Francis Jackson Garrison, William Lloyd Garrison, 1805-1879; the story of his life told by his children: volume 2

[370] Mr. Phillips's motion. The Rev. J. Burnet, a leader among the Dissenters, entreated the Convention to be calm. He had a great respect for ladies—he continued, in his condescending way; but we must put an English interpretation on English phraseology. The female delegates excluded ‘were placed on a level with their own wives and daughters’—an ingenious perversion of the truth. The Rev. Henry Grew, one of the Pennsylvania delegates, confessed that the admission of females to take a part in the Convention did not accord with his views of propriety. The Rev. Nathaniel Colver asserted that a large portion of the American abolitionists thought as the English did on this subject. Mr. Stacey proposed, as a substitute for Mr. Phillips's motion: ‘That this Convention, upon a question arising as to the admission of females appointed as delegates from America to take their seats in this body, resolve to decide this question in the negative.’

Upon this the debate was renewed. The Rev. Elon Galusha said that he represented a numerous American constituency which discountenanced the equal participation of women. George Bradburn, on the other hand, held that this would no longer be a World's Convention with women left out. ‘It had been said, if the women were admitted, they would take sides. Why, had they not as good a right to take sides as the men?’ Col. Jonathan P. Miller,¹ of Vermont, felicitated himself on having come from an American State which had never been troubled with a woman question. The women there were among the primeval abolitionists, and had been merely seconded by their husbands. Charles Stuart ‘was persuaded, having been in the United States,² and ’