are not dead within five years, will repent their opposition
in deep and mortifying self-reproach.

"The seed of the thistle," says Tyndall, "always produces
the thistle," and our opponents will have a prickly time of
it with their own consciences, when the day dawns in
righteousness over the American ballot-box. God prosper the
struggle and give you heart and hope, for your triumph is
sure as sunrise, and will win that final mastery which
heaven unfailingly accords to everlasting truth. Cordially
yours,

JAMES T. FIELDS.

Short speeches were then made by Giles B. Stebbins, Mrs.
Blakeman, Miss Strickland, Miss Patridge, and Mrs. Dr. Mary F.
Thomas. Mr. BLACKWELL reported the list of officers[197] for the
ensuing year.

Afterward addresses were made by Mr. Blackwell, Mrs. Elizabeth R.
Churchill, Mrs. Samm, Miss M. Adele Hazlett, and Gen. Voris.

Mrs. MARGARET W. CAMPBELL, of Chicago, said she came before the
audience to speak upon the most important question of the day,
important to one half, and through them to the other half of the
community. This movement is no crusade of women against men, but
an honest effort of both men and women to make one sex equal in
all respects with the other. When our forefathers attempted to
secure their own liberty they adopted the principle that all men
are created free and equal, and are endowed with certain
inalienable rights. Notwithstanding this, the Government allowed
the maintenance of slavery for over three-quarters of a century.
Rights are God-given. If any man can tell where a man gets his
right to vote, he will find that woman obtained hers in the same
place. The ballot, she claimed, was a means of educating the
class who exercise the power of such ballot.

Mrs. MARGARET V. LONGLEY, of Ohio, said this question of woman
suffrage was one that was claiming the attention of the best
minds of Europe and America. Women think they have as good a
right to the ballot as men, and this right they want to exercise.
Lunatics and idiots are deprived of the ballot because they do
not know how to use it. Criminals are denied it because they are
outcasts of society and have proved themselves unworthy of