who, perhaps, with all his peculiarities, was next to Washington in real value to the Revolution.

The reader will note that the letter of Mrs. Adams was written but three months prior to the Declaration of Independence. The extract given below cov· ers the whole subject as found in the letter, which coutains other matters. It is plainly jocular in man

ner, and how much seriousness if any underlies it cannot be accurately estimated.

Braintree, March 31, 1776.

I long to hear that you have declared our independency. And, by the way, in the new code of laws which I suppose it will be necessary for you to make, I desire you would remember the ladies and be more generous and favourable to them than your ancestors. Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the husbands. Remember, all men would be tyrants if they could. If particular care and attention is not paid to the ladies, we are determined to foment a rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice or representation.

That your sex are naturally tyrannical is a truth so thoroughly established as to admit of no dispute; but such of you as wish to be happy willingly give up the harsh title of master for the more tender and endearing one of friend. Why, then, not put it out of the power of the vicious and the lawless to use us with cruelty and indignity with impunity? Men of sense in all ages abhor those customs which treat us only as the vassals of your sex; regard us then as beings placed by Providence under your protection, and in imitation of the Supreme Being make use of that power only for our happiness.

This is the respouse:

(Extract of letter from John Adams to his wife.)

April 14, 1776. Your description of your own gaieté de cœur charms me. Thanks be to God, you have just cause to rejoice, and may the bright prospect be ob scured by no cloud. As to declarations of independ ency, be patient. Read our privateering laws and our commercial laws. What signifies a word ?

As to your extraordinary code of laws, I cannot but laugh. We have been told that our struggle has loosened the bonds of government everywhere; that children and apprentices were disobedient; that schools and colleges were grown turbulent; that Indians slighted their guardians, and negroes grew insolent to their masters.

But your letter was the first intimation that another tribe, more numerous and powerful than all the rest, were grown discontented. This is rather too coarse a compliment, but you are so saucy, I won't blot it out. Depend upon it, we know better than to repeal our masculine systems. Although they are in full force, you know they are little more than theory. We dare not exert our power in its full latitude. We are obliged to go fair and softly, and, in practice, you know we are the subjects. We have only the name of masters, and rather than give up this, which would completely subject us to the despotism of the petticoat, I hope General Washington and all our brave heroes would fight; I am sure every good politician would plot as long as he would against despotism, empire, monarchy, aristocracy, oligarchy, or och locracy. A fine story, indeed! I begin to think the ministry as deep as they are wicked. After stirring up Tories, land-jobbers, trimmers, bigots, Canadians, Indians, negroes, Hanoverians, Hessians, Russians, Irish Roman Catholics, Scotch renegades, at last they

have stimulated the and threaten to rebel.

to demand new privileges

The correspondence reveals delightful relations between husband and wife and shows a side of this stern statesman's nature not often so unequivocally exhibited. Also it proves that the subject "was up."

Not only did "Our Revolutionary Fathers" talk about Woman Suffrage, they discussed it in the con. vention held in 1778, at Newburyport, for the purpose of taking into consideration the constitution and form of government proposed by the convention of the state of Massachusetts. And more momentous than the discussion they expressed their conclusions in unmistakable terms.

"In every free state, the persons of every member and all the property in it, ought to be represented, because they are objects of legislation. All the members of the state are invited to make the election, unless they have not suflicient discretion, or are so situated as to have no wills of their own. Persous not twenty-one years of age are deemed in the former class from their want of years and experience. Women,-whatever age they are of-are also, as not having a sufficiently acquired discretion,—but not from a deficiency in their mental powers,-but from the nat ural tenderness and delicacy of their minds, their retired modes of life and various domestic duties. These concurring, prevent that promiscuous intercourse with

the world which is necessary to qualify them for electors."

In that short paragraph those Revolutionary fa thers cover the whole case. After recognizing an equality of woman's "mental powers" with those of man, they base their action on

1. Woman's distinctive constitution, "the natural tenderness and delicacy of their minds."

2. Their "retired modes of life."

3. Their place in the family.

4. "These concurring," prevent "that promis. cuous intercourse with the world, necessary to qualify them for electors."

XII

ARGUMENTS FOR WOMAN SUFFRAGE REFUTED (Continued)

I

F the foregoing principles and facts are weighed

they should be enough to deter every citizen,

who believes the family to be the foundation and safeguard of civilization, from attempting an experiment so dangerous as a total revolution in the status of woman. Yet an explanation of the popular phrases and arguments relied upon to prepare the way for the plunge into the unknown is necessary. I shall be as impartial as possible in the presentation of the essence of everything worthy of argument by those in favour of Woman Suffrage.

It is said that "it is obviously fair and right that those who obey the laws should have a voice in making them; that all who pay the taxes should have a voice in levying them; and that men cannot represent women until women shall have legally consented to it, and this they have never done."

Another way of stating this claim is: "A woman is a human being and has all the rights of a human being, and the most inalienable of these rights is the right to govern."

It is not "so obviously fair and right."