s of the National Association prepared a declaration of
rights of the women of the United States, and articles of
impeachment against the government.

Application was made by the secretary, Miss Anthony, to General
Hawley, president of the centennial commission, for seats for fifty
officers of the association. General Hawley replied that "only
officials were invited"--that even his own wife had no place--that
merely representatives and officers of the government had seats
assigned them. "Then" said she, "as women have no share in the
government, they are to have no seats on the platform," to which
General Hawley assented; adding, however, that Mrs. Gillespie, of
the woman's centennial commission, had fifty seats placed at her
disposal, thus showing it to be in his power to grant places to
women whenever he so chose to do. Miss Anthony said: "I ask seats
for the officers of the National Woman Suffrage Association; we
represent one-half the people, and why should we be denied all part
in this centennial celebration?" Miss Anthony, however, secured a
reporter's ticket by virtue of representing her brother's paper,
_The Leavenworth Times_, and, ultimately, cards of invitation were
sent to four others,[10] representing the 20,000,000 disfranchised
citizens of the nation.

Mrs. Stanton, as president of the association, wrote General
Hawley, asking the opportunity to present the woman's protest and
bill of rights at the close of the reading of the Declaration of
Independence. Just its simple presentation and nothing more. She
wrote:

We do not ask to read our declaration, only to present it to the
president of the United States, that it may become an historical
part of the proceedings.

Mrs. Spencer, bearer of this letter, in presenting it to General
Hawley, said:

The women of the United States make a slight request on the
occasion of the centennial celebration of the birth of the
nation; we only ask that we may silently present our declaration
of rights.

General HAWLEY replied: It seems a very slight request, but our
programme is published, our speakers engaged, our arrangements
for the day decided upon, and we can not make even so slight a
change as that you ask.

Mrs. SPENCER replied: We are aware that your programme is
published, your speakers engaged, your entire arrangements
decided upon, without consulting with the women of the United