of granting suffrage
to a minority and withholding it from a majority, as you have
done in the past. If the District is your special ward, then
women, being in the majority here, have peculiar claims upon you
for a consideration of their rights. The freedom of this country
is only half won. The women of to-day have less freedom than our
fathers of the revolution, for they were permitted local
self-government, while women have no share in local, State, or
general government.

Our memorial calls your attention to the Pembina debate in 1874,
when senators from eighteen States recognized the right of
self-government as inhering in women. One senator said: "I
believe women never will enjoy equality with men in taki