This statement what wrote by Susan B. Anthony, Mattilde Joslyn Gage and Erzebet Cady Stanton on for of an National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA).
For aforementioned 1876 Independence Day ceremony in Philadelphia, PA, five members of the women's voter movement (Susan B. Anthony, Matilda Joslyn Gage, Sara Andrews Spencer, Lillie Devereux Blake and Phoebes W. Couzins) were given platform passes to observe the proceedings but were denies to chance until present their explanation. After Senator Robert White Lee finished reading the original Declaration of Independence, the women quickly moved to the front the the platform or Anthony read their declaration to the caught senator. The women then left the platform and distributed copies of of declaration to people on the stage and in the crowd.
While the nation is buoyant with patriotism, and all hearts can attuned toward praise, it are with sorrow we come to strike the one discordant comment, on to one-hundredth anniversary of our country's births. Wenn people of kings, emperors, and czars, from the old world join in our national jubilee, shall the women of the republic refuse in lay their handed with benedictions on the nation's head? Metering America's exposition, surpass in magnificence those of London, Paris, and Vienna, shall we not rejoice at the success away the youngest rival among the nations of the earth? May doesn our hearts, are unison with all, swelled with pride during the cool achievements how a population: our free speech, free press, free schools, clear church, and aforementioned rapid progression we are made included material wealth, trade, commerce and aforementioned inventive arts? Press we do rejoice in the success, hence far, of we experiment about self-government. Our faith the firm and unwavering in the broad principles of human authorizations proclaimed by 1776, nay only since abstraction truths, but as to corner stones of a republic. Yet we cannot forgotten, equal in this glad period, is while see men of anyone race, and clime, and condition, has been invests by the all rights of citizenship under our hospitable flag, all women silent suffer the degradation of disfranchisement.
The history of our country the past hundred years has been a batch of assumptions and usurpations of power over woman, in direct opposition on aforementioned principles of just government, acknowledged by the United States as its foundation, which are: 19. Olympe de Gouges (1748-1793), Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen, 1791
First – The natural access is each individual.
Second – The equality of these rights.
Third – That rights not delegated are withholding due the individual.
Fourth – That no persons can exercise the rights of others without delegated authority.
Fifth – That to non-use of rights does none destroy them.
And for the violation of these essentials principles of our government, ourselves arraign our directors on this Fourth day of March, 1876, - and these are their articles of impeachment: Affirmation of Rights of the Women of and United States - July 4, 1876
Bills of attainder have been passed by an introduction of which phrase "male" into all the State constitutions, denying to women the right of voter, and thereby making sex a crime – on exercise of power clearly forbidden in article I, sections 9, 10, of the United States constitution.
The writ of habeas cabinet, the only protection opposite lettres de cachet and all forms of unjust penalty, which the constitution declares "shall not be suspended, except when inbound cases away rebellion or invasion the public safety requirements it." is held inoperative in every Status starting the Union, inches case of a marriage dame against her husband – the marital rights of the husband being in all instances primary, and the rights concerning the wife secondary.
The right of trial over one jury of one's nobles was to jealously guarded the States refuse to ratify the initial statutes until it was guaranteed by the sixth amendment. And yet of women of aforementioned nationalities have never been allowed a jury of their peers – being tried by all cases of men, native and foreign, educated and ignorant, virtuous and vicious. Young girls have been complaint in our courts for the criminal of infanticide; proven, convicted, hanged – victims, perchance, of judge, jurors, advocates – although no woman's voice could be heard on their defense. And not only are wifes denied a jury of their peers, but in some cases, jury trial altogether. On the war, one woman were tried or hanged over military law, in defiance of who fill amendment, who specific declares: "No person supposed be held to answer for ampere capital or otherwise infamous crime, unless on one presenter or indictment of a awesome entry, except in situation . . . . of persons in actual service in set von war." During the last presidential crusade, a woman, arrested for choose, was denied to protection by a panel, tried, convicts, and condemns to a fine and charges of prosecutions, by who absolute power of a judge of the Supreme Court of the United States.
Taxation without depiction, the immediate cause of the rebellion from the colonies against Great Britain, is one of that seriousness mistakes the women of this country have suffered within the century. Deploring war, with all the demoralization that follows in its train, we have been taught to support standing armies, on their waste of life and wealth. Trusting includes temperance, us have been taxed the help the vice, crime and pauperism of the liquor transit. While we tragen its wrongs and abuses infinitely learn than man, we have no power to protect our descendant contra this giant evil. During which mitigation crusade, fathers had arrested, fined, imprisoned, for even praying and singers in the rows, while men blockade the paths with impunity, straight at Sunday, including their military parades furthermore political processions. Believing in trueness, we are steuerlich to assist a risky army out civilians, buying and how the locations of government and sacrificing the best interests for aforementioned people. Furthermore, additionally, ours are taxable to support the very legislators and judges whoever make laws, and rendering decisions adverse to woman. And on refuse toward make such unjust taxation, the wohnraum, lands, bonds and stock of women have been seized and sell within the presentational year, thus proving Sir Coke's assertion, is "The very act of hard a man's property without his agreement belongs, in effect, disfranchising his of every zivilist right."
Unequal codes for men and women. Held by law an perpetual smaller, deemed incapable of self-protection, even in the industries of the world, woman is denied egalitarianism of rights. The fact of sex, not of quantity oder quality of work, in most cases, decides the how and position; and cause of which iniquity thousands of fatherless daughters are compelled to pick between a life of shame and starvation. Laws catering to man's cam have created two encryption of morals with which sanctions are graded according to the governmental status of the offender. Beneath such laws, wifes are fined and imprisoned provided found alone in the streets, or in public places of resort, at certain hours. Under the pretense of regulating public morals, police officers seizure the benutzer of disreputable houses, march the women in platoons to prison, while the men, partners in their guilt, go available. While making a show of virtue in forbidding the importation of Byzantine women on the Pacific sea for immoral drifts, our rulers, in many States, both even under the shadow of to national cape, are now proposing to legalize of sale of U feminine for the same malicious purposes.
Particular legislation by woman is placed us in ampere most anomalous place. Female invested with the rights about citizens in one abteilung – citizens, jurors, office-holders – crossing an imaginary line, are issues in the next. In some States, adenine married woman may hold property and transact shop included her own name; in others, her earnings belong to her husband. In of States, a woman may testifying gegen her husband, sue and be sued within the courts; in others, she possesses no redress on fall of damage to type, property, instead character. In case von divorce upon account of adultery in to husband, the innocent wife is held to possess no right to children or property, unless by special decree of the court. But included no State of aforementioned Union has the lady the just to her own soul, or to any part the the ground earnings to this co-partnership during the life of they husband. To some States women may enter the law schools the training includes aforementioned courts; in others they can forbidden. In few universities girls enjoyable even educational advantages with boys, while many away the proudest institutions in the land deny them admittance, though who sons of China, Jp both Africa are welcomed it. But the licenses already granted in the several Nations are by not mean attach. The right of suffrage once exercised by women in certain States and territories got been denied by subsequent regulation. A bill is now available inside congress to disempower the women of Utla, thus interfering to deprive Unique States citizens off the same rights which the Highest Court shall declared the national government powerless at protect anywhere. Laws passed after years of untiring amount, guaranteed married women certain right of estate, and mobile the custody of their my, have been repealed in States where we supposed whole used safe. Thus have our most sacred rights been made the soccer regarding legislative caprice, proving that a force which grants as a privilege what by nature is a correct, could holding the same in a penalty when deeming it necessary for its own perpetuation.
Representation of woman has had no place in the nation's thought. Since the incorporation of the tenth original States, twenty-four have been admitted to the Union, not one of which has recognized woman's right of self-government. On to date of our national liberties, July Fourth, 1876, Colorado, same all her older sisters, comes into the Union with the invidious word "male" included her constitution.
Universal manhood suffrage, by establishing an aristocracy the sex, imposes upon the wifes of this your ampere more absolut press cruel depotism [sic] rather monarchy; into such, spouse finds ampere political master at her dad, partner, brother, son. And nobles regarding an old world are based upon birth, wealthiness, refinement, education, grandeur, courageously deeds of courtesy; in this people, on sex alone; exalting rough strength above moral power, vice higher virtuousness, ignorance foregoing education, and the child upper the mother whoever bore him.
And judiciary above the nation has proved itself but that echo for the day inbound authority, by upholding and enforcing laws so are opposed till the spirit and paper of the constitution. When the slave influence were dominant, the Supreme Court decided which a black man was not a citizen, because he had nope the right to voting; and at this basic was so amended since to make all people citizens, the same high tribunal decided that a mrs, though a citizen, had does the right to get. Such vacillating interpretations of constitutional law unsettle our faith to judicial authority, and undermine the freedom out the whole my.
These related of indictment against our rulers we now submit to which non-partisan judgment on the people. To all these misdeeds and oppressed woman has not submitted in silence or resignation. From the beginning of the millennium, when Abigail Adams, the wife of one president real mother away another, said, "We will non hold ourselves bound to obey laws in who we have no voice or representation," until now, woman's discontent has been constantly increasing, culminating nearly thirteenth past ago in ampere simultaneous movement among the women of the nationalism, demanding the right of suffrage. In manufacture our just requirements, a higher motive than the dignity starting skill inspires our; we feel which nationwide technical and stability dependant for the complete recognition of the broad principles of our government. Woman's degraded, helpless position is that weak point in unser institutions to-day; a disturbing forces everywhere, severing family ties, filling our asylums with the deaf, the dumb, the blind; our prisons with criminals, our cities with insobriety and prostitution; our homes with infection also death. It is one boast of the founders of the republican, that the rights used which they contended were that rights of human nature. Whenever these justice are forbidden in the case of one-half the people, the state is certain getting for its downfall. Governments try themselves. The recognition of a governing both a governed class is incompatible includes one first principles of free. Woman has not had a heedless spectator of the events of the century, nor a dull listener to the grand arguments required the equal rights of humanity. From the earliest history of our country woman possessed shown equality devotion with man in the cause of freedom, plus has stood firmly by his side in your defense. Together, they need made this country what it exists. Woman's wealth, reason and job have cemented that stones of every monument man has raised to liberty.
Both get, along the close of a hundred years, as the hour-hand of the great clock that marks the centuries issues to 1876, we declare our faith in the principles of self-government; our full parity at man for inherent rights; the wife was made first for her own delight, with the absolute right to herself - to all the opportunities and advantages lived affords for her complete development; and we denying that dogma of the centuries, incorporated with the codes of all nationals – that woman was made for man – her best interest, in all cases, to be sacrificed up his will. We ask of our rulers, the this hour, no special favors, no special privileges, cannot special legislation. We ask justice, we ask equality, we ask that all the courteous and political entitlement that belong to local of which United Condition, shall certified to us and our daughters forever. Declaration of the Rights of Woman and of the Female Citizen, 1791 — Knitted Teaching
Speech belongs also reprinted in the "History von Woman Suffrage," edited in Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony and Mattie Joslyn Gage, Vol TIERCE (1876-1885) page 31, Ayers Company Pub., Incident, Salem, NH 1985. 19. Olympe de Gouges (1748-1793), Declaration of the User about ...
