Anne Warren Weston

“ As Abolitionists, we have all, I presume, been subjected in greater or less degrees to misrepresentation, contempt & persecution; by identifying ourselves in a measure with the oppressed & degraded we have been exposed to a portion of the sufferings that have been heaped upon them; but at the present period we are called upon to meet reproach, not as Abolitionists merely, but as women. ”

“ Anti Slavery Women should be the last to forget this. The men who are labouring in the cause of Human Rights are not unaware the vast scope that those words embrace. As a class it will not be found that they are the people who are sorrowing over their aggrieved dignity. ”

“ Let us now consult the dictates of our own reason. If an assembly of men are uninformed upon a point of great moral importance, is there necessarily any impropriety or indelicacy in the fact that a woman who possesses the requisite information should in all the simplicity & dignity of high & holy purpose declare it to them. ”

“ Because ignorant women are forbidden to interrupt a meeting does it therefore follow that well instructed ones may not address a meeting of their own convening. Again St Paul in addressing Timothy says "I suffer not a woman to teach," not to usurp authority over the man." Does any one understand this command as literal. No it is conceded that she may teach her own sex, that is supposing she addresses them by twos & threes in her own drawing room. She is only out of her sphere when she attempts to teach men. ”

“ The man who looks upon woman, merely from the fact of her being such, as a creature dependant & subordinate, is cherishing a belief that in the very nature of things, cannot fail to exert a most baneful effect on his own character. To render his actions & his opinions consistent, believing women to be inferior, he must ever remember to address them as such ”

“ Woman, upholding by her influence this system, pleading for its continuance, using all her ingenuity to palliate its guilt, and throwing obstacles in the way of emancipation, appears to us also to be out of her sphere, but with regard to those women who labour for the extinction of Slavery, who petition Congress for its abolition, who urge the claims of the slave whenever opportunity presents, who in time "feels for those in bonds as bound with them" of such such (?) ”

“ I am directed by the Board of the Boston Female A.S. Society to address you at this time for the purpose of assuring you that though the love of some of those who have been hither to esteemed as the firm supporters of the A.S. cause, seems to be waking cold, & though some who have put their hands to the plough seem to be looking back and though the hearts of many appear failing them for fear, yet it is not so with us. In times like these, it is highly desirable that all who hold the Abolition faith "undimmed & pure" should declare their ass (?) ”

“ We allow that the delicacy which consists in a hearty adoption of the most frivolous forms of conventional life and the propriety which derives its very being from the false code of morals adopted by those who compose what is commonly called "good society" is very decidedly outraged by the conduct we have been defending. ”

“ We feel it to be both a duty & privilege to utter our convictions relative to their heroic & noble career. With personal experience we can testify that their eloquence devotedness & zeal in the cause of the Slave is equalled only by their piety delivery and accurate sense of all that constitutes truly feminine decorum. ”

“ By the first class the society of man will be flattered & soothed by the latter it will be outraged and wounded and thus all his association with the female sex, the association originally designed by God for his moral improvement, must inevitably produce a result directly the reverse. ”

“ St Paul in his Epistle to the Church at Corinth directs that women who were ignorant & uninformed should not interrupt the meeting of the church by asking questions. By a rather singular modern interpretation this passage has been adduced as proving that the Apostle commands all women, how ever well informed and capable of teaching never to attempt to do so, but under all possible circumstances to keep silent in public assemblies. ”

“ On the other hand we have good reason to suppose that women on the day of Pentecost spoke to an assembly composed of men from every every nation under heaven. St Paul gives directions in what manner women should pray and prophesy, which directions would certainly seem to be somewhat unnecessary if they were to pray & prophesy at home merely. ”

“ But with regard to this doctrine, a difference of opinion exists among women themselves, & while one class cheerfully acknowledges its own dependence & subordination, yet there is another who while they cheerfully acknowledge & fulfil all the duties of their various domestic relations, (?) are not at all prepared merely in virtue of their being women to declare themselves either subordinate to or dependant. ”

“ And here we may well pause & consider how different are the views with which He regards woman's sphere & duties from those which the generality of men entertain. While by man too frequently regarded as a being whose chief object should be to subserve his enjoyment or convenience of whose duties & responsibilities he is to be the judge, whose very final accountability is almost merged in his other & widely differing is the duty & the destiny his Creator appoints. ”

“ But we trust, we are not now addressing woman of this class. We trust that all who have embraced the A.S. cause from Christian motives will feel that touching this question they owe a responsibility not to man but to God alone. ”

“ The fanciful illustrations employed by some of these self elected guardians of female manners would be amusing in the extreme were it not for the reflection that in so few men as these doctrines are received just so far is a most unhappy & prejudicial influence exerted both on the mind & heart of the receiver. ”

“ Individually must she judge of her duty, individually perform it & God has said that each one of their own doings shall give account to him. Is it then wise to govern our own views of duty by the opinions of others? Who are those who are now opposing woman's influence as exerted in favour of the E (?) ”