m Hay, of
Saratoga, always her faithful friend, had made the arrangements and he
encouraged her to go ahead. In those days she had no faith in herself
as a speaker. She was accustomed to raise the money, marshal the
forces, then take the onerous position of secretary and let the orators
come in and carry off all the glory. She spoke only when there was
nobody else who could or would do so. In the present emergency she
could utilize her one written speech and she was fortunate enough to
find at the hotel Matilda Joslyn Gage and Sarah Pellet, a graduate of
Oberlin, who consented to help her out. St. Nicholas Hall was crowded
at both sessions. Twenty-five cents admission was charged, many tracts
were sold, she paid all expenses, gave each of her speakers $10 and had
a small balance left. She needed it, for while at Saratoga her purse
had been stolen with $15, all she possessed.

In 1854 the Missouri Compromise had been repealed, trouble in Kansas
had reached its height, the Know Nothing party was at its zenith, the
Whigs were demoralized and the Free Soilers were gaining the
ascendency. This anti-Nebraska meeting at Saratoga may be said to have
witnessed the birth of the Republican party. It possessed an additional
interest for Miss Anthony, who attended all its sessions, from the fact
that her brother, Daniel R., made on this occasion his first political
speech. He had just returned from Kansas and could describe from
personal observation the outrages perpetrated in that unhappy
territory. After leaving Saratoga, Miss Anthony spoke in many places on
the way to Rochester, among them Canajoharie, the scene of her last
teaching. Her experience here is described in a letter home:

The trustees of the Methodist church said I could have it for my
meeting, but the minister protested and put the key into his
saintly pocket. Brown Stafford said to him, "Keep that key, if you
dare! I guess Uncle Read and Uncle John Stafford and I have done
enough to build and sustain that church to warrant us in having our
say about it full as much as you, sir;" and he was compelled to
give up the key. Uncle Read went to aunt and said: "I have not
thought of going to an evening meeting in a long time, but I will
go tonight if it kills me." So they went, also the very best of the
folks from both sides of the river, and I seldom have spoken
better. Uncle seemed very much pleased, and when Aunt Mary and the