the anti-slavery crusade- 第6部分

city。　It　was　in　Massachusetts　that　men　began　to　steal　into　the　women's　meetings　and　listen　from　the　back　seats。　In　Lynn　all　barriers　were　broken　down；　and　a　modest；　refined；　and　naturally　diffident　young　woman　found　herself　addressing　immense　audiences　of　men　and　women。　In　the　old　theater　in　Boston　for　six　nights　in　succession；　audiences　filling　all　the　space　listened　entranced　to　the　messenger　of　emancipation。　There　is　uniform　testimony　that；　in　an　age　distinguished　for　oratory；　no　more　effective　speaker　appeared　than　Angelina　Grimke。　It　was　she　above　all　others　who　first　vindicated　the　right　of　women　to　speak　to　men　from　the　public　platform　on　political　topics。　But　it　must　be　remembered　that　scores　of　other　women　were　laboring　to　the　same　end　and　were　fully　prepared　to　utilize　the　new　opportunity。　The　great　world　movement　from　slavery　towards　freedom；　from　despotism　to　democracy；　is　characterized　by　a　tendency　towards　the　equality　of　the　sexes。　Women　have　been　slaves　where　men　were　free。　In　barbarous　ages　women　have　been　ignored　or　have　been　treated　as　mere　adjuncts　to　the　ruling　sex。　But　wherever　there　has　been　a　distinct　contribution　to　the　cause　of　liberty　there　has　been　a　distinct　recognition　of　woman's　share　in　the　work。　The　Society　of　Friends　was　organized　on　the　principle　that　men　and　women　are　alike　moral　beings；　hence　are　equal　in　the　sight　of　God。　As　a　matter　of　experience；　women　were　quite　as　often　moved　to　break　the　silence　of　a　religious　meeting　as　were　the　men。　For　two　hundred　years　women　had　been　accustomed　to　talk　to　both　men　and　women　in　Friends'　meetings　and；　when　the　moral　war　against　slavery　brought　religion　and　politics　into　close　relation；　they　were　ready　speakers　upon　both　topics。　When　the　Grimke　sisters　came　into　the　church　with　a　fresh　baptism　of　the　Spirit；　they　overcame　all　obstacles　and；　with　a　passion　for　righteousness；　moral　and　spiritual　and　political；　they　carried　the　war　against　slavery　into　politics。　In　1833；　at　the　organization　of　the　American　Anti…Slavery　Society　in　Philadelphia；　a　number　of　women　were　present。　Lucretia　Mott；　a　distinguished　〃minister〃　in　the　Society　of　Friends；　took　part　in　the　proceedings。　She　was　careful　to　state　that　she　spoke　as　a　mere　visitor；　having　no　place　in　the　organization；　but　she　ventured　to　suggest　various　modifications　in　the　report　of　Garrison's　committee　on　a　declaration　of　principles　which　rendered　it　more　acceptable　to　the　meeting。　It　had　not　then　been　seriously　considered　whether　women　could　become　members　of　the　Anti…Slavery　Society；　which　was　at　that　time　composed　exclusively　of　men；　with　the　women　maintaining　their　separate　organizations　as　auxiliaries。　The　women　of　the　West　were　already　better　organized　than　the　men　and　were　doing　a　work　which　men　could　not　do。　They　were；　for　the　most　part；　unconscious　of　any　conflict　between　the　peculiar　duties　of　men　and　those　of　women　in　their　relations　to　common　objects。　The　〃library　associations〃　of　Indiana；　which　were　in　fact　effective　anti…slavery　societies；　were　to　a　large　extent　composed　of　women。　To　the　library　were　added　numerous　other　disguises；　such　as　〃reading　circles；〃　〃sewing　societies；〃　〃women's　clubs。〃　In　many　communities　the　appearance　of　men　in　any　of　these　enterprises　would　create　suspicion　or　even　raise　a　mob。　But　the　women　worked　on　quietly；　effectively；　and　unnoticed。　The　matron　of　a　family　would　be　provided　with　the　best　riding…horse　which　the　neighborhood　could　furnish。　Mounted　upon　her　steed；　she　would　sally　forth　in　the　morning；　meet　her　carefully　selected　friends　in　a　town　twenty　miles　away；　gain　information　as　to　what　had　been　accomplished；　give　information　as　to　the　work　in　other　parts　of　the　district；　distribute　new　literature；　confer　as　to　the　best　means　of　extending　their　labors；　and　return　in　the　afternoon。　The　father　of　such　a　family　was　quite　content　with　the　humbler　task　of　cooperation　by　supplying　the　sinews　of　war。　There　was　complete　equality　between　husband　and　wife　because　their　aims　were　identical　and　each　rendered　the　service　most　convenient　and　most　needed。　Women　did　what　men　could　not　do。　In　the　territory　of　the　enemy　the　men　were　reached　through　the　gradual　and　tentative　efforts　of　women　whom　the　uninitiated　supposed　to　be　spending　idle　hours　at　a　sewing　circle。　Interest　was　maintained　by　the　use　of　information　of　the　same　general　character　as　that　which　later　took　the　country　by　storm　in　Uncle　Tom's　Cabin。　In　course　of　time　all　disguise　was　thrown　aside。　A　public　speaker　of　national　reputation　would　appear；　a　meeting　would　be　announced；　and　a　rousing　abolition　speech　would　be　delivered；　the　mere　men　of　the　neighborhood　would　have　little　conception　how　the　surprising　change　had　been　accomplished。　On　rare　occasions　the　public　presentation　of　the　anti…slavery　view　would　be　undertaken　prematurely；　as　in　1840　at　Pendleton；　Indiana；　when　Frederick　Douglass　attempted　to　address　a　public　meeting　and　was　almost　slain　by　missiles　from　the　mob。　Pendleton；　however；　was　not　given　over　to　the　enemy。　The　victim　of　the　assault　was　restored　to　health　in　the　family　of　a　leading　citizen。　The　outrage　was　judiciously　utilized　to　convince　the　fair…minded　that　one　of　the　evils　of　slavery　was　the　development　of　minds　void　of　candor　and　justice。　On　the　twenty…fifth　anniversary　of　the　Pendleton　disturbance　there　was　another　great　meeting　in　the　town。　Frederick　Douglass　was　the　hero　of　the　occasion。　The　woman　who　was　the　head　of　the　family　that　restored　him　to　health　was　on　the　platform。　Some　of　the　men　who　threw　the　brickbats　were　there　to　make　public　confession　and　to　apologize　for　the　brutal　deed。　In　the　minds　of　a　few　persons　of　rare　intellectual　and　logical　endowment；　democracy　has　always　implied　the　equality　of　the　sexes。　From　the　time　of　the　French　Revolution　there　have　been　advocates　of　this　doctrine。　As　early　as　1820；　Frances　Wright；　a　young　woman　in　Scotland　having　knowledge　of　the　Western　republic　founded　upon　the　professed　principles　of　liberty　and　equality；　came　to　America　for　the　express　purpose　of　pleading　the　cause　of　equal　rights　for　women。　To　the　general　public　her　doctrine　seemed　revolutionary；　threatening　the　very　foundations　of　religion　and　morality。　In　the　midst　of　opposition　and　persecution　she　proclaimed　views　respecting　the　rights　and　duties　of　women　which　today　are　generally　accepted　as　axiomatic。　The　women　who　attended　the　meetings　for　the　organization　of　the　American　Anti…Slavery　Society　were　not　suffragists；　nor　had　they　espoused　any　special　theories　respecting　the　position　of　women。　They　did　not　wish　to　be　members　of　the　men's　organizations　but　were　quite　content　with　their　own　separate　one；　which　served　its　purpose　very　well　under　prevailing　local　conditions。　James　G。　Birney；　the　candidate　of　the　Liberty　party　for　the　Presidency　in　1840；　had　good　reasons　for　opposition　to　the　inclusion　of　men　and　women　in　the　same　organization。　He　knew　that　by　acting　separately　they　were　winning　their　way。　The　introduction　of　a　novel　theory　involving　a　different　issue　seemed　to　him　likely　to　be　a　source　of　weakness。　The　cause　of　women　was；　however；　gaining　ground　and　winning　converts。　Lucretia　Mott　and　Elizabeth　Cady　Stanton　were　delegates　to　the　World's　Anti…Slavery　Convention　at　London。　They　listened　to　the　debate　which　ended　in　the　refusal　to　recognize　them　as　members　of　the　Convention　because　they　were　women。　The　tone　of　the　discussion　convinced　them　that　women　were　looked　upon　by　men　with　disdain　and　contempt。　Because　the　laws　of　the　land　and　the　customs　of　society　consigned　women　to　an　inferior　position；　and　because　there　would　be　no　place　for　effective　public　work　on　the　part　of　women　until　these　laws　were　changed；　both　these　women　became　advocates　of　women's　rights　and　conspicuous　leaders　in　the　initiation　of　the　propaganda。　The　Reverend　Samuel　J。　May；　of　Syracuse；　New　York；　preached　a　sermon　in　1845　in　which　he　stated　his　belief　that　women　need　not　expect　to　have　their　wrongs　fully　redressed　until　they　themselves　had　a　hand　in　the　making　and　in　the　administration　of　the　laws。　This　is　an　early　suggestion　that　equal　suffrage　would　become　the　ultimate　goal　of　the　efforts　for　righting　women's　wrongs。　At　the　same　time　there　were　accessions　to　the　cause　from　a　different　source。　In　1833　Oberlin　College　was　founded　in　northern　Ohio。　Into　some　of　the　first　classes　there　women　were　admitted　on　equal　terms　with　men。　In　1835　the　trustees　offered　the　presidency　to　Professor　Asa　Mahan；　of　Lane　Seminary。　He　was　himself　an　abolitionist　from　a　slave　State；　and　he　refused　to　be　President　of　Oberlin　College　unless　negroes　were　admitted　on　equal　terms　with　other　students。　Oberlin　thus　became　the　first　institution　in　the　country　which　extended　the　privileges　of　the　higher　education　to　both　sexes　of　all　races。　It　was　a　distinctly　religious　institution　devoted　to　radical　reforms　of　many　kinds。　Not　only　was　the　use　of　all　intoxicating　beverages　discarded　by　faculty　and　students　but　the　use　of　tobacco　as　well　was　discouraged。　Within　fifteen　years　after　the　founding　of　Oberlin；　there　were　women　graduates　who　had　something　to　say　on　numerous　questions　of　public　interest。　Especially　was　this　true　of　the　subject　of　temperance。　Intemperance　was　a　vice　peculiar　to　men。　Women　and　children　were　the　chief　sufferers；　while　men　were　the　chief　sinners。　It　was　important；　therefore；　that　men　should　be　reached。　In　1847　Lucy　Stone；　an　Oberlin　graduate；　began　to　address　public　audiences　on　the　subject。　At　the　same　time　Susan　B。　Anthony　appeared　as　a　temperance　lecturer。　The　manner　of　their　reception　and　the　nature　of　their　subject　induced　them　to　unite　heartily　in　the　pending　crusade　for　the　equal　rights　of　women。　The　three　causes　thus　became　united　in　one。　Along　with　the　crusade　against　slavery；　intemperance；　and　women's　wrongs；　arose　a　fourth；　which　was　fundamentally　connected　with　the　slavery　question：　Quakers　and　Southern　and　Western　abolitionists　were　ardently　devoted　to　the　interests　of　peace。　They　would　abolish　slavery　by　peaceable　means　because　they　believed　the　alternative　was　a　terrible　war。　To　escape　an　impending　war　they　were　nerved　to　do　and　dare　and　to　incur　great　risks。　New　England　abolitionists　who　labored　in　harmony　with　those　of　the　West　and　South　were　actuated　by　similar　motives。　Sumner　first　gained　public　not