precinct, the majority of the Colorado legislative assembly of
1870, in spite of all the free discussion of the campaign of that
year, decided adversely. In the latter days of the session, the
bill having taken the form of a proposition to submit the
question at issue to the already qualified voters of the
territory, was lost in the council chamber by a majority of one,
and in the House by a two-thirds majority, leaving to the
defeated friends of the reform as their only reward, a
consciousness of strength gained in the contest.

A few years more made Denver a city beautiful for habitation,
made Colorado a garden, filled that goodly land with capable men,
and intelligent, spirited women. Statehood had been talked of,
but lost, and then men began to say: "The one hundredth birthday
of our American independence is so near, let us make this a
centennial State; let the entrance into the Union be announced by
the same bells that shall ring in our national anniversary." And
so it was decreed. Mindful of 1776--mindful too, of the second
declaration made by the women at the first equal rights
convention in 1848, the friends of equality in Colorado
determined to gird themselves for a supreme effort in
anticipation of the constitution that was to be framed for the
new State to be.

A notice was published asking all persons favorable to suffrage
for women, to convene in Denver, January 10, to take measures to
secure the recognition of woman's equality under the pending
constitution. In pursuance to this call, a large and eager
audience filled Unity Church long before the hour appointed for
the meeting. A number of the orthodox clergy were present. The
Rev. Mrs. Wilkes of Colorado Springs, opened the exercises with
prayer. Mrs. Margaret W. Campbell of Massachusetts was then
introduced, and said: "This convention was called to present
woman's claims to the ballot, from her own stand-point, and to
take such measures to secure the recognition of her equality in
the constitution of Colorado, as the friends gathered from
different parts of the territory may think proper. We do not ask
that women shall take the places of men, or usurp authority over
them; we only ask that the principles upon which our government
is founded shall be applied to women.