Elizabeth Cady Stanton SPEECHES & WRITINGS FILE Welcome Address International Council of Women Washington. D.C., Mar. 25 - April 1, 1888 Address of Welcome to the International Council of Women by Elizabeth Cady Stanton 1888. Manuscript of Address delivered in Washington, D.C. when welcoming delegates to the first International Council of Women March 25 - April 1 1888. [*pp. 58- Words 3828*] 40th Anniversary Address of Welcome by Elizabeth Cady Stanton We are assembled here to day, to celebrate the fortieth Anniversary, of the first organized demand ever made by women, for the right of suffrage, The iniative steps were taken in my native state. In 1848, two conventions were held in Central New York, the same year of the married women's property bill passed the Legislature, Other conventions were soon 2 called in Ohio, Indiana, with Massachusetts, & Pennsylvania. & these [younger] other states, one after another, [as they came into the union,] adopted New York's advance legislation. Thus started the greatest movement for human liberty recorded on the page of history, a demand for freedom, to one half the entire race, & the keynote struck in this country in '48, has been echoed round the world. [And] To day we celebrate our 40th Anniversary 3 in person or by letter we have representatives from nearly every state in the union, from Great Britain France, Finland, Italy Sweden India [Russia], Denmark & Norway. It has been our custom, to mark the passing years, by holding meetings of the members of the suffrage [associations] societies, on each decade, but for this we decided a broader recognition, of all the reform associations, that have been the natural outgrowth of the [Antislavery] 4 [&] suffrage agitation[s] in the old world, as well as the new. Four years ago at a reception in Liverpool given to Miss Anthony & myself the question of an International Convention was discussed, & so favorably received, that Committees of Correspondence were appointed, to ascertain what the general feeling might be. While the response [from] from different countries was encouraging the general feeling 5 seemed to point to America as the country to make the first experiment. Accordingly the National Suffrage association assumed the responsibility of calling this International Council. Those only who have been behind the scenes can estimate the herculean undertaking which the correspondence has involved. Though we cannot all share in the honor of the toil that 6 has made this grand gathering possible, we can share in the joy of welcoming to our shores the noble women from foreign lands We can benefit too in the broader interests, & more liberal opinions, that associations with the people of other countries, must necessarily bring to us. 7 6-a [Address of Welcome] "The world is my country & all mankind my countrymen", is a motto, that cannot be echoed & reechoed round the globe too often, to keep our sympathies alive, to the weak & the woe of the human race In welcoming representatives from other lands here to day, we do not feel that you are strangers & foreigners, for the women of all nationalities, in the artificial 8 6-b distinctions of sex: have a universal sense of injustice that forms a common bond of union between them. Whether our feet are compressed in iron shoes, our faces hidden with veils & masks, whether yoked with cows to draw the plough through its furrows, or chained with idiots, lunatics, & criminals in the laws, & constitutions of the state, the principle is the same, for the humiliations of spirit 9 6-c are as real, as the visible badges of servitude. A difference in government religion laws & social customs makes lent little [difference] change in the relative status of woman, to the self constituted governing classes, so long as subordination in all nations, is the rule of her being. Through suffering we have learned the open sesame to the hearts of each other. There is a language of universal significance, more subtle than 10 6-d 4W that used in the busy marts of trade, that should be called the mother tongue, by which with a sigh or a tear, a gesture or glance of the eye, we know the experiences of each other, in the varied forms of slavery. With the spirit forever in bondage, it is the same whether housed in golden cages, with every want supplied, or wandering in the dreary deserts of life friendless & forsaken. Now that our 11 6-e globe is girdled with railroads steam ships & electric wires every pulsation of your hearts is known to us. Long ago, we heard the deep yearnings of your souls for freedom, response to our own, Mary Wolstencrafy, Madame de Stael,Roland,George Land, Frederica Bremer, Elizabeth Barrett Browning & George Elliott have pictured alike the wrongs of woman in poetry & prose, 12 6-f Though divided by vast mountain ranges, boundless oceans & plains yet the psalms of our lives, have been in the same strain, too long [often], alas! in the minor key, for hope deferred, has made the bravest hearts sometimes despairing. But the same great oversoul has been our hope & inspiration. The steps of progress already achieved in many countries should encourage us to tune our harps 13 7 5W anew to songs of victory. It is with great satisfaction we also welcome here to day representatives of our own country women from thirty different associations of moral & philanthropic reforms. Although all these are the natural outgrowths of the demands made, & the basic principles laid down by those who first claimed equal civil & political rights for women, yet this is the first time we have met on the same platform 14 7-a to advocate the same measures in carrying on the varied reforms in which we are mutually interested I think most of us have come to feel that a voice in the laws is indispensable to achieve success; that these great moral struggles for higher education, temperance peace, the rights of labor religious freedom, International arbitration are all questions to be finally adjusted by the action of government & without a direct voice in 15 7-b legislation woman's influence will be eventually lost. Experience has fully proved that sympathy as a civil agent is vague & powerless, until caught & chained in logical prepositions & coined into law. When every prayer & tear represents a ballot, the mothers of the race will no longer weep in vain over the miseries of their children [in vain]. The active interest women are taking in all the great questions of the day is in 16 7-c shiny contrast with the apathy & indifference in which we formed them half a century ago, & the contrast in their condition between now & then is equally marked. Those who inaugurated the movement for women's enfranchisement, who for long years endured the merciless storm of ridicule & persecution, mourned over by friends, ostracized in social life, scandalized by enemies, denounced by 17 7-d the pulit, scarified & caricatured by the press, may well congratulate themselves on the marked change in public sentiment, that this magnificent gathering of educated women from both hemispheres so triumphantly illustrates 18 7-[f] E [*6 W*] [the necessary opportunities for their best development] In the great national & state conventions, for education temperance, & religion, even thirty years ago womans voice was never heard. The battles fought by the pioneers in the suffrage movement to secure a foothold for woman on those platforms have been eloquently described many times by Susan B. Anthony, Lucy Stone, Antoinette Brown & I hope during this Council they will be rehearsed once more, for the benefit of those 19 7-[G]F who while holding the vantage ground they secured, are afraid of the principles by which it was gained. The protracted struggle though which we have passed, & our labors not yet crowned with victory seems to me in review like a painful dream in which one strives to run & yet stands still incapable alike of escaping or meeting the impending danger. The civil & political position of woman, when I first understood its real significance, was enough 20 to destroy all [hope] faith in my vitality. Half [anew, to songs of victory] of republican principles, a century ago, the women of America were bond slaves, under the old common law of England. Their rights of person & property, were under the absolute control of father, & husbands. They were shut out of the schools & colleges, the trades & professions, & all offices under government, paid the most meagre wages in the ordinary industies of life, & denied [& denied] everywhere 21 7-I the necessary opportunities for their best development, Worse still women had no proper appreciation of themselves as factors in civilization. Believing self denial a higher virtue than self developement they ignorantly made ladders of themselves by which fathers husbands brothers & sons reached their highest ambitions, [making] creating an impassable gulph between them, & there they lived that no magnetic chiords of affection or gratitude could span 22 7W 8 Nothing more common forty years ago than to see the sons] of a family elevated, while the daughters remained in ignorance; husbands at ease in the higher circles, in which their wives were unprepared to move. Like the foolish origins in the parable women everywhere in serving others forgot to keep their own lamps trimmed & burning, & when the great feasts of life were spread, to them the doors were shut 23 8-a How marked the changes we see now [The necessary opportunities, for their best development,] [Now] Even married women, enjoy in a measure their rights of person & property. They can make contracts, sue & be sued, testify in courts of justice & with honor, dissolve the marriage relation, when it becomes intolerable. Now most of the colleges are open to girls, & they are rapidly taking their places, in all the profitable industries, & in many of the offices 24 9 under government. They are in the professions too, as lawyers, doctors, editors, professers in colleges & ministers in the pulpits. Their political status is so far advance, that they enjoy all the rights of citizens, in two Territories, municipal suffrage in one state, & school suffrage in half the states of the Union. Here is a good record of the work achieved, in the past half century, but we do not 24 10 8W intend to rest our case until all our rights are secured. And noting the steps of progress in other countries, on which their various representatives are here to report, we behold with satisfaction everywhere a a general uprising of women demanding higher education & an equal place in the industries of the world Our gathering here to day is highly significant, in its promises of future combined action. When in the history of the world, was there ever 25v/2 11 before such an assemblage, of able educated women, celebrated in so many varied walks of life, & feeling their right & ability, to discuss the vital questions of social life religion & government. When we think of the vantage ground woman holdz to day, in spite of all the artificial obstacles she has surmounted, we are filled with wonder as to what the future mother 26 11-a of the race will be when free to seek her complete development. Thus far women have been the mere echoes of men. In laws & courthouses, our creeds & codes, & the customs of social life are all of masculine origin. The true woman is as yet a dream of the future: a just government, a humans religion, a pure social life await her coming. Then & not till then will the golden age of peace & prosperity be ourz. 27 12 9W [of the race will be, when free to seek her complete development. echoes of men] This gathering is significant too in being held in the greatest Republic on which the sun ever shone; a nation superior to every other on the globe, in all that goes to make up a free & mighty people; boundless territory, magnificent scenery, miighty forests lakes & rivers & inexaustable wealth in agriculture, manufactures, & minez, 28 13 a country where the children of the masses in our public schools, have all the appliances of a complete education, books. charts, maps, every advantage, not only in the rudimental, but in many of the higher branches, alike free at their disposal. The number & circulation of our daily papers & magazines is fabulous, & so cheap as to be available for the laboring classes. There is no excuse for ignorance here In the old world the palace on the hill is the home of nobility, here i is the public school, or university for the people, where the rich & poor, side by side take the prizes for good manners, & scholarship; thus the value of real character above all artificial distinctions; the great lesson of Democracy; is early learned by our children. 29 10W 14 This is the country too where every man has a right to self-government : to exercise his individual conscience & judgement [in all matters] on all matters of public interest. Here we have no entangling alliances in church & state, no tithes to be paid, no livings to be sold, no bartering for places by dignitaries, among those who officiate at the altar, no religious tests, for those elected to take part in government 30 15. Here under the very shadow of the Capitol of this great nation, whose dome is crowned with the Goddess of Liberty, the women from many lands have assembled at last, to claim their rightful place: as equal factors in the great movements of the 19th century. So we bid [your] our distinguished greats welcome thrice welcome to our triumphant Democracy I hope [our distinguished guests] they will be able to stay long enough 31 16 to take a birds eye view of our [?], to see what can be done & in a moral as well as a material point of view in a government of the people. In the old world they have governments, & people, here we have a government of the people, by the people, for the people that is we soon shall have when that important half called [?] the laboring masses know how to use the [?] women are enfranchised, [?] You will see here for the first time II W 17. in the history of nations a church without a Pope: a state without a King: and a family without a divinely ordained head, for our laws, are rapidly making fathers & mothers equal, in the marriage relation. x (over) [We would also extend the right hand of fellowship to some of our coadjutors who are with us for the first time in many years. Our estrangement has been a matter of deep regret to many] 33 18 Since the inauguration of our movement most of our noble coadjutors men & women have passed to the unknown land. Garrison, Philips, Channing , Rogers Burleigh Edward M. Davis, Lucretia Mott, Josephine Griffing Chausin Nichols Francis Gage, Paulina Davis, Abby Foster, Lydia Maria Child, & many others, together far outnumerating those who still remain to watch & wait 32 17 We call your attention, dear friends to these patent facts, not in a spirit of boasting, but that you may look critically into the working of our republican institutions, that when you return to the old world, you may help your fathers to solve many of the tangled problems to which as yet they have found no answer. You can tell the czar of Russia & the Tories of England that self-government & "Home Rule" are safe & possible, proved so by a motion of upwards of 60,000,000 of people 18 [who have harmonized with those on either side. The individual idiosyncrasies, misunderstandings, & inconsequential differences that separated us years ago, time has still farther minimized & changed. Speaking for myself I would say if word or act of mine, has helped to widen the chasm between us, I would gladly atone for the past, by doing all in my power, for that reconciliation, which the best friends of our] 34 12W 19. The vacant places on every side warn us in the sunset of life that we too are passing away, & that younger hands must soon take up our work. To achieve equality for woman in every position in life, & fit her to maintain that position with wisdom & dignity is a work worthy to unite all our energies & attune our hearts in harmony, Those who like the children 35 20 Israel, have been wandering in the wilderness of prejudice & ridicule, for forty years, must feel a peculiar tenderness for the young women, on whose shoulders we are about to leave our burdens. Although we have opened a pathway to the promised land, & cleared up much of the underbrush of false sentiment, logic & rhetoric, intertwisted & intertwined with law & custom blocking all avenues in starting, yet there are still many obstacles to be encountered stet 36 22 [before the rough journey is ended, I think however you will find in the [20?] bound volumns of the Revolution [of the ] and "Woman's Journal", & the three huge volumns of the "History of Woman Suffrage", all the necessary arguments, to silence any reasonable opponent. If these fail, we shall hope much from the youngest born of all our [woman's] papers, The Womans Tribune, If it finds that arguments fail, with the daring of youth, it may use some] 37 23 [more powerful ammunition to drive all opposing forces from the field of battle, & overthrow forever an aristocracy based on sex.] The younger women are starting with great advantages over us. They have the results of our experience. They have had superior opportunities for education, & will have a more enlightened public sentiment for discussion, & more courage to take the rights that belong to them, hence we may look to them for speedy conquests, ΒΆ 38 23-a In calling this Council we anticipated many desirable results. Aside from the pleasure of mutual acquaintance in meeting face to face so many of our own country women, as well as those from foreign lands, we hoped to secure through national & International organizations, in all those reforms, in which we are mutually interested. To come together for a week, & part, with the same [*13 W*] 39 23- b fragmentary societies & clubs, would be the defeat of one half the purpose of our gathering. Above all things that women need to day, in this reform work is thorough organization, & to this end we must cultivate some esprit de corps of sex, a generous trust in each other. A difference of opinion on one question, must not prevent us from working unitedly in those on which we agree, 40 23 - c above all things, let us hold our theological speculations, of a future life, in abeyance to the practical work of the present existence, recognizing all sects alike & all religions, Jew & Gentile, Catholic & Protestant [as equal factors in the march of civilization] to be held equally sacred in their honest opinions. 41 14 W 24 We sincerely hope that the proceedings of this Council as a whole, will be as successful & satisfactory, as our conventions in Washington, invariably have been; & that marked courtesey in public & private will be generously extended to all our [foreign] guests. We trust this interchange of sentiments & opinions, may be a fresh inspiration to us all in our future work, & that this convention may be long 42 25 remembered, as among the most pleasant & profitable days of our lives. As the character of this convention, must depend in a large measure, on what those who called it may do, & say it would be well for us, to keep in mind, the responsibility, that rests on each & all [of us]. If it be true that we can judge of the civilization of a nation, by the status of it's women, we may do much during 43 26 this convention to elevate our institutions in the estimation of the world. Our form of government, is being studied by leading statesmen, in the old world, as never before, alike in the Chamber of Deputies, & the House of Commons.[I have heard] The powers of our Executive, Legislative & Judicial departments have been freely discussed, & recommended as worthy of adoption. 46 29 [viewed to day we are here as representatives.] Closer bonds of friendship between the women of different nations, may help to strengthen the idea of International arbitration; [that] in the settlement of all differences, that thus the whole military system now draining the very life blood & wealth of the people in the old world, may be completely overturned, & war with its crimes & miseries ended forever. 47 29 1/2 [These nations cannot go on much longer adding millions upon millions to their public debts: mainly for the support of standing armies; making such heavy drafts upon the people. ] 16 W The question is continually asked if women had the right of suffrage how would they vote on national questions. I think I might venture to say that the women on this 48 30 platform, would all be opposed to war. As to the much vexed question of the fisheries, we would say, in view of our vast Atlantic & Pacific coast [upwards of ] thousands of miles in extent, do let Canada have three miles of the ocean, if she needs it. If the cod is the bone of contention, as it is the poorest of all fish, let the Canadians eat in peace, so long as we have oysters, shad, bass & the delicate salmon, from California & our western lakes 49 31 Among other questions now up for consideration, we should probably be of one mind. As to a treaty with Russia, to send back her political prisoners to be tortured in her prisons, & the mines of Liberia. Our verdict would be no, no, America must ever be the great university , in which the lovers of freedom, may safely graduate, with the highest honors, & under our 50 32 17W flag find peace & protection. *over As to International Copyright, we should no doubt say, let us have a law to that effect, by all means, because it is fair & honest. Moreover, since we now have our own historians, philosophers, scientists, poets, & novelists & England steals as much from us, as we do from her, it is evident that sound policy, & common honesty lie in the same The able statement by Stepniak, a Russian Nihilist laid before our Senate should be carefully read by all of us, that our influence may be used intelligently against all treaties, compromising as they would the honor of a nation upholding the right of free speech & free press in the [rightful] criticism of their rulers by the people 51 33 direction. As to the overflowing treasury, that troubles the conscience of our good President, our wisest women would undoubtedly say, pay the national debt, & lighten the taxes on the shoulders of the laboring masses. As to amendments of the constitution now asked for, by a body of the clergy & some reformers, [& some temperance organizations,] to recognize the christian theology in the constitution, & introduce 52 34 & introduce religious tests into political parties, & platforms, in direct violation of article 6, clause 3 of the National constitution, I think the majority in woman suffrage associations, would be opposed to all such amendments, as they would destroy the secular nature of our government, so carefully guarded by our fathers, in laying the foundation of the the Republic. This freedom from all ecclesiastical 53 35 18W entanglements is one of the chief glories of our government, & one of the chief elements of its success. We cannot too carefully guard against all attempts at a retrogressive policy in this direction. If there is one lesson more plainly than another written on the institutions of the old world [than another] it is the danger of a union of church & state; of civil & canon law, of theological speculations, 54 36 in the practical affairs of government. If the majority of the women on the suffrage platform, would vote thus nicely on five questions, [quietly they may be trusted] They may show equal wisdom, on others, that may come up for future legislation. On questions of Land, Labor, Prohibition, & Protection, there would no doubt, amongst us, be many differences of opinion. But I think we should all agree 55 37 that that system of political economy, that secures the greatest blessings to the greatest number must be the true one, & those laws, which guard must sacredly the interests of the many, rather than the few, we should vote for. When woman's voice is heard in government, our laws will be touched with some emotion, our legislation become more humane & judgements in our courts tempered with mercy. Surely the mothers who rocked the cradle of this 56 38 19 W Republic may be safely trusted to sustain their sires & sows in all their best efforts to establish in the new world a government in which [based on] the sound principles of our constitution & Declaration of Independence may be fully realized, in which there shall be no privileged classes, but equal rights for all. Under a government & 57 39 religion, recognizing in rational beings, the rights of conscience & judgement, in [all] matters pertaining to their own interests, above all authority of church & state, it needs no argument to prove, the soundness of individual rights, the dignity of individual responsibilities, The solitude of every human soul, alike in our moments of exallation & humiliation, in our highest joys, & deepest 58 40 & deepest sorrows, into which no other one can ever fully enter, proves our birthright to supreme self sovreignty. As in all the great emergencies of life, we must stand alone, & for final judgement rely upon ourselves, we cannot overestimate the necessity, for that liberty by which we attain our highest developement, & that knowledge that fits us for self-reliance & self-protection. Transcribed and reviewed by volunteers participating in the By The People project at crowd.loc.gov.