Elizabeth Cady Stanton             SPEECHES & WRITINGS FILE      "Annie Besant" [n.d.]

[*[no date]*]
Annie Besant. Theosophy
English Schools, American cake
     The one woman in all 
England, not excepting the Queen
on her throne, whom I most
desired to see was Annie 
Besant. I had heard so
much of her unselfish devotion
to the public good, of her
broad culture, her gifts as
a writer & speaker, her liberal ideas
on government, religion &
social ethics that I longed to
meet at last, a being so
rarely found: a fearless independent
thinker of my own sex.
     After many appealing epistles

                       8
a long time to keep such young
boys, ranging from seven to
fourteen under action. He said
"yes, longer than men are drilled
at one time in the army but
I am obliged to obey orders &
am not at liberty to use my own
judgement".  
     It is against all
such abuses in schools charitable
institutions, jails, prisons & the
world of work that Mrs Besant
has been an important factor
for the last twenty years. She
is one of these rare characters,
purified & elevated by every sorrow,
whose learning had passed from
her memory to her judgement
made her wiser in all the
practical details of life. She

9
has made a brave stuggle
with many adverse minds &
maintained a lofty self-respect
under most severe trials &
persecutions. She was married 
when very young to a clergyman
of the Established Church, whose
violent temper & bigotry led her
to question the religious faith
that produced such a character.
After much reading study &
thought, she began to doubt 
the inspiration of the scriptures
the evidences of Christianity
& the dogmas of the church
& in due time refused to obey
its discipline & observe its
ordinances. At last like

                  10
"John Ward Preacher" her
husband told her that she
must take the sacrament
& conform to the rules of the
church or leave him forever.
She chose the latter, at first
by a decree of the courts she
secured a legal separation, &
the custody of her children,
but afterwards, they were claimed
by the father, on the ground
that as her free religious principles
became more pronounced she
was not deemed [worthy] a safe person to bring
them up. However when 
they reached the age to choose 
for themselves, they returned
to the mother, & in their reunion
are alike happy once more.

11
As soon as she left her
husband, she entered the
London University & commenced
the study of the natural sciences
& later the ethics of sociology
& free thought. She is now a
woman of broad culture &
extensive reading, an intelligent
reformer who understands the 
cause & remedy of the miseries
of mankind. [*introduce here a sentence on the 
reverse of the last page*]
As we drove under
the magnificent beeches in 
Hackwood Park, & sat on
the lawn sipping our tea
we plied Mrs. Besant with
questions about the school of
Theosophy. She thinks their

                     12
ideas are spreading in England.
There are three Lodges in London
the one of which Madame Blavatska
is head, comprizing a hundred 
members to which Mrs. Besant 
belongs. The Sennett Lodge 
& The London Lodge. She
thinks society in England is so
grossly material, that the nation
cannot maintain itself much
longer without the cultivation
of some spiritual forces.
Theosophists are not propagandists
they wait for people to seek them,
which they will never do in large 
numbers as [they do not] but few persons like
the self denial & hard work
necessary to cultivate a clear
spiritual vision. this insight

13
is necessary, for the study of the
occult sciences, and is acquired by
early rising, abundant exercise,
a vegetarian & fruit diet, by 
continese, by pure & holy living
& thinking. Mrs Besant too
only milk bread & fruit while
with us, through as a mark of 
special respect for republican
institutions she did partake
of our deliciuis American cake
called "Angels food", a cake 
fit not only for the gods but the 
Theosophists. As this point we 
came down for a season from
our high discourse, to give Mrs
Besant the receipt for this wonderful
cake & the orthodox tin pan in 
which to bake it.  Of one thing I

14
am convinced, that America 
as a nation surpasses all others 
in the variety & delicacy of our
cake. But the return to Mrs
Besant in manner & appearance
she is very attractive. She is of 
medium size & well proportioned
has a fine shaped head covered
with luxurient hair, & a bright
pleasing face touched with sadness
when at rest, large eyes & good
features, a sweet voice & easy flow
of language. Altogether a charming
woman. She impresses you at 
once as an earnest sincere 
thinker, the kind of heroine who
would willingly go to the stake
for her principles. Among many 
other charming ideas, she unfolded to
us the doctrine of reincarnation

15
which I particularly enjoyed. It
satisfies my source of justice &
reconciles me to the miseries of mankind
to know that we are all in turn
to run the gauntlet of human
joys & sorrows. If all who are
suffering now in crowded tenement
houses, jails & prisons are to be the
Kings & Queens, the Princes Lords
& Ladies in their reincarnation, 
while those who need the experience
of poverty & ignorance, to make them 
generous & charitable are to fill
these gloomy abodes, & thus rank
& class are to be succively changed
until each of us pass through all
human experience; if all this
is necessary to purge us of selfishness
egotism, & pride, & cultivate in us
the love of justice, mercy & equal 
rights to all.  I do hope the doctrine
will prevail.

[*Errata*]
16

of incarnation is true.  In this
cure all these wicked Democrats
in Congress who have opposed
woman suffrage, will return
to earth as women to taste the 
pangs of disfranchisement, while
women [will sit] reincarnated as 
Senators & Congressmen will
sit in their places at the
Capitol at Washington to
present their petitions & listen
to their eloquent pleadings
for[dis]enfranchisement
      Elizabeth Cady Stanton.

The last page of Mrs Stanton's
manuscript was accidentally separated
from the others. The following sentence
should be added to the article by
Mrs Stanton on the preceding page:

X. Mrs Besant has written 
innumerable essays on 
political religious &  social 
questions.  As both a writer & 
speaker she holds the highest 
place among the women of 
Great Britain. 
   [*(Put this sentence on page 11 
where the X indicates)*]

As you seem to have some 
readers interested in Theosophy, 
I thought this sketch of Annie 
Besant might please them.

Transcribed and reviewed by volunteers participating in the By The People project at crowd.loc.gov.