e a speech was intense. Martha C.
Wright, of Auburn, a sister of Lucretia Mott, was chosen President. On
the platform sat Mrs. Mott, Hannah Tracy Cutler, Josephine S.
Griffing, Mary S. Anthony, of Rochester, N. Y.; Ernestine L. Rose,
Adeline Swift, Joseph Barker, an Englishman, an ex-member of
Parliament, Lucy Stone and her husband, Henry B. Blackwell, recently
married. Mrs. Stone did not take her husband's name, because she
believed a woman had a right to an individual existence, and an
individual name to designate that existence.

After the election of officers,[19] the President stated the object of
the Convention to be to secure equality with man in social, civil, and
political rights. It was only seven years, she said, since this
movement commenced, since our first Convention was called, in timidity
and doubt of our own strength, our own capacity, our own powers; now,
east, west, north, and even south, there were found advocates of
woman's rights. The newspapers which ridiculed and slandered us at
first, are beginning to give impartial accounts of our meetings.
Newspapers do not lead, but follow public opinion; and doing so, they
go through three stages in regard to reforms; they first ridicule
them, then report them without comment, and at last openly advocate
them. We seem to be still in the first stage on this question.

Mrs. CUTLER said: "Let there be light, and there was light," "And
many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased."
This light, this increase of knowledge, we are seeking. Men have
always applied the last text to themselves, and did not expect
woman to run to and fro and increase in knowledge. They objected
to her raising her voice on this platform in the pursuit or
diffusion of knowledge; but when she is employed upon the stage
to minister to everything that pollutes and degrades man, no
voice was raised against it. It was but a few years ago that a
French queen brought over with her to the British Isles, a male
mantua-maker. It was not supposed then that woman was capable of
fitting woman's clothes properly. She has since advanced to have
the charge of man's wardrobe; and it will be right when the time
comes, for man to take care of himself. Conservatism opposes this
now; but I love conservatism; it is guarding our institutions
until the new mother is prepared to take the charge.

I desire that