Elizabeth Cady Stanton   (stamped) SPEECHES & WRITINGS FILE

Speech: Address on National Protection for National Citizens before the Committee of the Senate on Privileges and Elections, Jan. 11, 1878

.1.                                  Address
          On National protection, for national citizens
                                        by
                        Elizabeth Cady Stanton
                Before the committee of the Senate
                                        on
                          Privileges & Elections

In behalf of the Womans National suffrage association
                             Jun 11th 1878.
                       Members of the Committee
                                       were.                                Dem
Wadleigh  N.H.              McMillan Minn       Saulsbury Del
Mitchell   Oregon             Hoar    Mass       Merriman  N.C
Cameron  Wis                 Ingalls   Kan          Wallace    Pa
154

156                          .2.
In appearing before you gentlemen, to ask
for a 16th amendment, to the United States
Constitution, permit me to say, that with
the Hon. Charles Sumner, we believe that 
our Constitution fairly interpreted, already
secures to the humblest individual all the
rights, privileges, & immunities of american
citizens. But as statesmen differ in their
interpretations of Constitutional law, as

157                 .3.
widely as they differ in their organizations,
the rights of every class of citizens, must be
clearly defined in concise, unmistakable
language.  All the great principles
of liberty declared by the Fathers, gave
no protection to the black men of the
republic for a century, & when with 
higher light & knowledge, his emancipation
& enfranchisement were proclaimed, it was

158                            .4.
said, that the great truths set forth
in the prolonged debates, of thirty years,
on the individual rights of the black man,
culminating in the 14th & 15th amendments to
the Constitution, had no significance
for woman. Hence we [now] ask, that
this anomalous class of beings, not recognized
by the supreme powers as either "persons" 
or "citizens" may now be defined, &

159                  .5.
their rights declared in the constitution.
In the adjustment of the question of suffrage, 
now before the people of this country for
settlement, it is of the highest importance,
that the organic law of the land should
be so framed, & construed as to work
injustice to none, but secure as far as
possible, perfect political equality among
all classes of citizens.

160                        6
The states have the right to regulate
but not to prohibit the elective
franchise to citizens of the United States.
Thus the states may determine the
qualifications of electors. They may 
surmise the elector to be of a certain
age, to have had a fixed residence,
to be of a sane mind, & unconvicted

161                      7
of crime, because these are qualifications
or conditions that all citizens sooner
or later may attain; but to go beyond
this & say to one half the citizens of the
state, notwithstanding you possess all 
these qualifications, you shall never
vote is of the very essence of despotism.
It is a bill of attainder of the most

The tenth annual convention of the 
National Woman Suffrage Association 
met in Washington, D.C. 
January 1875 
(see History of Woman Suffrage Vol. III p. 70 et.seq)
A few manuscript pages followed by the full 
printed pages of this important speech by 
Mrs. Stanton. Senator Sargent had on Jan. 10 presented 
a joint resolution in the U.S. Senate

proposing a XVI Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, 
"Article 16, sec. 1. - the right of citizens of the United 
States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by 
the United States or by any State on account of 
sex."  This was the focus of the final 
[focus of the] suffrage, amendment No. 
XIX ratified in 1921.

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