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of sectarianism had sounded.
Tappan,
Phelps, and
Denison at once asked to be excused from serving on
1 the committee, the first assigning as his reasons that ‘to
2 put a woman on a committee with men is contrary to the
Constitution of the Society; it is throwing a firebrand into the anti-slavery ranks; it is contrary to the usages of civilized society.’
And his clerical associates added, that it was contrary to the gospel and to their consciences.
Messrs. Tappan and
Denison then arose, and asked those who had voted against the appointment of women to meet and form a new society.
The battle being thus ended on the first day, the meeting proceeded to dispose of the pending amendments to the
Constitution, which were all rejected save one, viz., that the Executive Committee should thereafter be elected by the Society instead of by the Board of Managers.
The result of this change was, that
Lucretia Mott,
Lydia Maria Child, and
Maria W. Chapman were made members of the
Committee for the ensuing year.
Among the resolutions adopted, that on political duty proved the most troublesome to frame, and in its final shape was offered by
C. C. Burleigh.
It read (a large majority approving):
Resolved, That the Constitution of the American 3 AntiSlavery Society does not settle, or attempt to settle, either affirmatively or negatively, the question whether it is or is not the duty of any of the members of the Society, as such, to vote at the polls.
The series which this resolution introduced contained also the following:
Resolved, That, as abolitionists, we cannot give any 4 countenance to the election of Martin Van Buren or William Henry Harrison to the Presidency of the United States, without violating our anti-slavery principles and professions; inasmuch as both of them have publicly committed themselves in support of slavery.
Resolved, That, without intending to pass a censure on those abolitionists who urge the formation of an abolition
