BLACKWELL FAMILY
LUCY STONE
notes for speeches and articlesThe common law of England authorizes the 
infliction of chastisement on a wife, with a reasonable 
instrument. There is an anecdote, that Judge Buller 
charging the jury in such a case, said to them: 
"Without undertaking to define exactly what a 
reasonable instrument is, I hold, gentlemen of the jury, 
that a stick no bigger than my thumb comes clearly 
within that description;" A committee of Ladies 
waited on him the next day, to beg that they might 
be favored with the exact dimension of his Lords [hep's?]
[thumb. 
L.S.
(notes for speeches)Stick no thicker than his thumbV Early lecture
notes
undated

Institution are as the people,
"Crime & goodness cannot kiss
each other" "Truth and falsehood
cannot shake hands"

Every thing is to us, just what we
are-

Truth is more than life, devotion to
principle more than material wealth
than any pleasures or all honors.
"As for the hidden strength which can
nerve unto death the inner man."
We want those, "who vile offer growth & beauty
on the wasting shrine
of a storm and lofty duty."
LucyThe man who fears that if woman
[goes out] learns life as it is, uses
her own hands and feet, does her own
thinking.   Gets self-reliance, and is able
to guide the helm of her own destiny, that
then losing the distinctive characteristics of womanhood she will become vile, corrupting, as
corrupted; has no faith in woman, none 
in virtue.  Life was free to him, and he 
yielded when tempted to whatever [w?]
abomination or maketh a lie, and he
judges others by [hisself] his own weak virtue.
  If the clouds could reveal what they 
have looked down upon in his life, if
the winds could tell as what they
know, if the walls of his dwelling
could answer the questions, we
might ask, he should learn why, 
he so easily subjects woman will 
grow vile, if she is free.

The earnest seeker, often truth
will find that light clear as the [?]
will shine around him, and to his 
spirit's ear, a voice - this is the ?, with
ye in it.

Man look back to the old Eden,
and sign for its lost glories, and do not
in that yearning read the fulfillment
of the prophecy of another paradise
in which all that gave to the old, its
value, made richer, by the knowledge, the
wisdom, and the experience of the intervening
ages, can suffer no [possibility of a ] Fall
and where life's highest possibilities, while 
clothed with flesh, may be fully realized.
But men must first learn 
that as to rights, all human beings 
are equal.To strengthen and deepen in woman
the purpose to grow wiser, to grow
bitter - that her life may be ennobled
by grand and glorious uses - that she
may never attempt to content herself
with a [life] of polite nothingness -
or in ceaseless drudgery, or in worship
at the shrine of human folly -
We mean that woman shall study to
know her [true] relations to the race &
to the Universe to make her care to 
question all laws, usages, emotions
which by the [?] prevents her free harmonious
and open minded assessment & not
only to question, but quitly to set all
such hindrances aside - while in obedience
to the [?] command she works out her own

That while she may still rock the cradle
and nestle tenderly in her bosom the babe
of her love - She shall be bound by all that
is sacred in her relations to it, to be able to
lay her hand wisely on - that she shall never
with a natural intellect, a timid heart,
and a weak arm - - - as the [?] in
the query may be brought into forms of
exquisite beauty

We are accused of being discontented
& even disenchanted, and mean to make every
other woman so - the unmarried & married
the rich, and poor. [?]  the high possibility

Roman Law considered the
wife and husband as partners 
- - Moral obligations are 
the same, for men and 
women - all the physical
laws, and everywhere in 
God's Government

God assigns to human beings 
a sphere, according to
their capabilities -

It will corrupt woman to take part
in politics. [?] woman has been
introduced with men, it has been
to refine, witness the Medicine Faculty
at [?] in the case of Blackwell
Miss Dix on the mad prisoner
Central College N. Y. and Oberlin
Ohio

Some suppose that by placing Woman
on an equality with man, socially &c
that her true womanhood will be
sacrificed, her distinctive virtues
lost, and the vices of man assumed
The grand fact of Woman's maternity
cannot be destroyed. It is her [?]
characteristic and he who committed
this [casket?] to her keeping, holds himself
the key, and no equality of rights, and
change of circumstance, can take it
from his hand -

As vice might are from thatto understand the laws by which
the stars hold them high [?] in
heaven, would call them from
this sphere. As well might on
from that, to understand the
nature of soils and law of
vegetable growth, would make
seed time and harvest fail.
A double necessity exists that
woman should know her rights
and duties, from the very fact
that what is distinctive about her
her maternity, cannot be transferred
It depends upon her whether the
future occupants of the world
shall be puny and sickly, or shall
they shall  be healthy and vigorous
whether they shall be weak mentally
and morally, or about it, shall 
be honorable and philanthropic -
For [?] understands the laws
of physiology, and thereby knows
that parents reproduce themselves
in the children If the mother
be weak intellectually and morally
she can make her child no higher
than she is herself
But if there were no beings in the
world for her to influence, & [?]
still, for the sake of her own
[?] nature that must [?]

on, and on when the ages are forgotten
If it was not beneath infinite wisdom
to create the complex mechanism
of her body, to fill it with nerves
so keenly alive to any sensation
to [?] thread it with veins &
arteries for the warm life blood to 
flow to give her heart and lungs
and brain, and when that half of
thousand strings was all perfection
If it was not beneath Infinite
Wisdom to breathe into it the breath
of life and to impart to it a living
soul, eternally allied to his own
it surely cannot be beneath
our care, to secure its highest
[calling and highest development]
for its own sake - add to this the
influence, that through woman
of necessity, most covers the countless
Millions yet to be - and who can
speak the immensity of the importance
of her occupying that position
which will enable her to exact the
most ennobling influence upon
these millions, and [?]
he is guilty so far as his influence
goes of giving to the world a dwarfed
humanity, who restrains woman
from that equality of position, by
which she may secure the fullest
development of her entire being -Woman can't be educated, and
if in rare instances she is, she is
deprived of the enjoyment of its
benefits for she can't give that
acquired knowledge a proper sphere
of operation.
Deprive of healthy exercise
Deprive of personal independence
and inadequate [?].
Helplessness and dependence are
[virtue?].
Is that [?] women are
influencees to crush and degrade.
Nothing left to [?ther] but religion
and matrimony.
It will do to tell of the beauty of the
dependence of women upon their
husbands, father, or brother, while 
their relatives live, but when their
heads are in the grave, it is not
quite so beautiful, after the educa-
tion of such a life, with no self reliance
to come into contact with a world which
has not heart for such helplessness.
I do not wish woman to be [?]  too many
men tolerated in coarseness and immodesty-(Apparently notes made by Lucy Stone for 
a very early lecture- written in pencil on the paper.) 
The earnest seeker after truth will find 
that light clear at the noonday will shine 
around him, and to his spirit's ear, a voice-
"This is the way, walk ye in it."
     Men look back to the old Eden, & sigh 
for it-lost glories, & do not in that yearning 
read the fulfillment of the prophecy of 
another paradise, in which all that gave to 
the old its value, made richer by the 
knowledge, the wisdom, & the experience of 
the intervening ages, can suffer no 
[possibility of] (words crossed out by L.S.) Fall- 

and where life's highest possibilities, which 
clothed with flesh, may be fully realized. 
But men must first learn that as to rights, 
all human beings are equal.
   To strengthen and deepen in women the 
purpose to grow wiser, to grow better - that 
her life may be ennobled by ground and 
glorious uses - that she many never attempt 
to content herself with a life of polite 
nothingness - or in ceaseless drudgery, or 
in worship at the shrine of human folly. 
We mean that women shall study to know 
her true relations to the race & to the Universe 
to make her dare to question old laws, usages, 
customs, which (illegible) prevents her free, harmonious 
& symmetrical development. & not 
only to question, but quietly to set [aside] 
all such hindrances aside, which, in 
obedience to the divine command, she 
works out her own (salvation). 
That, while she may still rock the 
cradle, & nestle tenderly in her bosom.the babe of her love, she shall be bound 
by all that is sacred in her relations to it, 
to be able to lay her hand wisely on - that she 
shall never, with a narrowed intellect, a 
timid heart, and a weak arm -- as the 
marble in the quarry may be wrought into 
forms of exquisite beauty. 
We are accused of being discontented. 
I am discontented, and mean to make 
every other woman so - the unmarried 
& the married, the rich and the poor - to help 
her realize the high possibilities.
     The man who fears that if woman 
learns life as it is, uses her own hands 
& feet, does her own thinking, gets 
self-reliance, & is able to guide the helm 
of her own destiny, that then, losing 
the distinctive characteristics of 
womanhood, she will become vile, 
corrupting, and [as?] corrupted; - has no 
faith in woman, none in virtue. Life 
was free to him, and he yielded, when 


tempted to whatever wortheth abomination 
or maketh a lie, & he judges others 
by his own weak virtue. If the clouds 
could reveal what they have looked 
down upon in his life, if the 
winds could till us what they know, if 
the walls of his dwelling could 
answer the questions we might ask, 
we should learn why he so easily 
suspects woman will grow vile 
if she is free. 
Institutions are as the people. 
"Crime and goodness cannot kiss 
each other" " Truth and falsehood cannot 
shake hands."
   Everything is to us just what we 
are.  
   Truth is more than life. Devotion to 
principle more than material wealth, 
than any pleasures, or all honors.
"Oh! for the hidden strength which can 
Nerve unto death the inner man." Wewant those [who will]
"Who will offer youth and beauty
On the wasting shrine
Of a stern and lofty duty."
Lucy.9
We were told that if women voted
they would do nothing else but
vote all the time. Now who would
get the dinner, mend the stockings,
rock the cradle, care for the
children.
To all the endless objections
offerred, [there were only[?] answers
and then can] can be no successful
argument against the we appeal[?] the self-
evident truth that the consent
of the governed is the basis of a 
just government.
Let but a truth once uttered
and tis like a star new born
which drops into its place, and
which once circling in its [?] round
not all the tumult of the Earth
can shake.
So it has been with the idea of
equal rights for women. Hailed
by mobs, by a hostile pulpit and
a hostile press it has given us a
truth [?] must conquering
and to conquer. Behold all
industries open to women, colleges
would open, and college prizes
in the hands of women see the 
women in 2 territories voting as man
[?] on all questions, [while] with
full Municipal Suffrage in Kansas
and school suffrage in the States
beyond us. Every body saying Oh yes,
women are bound to vote. They will 
get the ballot when they want it.

8
[We plead] The plea was for better
work and wages for wider [?]
of industry for higher education for more just and
equal laws, and for the right to
help make the laws, the right to
vote--It was objected that we
meant to take woman out of their
sphere. To this it was said that
the highest, and noblest, and
best thing any human being
could do was the thing he was made to ought 
to do. It was said that whatever
was fit to be done at all, might
with propriety be done by any body
who could do it well that the
tools[?] belong to who ever can use
[that] them, that the possession of
power presupposed the right
to its use subject only to the law
of benevolence.
To the plea for the ballot we were
told that the ballot and the bullet
went together ,and if women
vote they must fight. To this 
it was said that the woman who gives
birth to the children gathers their rations[?] does
picket duty for them, keep watch and
ward over them till [they are] 21 yrs
[will are] old enough to do military duty
[service] have rendered [more essential
service to] quite as important
a service to the country as do the
men who go to war. Women who spent years to bring them
[brought] up the soldiers were not to
be told that before they could
have the right to vote they must
just go and shoot somebody
Ward 23. 
Republican Ticket 
WITH 
Women Voters' Candidates
For School Committee. 
For Mayor, 
AUGUSTUS P. MARTIN.
For Street Commissioner, 
SAMUEL HICHBORN. 
For Alderman, 11th Aldermanic District, 
NELSON S. WAKEFIELD. 
For School Committee, 
CHARLES C. PERKINS. 
LUCIA M. PEABODY. 
EMILY A. FIFIELD. 
WILLIAM GASTON. 
FRANCIS A. WALKER. 
SAMUEL ELIOT. 
WILLIAM LLOYD GARRISON. 
THOMAS GAFFIELD. 
For Common Council, 
HENRY F. COE. 
CHARLES H. WISE. 
EDWARD P. BUTLER. 

Ward 23. 
Republican Ticket 
WITH 
Women Voters' Candidates
For School Committee. 
For Mayor, 
AUGUSTUS P. MARTIN.
For Street Commissioner, 
SAMUEL HICHBORN. 
For Alderman, 11th Aldermanic District, 
NELSON S. WAKEFIELD. 
For School Committee, 
CHARLES C. PERKINS. 
LUCIA M. PEABODY. 
EMILY A. FIFIELD. 
WILLIAM GASTON. 
FRANCIS A. WALKER. 
SAMUEL ELIOT. 
WILLIAM LLOYD GARRISON. 
THOMAS GAFFIELD. 
For Common Council, 
HENRY F. COE. 
CHARLES H. WISE. 
EDWARD P. BUTLER.[*first part 
missing*]

a neat collar with a tasty pin - like other 
folks - and a dark full head dress gracefully 
setting off a neatly dressed and entire head
of auburn brown hair. 

There was a large curtain that hung behind 
the Lecturer, that was awfully suggestive 
of "Curtain Lectures." But Lucy, depositing 
her bonnet and cloak on the chair, 
turned her face so sweetly upon the audience, 
and began speaking, resting her hands so 
gently on the railing before her, that all fears 
of a lecture after the mode of Xantippe were 
at once laid to rest. 

Lucy, among the speakers of her sex, is 
like Jenny Lind among the singers. Each 
have good hearts, strong sense, a homely but
wholesome beauty, heightened by maternity, 
and each are stars in their profession. Mrs. 
Stone has at times a fine flow of happy hits, 
uttered with a conscious naivette, and many 
eloquent passages that would do credit to any 
public speaker - excepting, we still think, a 
woman. 

Her subject, though announced on her bills 
as "Woman's Rights," was more about 
Right Women. She would have them worthy 
to take their place in all useful spheres - 
and then take it, the power to do well, determining 
the duty. As to man's sphere, he 
might do what he pleased and no one ever 
seemed to think he was out of his sphere. 
After showing how the sphere of woman is a 
matter of Education among any people - the 
Hindoos making it shameful for one to go 
out alone - she passed on to speak of the 
small wages, and the limited number of  employments 
for women. She claimed that 
there was no reason why a Seamstress, a 
Teacher, or a Clerk should not have wages 
equal, whether boys and men, or girls and 
women, provided they did their work as well. 
The oppressions of the sex were here dwelt 
on with a keenness of satire and argument 
that carried conviction to all. There is no
fairness why the Sister should get but $200 
for teaching, and her Brother, who can teach 
no better, get $1,000. The result of this is, 
the sister is compelled to marry to be supported - 
and perhaps marries, not for love, 
but money. It is a marriage that is one of 
hate, and unhappiness. The Education 
proves defective to inform the mother how to 
dress, feed, and train up morally, her children - 
and a frightful amount of dwarfed 
bodies, stinted intellects, and depraved morals, 
are found in the rising race. 

The great proportion of abandoned women 
are made so from not knowing how to get an 
honorable living - and from not having a 
sufficient moral training. 

A very touching and truthful picture was 
drawn of Old Age, with the wrinkles that 
will come in the roundest cheek - the gray 
hairs that will streak the handsomest head 
of hair, - if Age be unattended by the rich 
stores of an Educated mind, it will and 
must prey upon itself, and die in imbecile 
misery. 

She would have women take hold of any 
business they can do well. That of Dentists, 
Doctors, Clerks, Merchants, Lawyers, and 
Ministers, was instanced. Get knowledge - 
if you can't buy, borrow books for this. - 
Get money, too - this was urged with great 
decision, but we fancy that others besides 
ladies would be very glad just now if Lucy 
would show them the way money may be   
made. 

We have extensive notes, but at the present 
have preferred to only sketch the main 
ideas of a highly wrought - and mainly just 
- and eloquent address. The audience gathered 
around to be introduced, and retired 
apparently much in favor of the views of the 
modern Joan of Arc, on her crusade for delivering 
her sex from the oppressions they are 
suffering. She was to speak again on the 
next evening, on the "Legal Disabilities of 
Women."


   
 


 Seamstress - teacher - housekeeper
Speaker Abby Shelly
Worker [?] - Womanly still
red face. Vibrant fist & roaring
voice. can exact picture of his own
appearances in the platform -

Having won the right to speak, she
sought better industries -
workers in iron - [?] sharing.
but there laughs who wins -  Farmers.
Ivory keys: for pious - telegraph
Mercantile life - Tyndale
Eve must
Better Education - Mich University
Oberlin - Education Societies for men.
Grand Rapids Library
Simmons will & Vassar & Sophia Smith
manliness & womanliness. are in the
character - in much as will as words
Harriet Hosner - [?] Durham.
Ministers - Doctors - Lawyers--the
young lady lawyer buried the other day
at St. LouisThe small homeopathic pills and the 
allopathic colomel, a procedure are as
effective good and ill. in the hands
of women as men
2 [each?]of both sexes - but the question is settled 
Then we asked to change the laws
Wife earns / tax - will
Do you think you will keep house
just as well - I dont know but we
have always kept the house. When we had
no right to it. Men we are equal partners.
We shall be likely to be full as careful.
Will you vote, as your husband's
tell you. Do husbands vote as we tell
Do you think you know enough?
But are you afraid we shall
insult you.
Free love - not suffrage


2. Lucy Stone
Passing over the slow centuries
we come t the war of the revolution
This made a great change in
the condition of men. From subject
they became [citizenry] sovreigns.
From being merely law obeying
they became law making
But no change came t both women
Every wife found as her English
mother had done, that she could
not own money, neither, bonds mortgages
that she did not own herself, her children
nor even her clothes - she could not
sue or be sued.
All kinds of work which paid best, 
were possessed by men.
The professions were all occupied
by men.  Three kinds of work for women Seamstress - teacher 
housekeeper.Ever since our first mother ate 
the apples in the garden of 
[ed] Eden, all her daughters have 
been at a disadvantage

The Hebrew women were held lower 
than the Hebrew men - tho' force of
character made itself felt, as in 
in the case of Deborah -
so down to Christ -
Neither Jew nor Greek...

Custom, prejudice, weaker muscles.
still gave man the ascending.

The Mohameden affirmed that
women had no souls, and would
not allow either woman, or dogs,
or other impure animals to 
enter a mosque, nor may
a fool, a mad man, or a woman
to proclaim the hour of prayer -

The Chinese
The Hindoo, pigs or grapes
The same in Heathendom and
Christendom -

From the non application of these
principles, there results this anomaly
in a republic ; that half the adult
tax paying population are totally disfranchised;
- bearing the burdens 
of government, they yet have no
voice in its management; — required
to [pay taxes] obey laws, but never
allowed to make them: — compelled
to pay taxes, but denied the right
to regulate, either the imposition
or use of the tax -

An aristocracy based upon sex
is thus instituted, from which
it results, that they who have assumed
the exclusive right of legislation,
legislate always in favor
of themselves: — so that, woman,
whether as woman, wife, or mother,
nowhere finds justice done her —
As Woman: — She is taxed without representation
As wife: — Her property rights are not
equal to those of her husband — her
very earnings are not her own, andat her death, her husband's rights
in her property is greater than hers 
in his, at his death. 
All this wrong as wife, is crowned 
[by?] the denial to her of her right to 
her own person. 
As Mother, the custody of the child 
of her love even is not hers except 
during the months of its earliest
infancy. 
(Thus woman is always a subject 
and never a citizen.)
Thus the women of this county, bestow 
to the men of this county the same 
relation that the conquered subject 
does to the conqueror.
*[Justly]*
[??] [Memorialists?]
Believing in the truth of the Declaration 
of Independence. We believe it is safe to 
apply them- and not safe, not to apply 
them by [*and ?*]. The states of this great republic
should honor themselves by a [*their*] practical 
recognition. We pray your Honorable
body to take such steps as shall
secure to women the right of sufferage.LS Notes of
principles
1858(Sheet of paper with notes in hand
writing of Lucy Stone)
                Ever since our first mother
ate the apple in the garden of Eden, all
her daughters have been at a disadvantage.
                  The Hebrew women were held lower
than the Hebrew men, tho force of character
made itself felt as in the case of Deborah.
           So down to Christ -
           Neither Jew nor Greek -
       Custom, prejudice, weaker muscles still
gave man the ascendancy.
        The Mohameden(?) affirmed that women
had no souls, and would not allow
either women or dogs or other impure
animals to enter a mosque  Nor may a
fool, a madman or a woman proclaim
the hour of prayer.
             The Chinese -
              The Hindoo, pigs or grapes,
The same in heathendom and Christendom,
Passing over the slow(?) centuries we come
to the War of the Revolution.  This made
a great change in the condition of men.
From subject they became sovereigns; from
being merely law obeying they became law
making.  But no change came to women.
Every wife feared as her English mother
had done, that she could not own money,
notes, bonds, mortgages, - that she did not
own herself, her children, nor even her
clothes.  She could not sue or be sued.
            All kinds of work which paid best,
were possessed by men.  The professions
were all occupied by men.  Three kinds of
work for women.  Seamstress, teacher,
housekeeper,