In India an attempt has been made to abolish the Zenana system, and in both these countries the women themselves are struggling to be released from their degrading condition of servitude. Round the world from far Bombay comes a letter, in March, 1881, in which the writer says: 66 Bombay allows its women to vote on the same terms with its men, in the regulation and control of its municipal affairs." As early as 1870, said Lydia Maria Child, the suffrage movement was felt in Asia, some action being taken there to free the women from the iron rule of their Mussulman husbands. From far-away Japan, not long ago came the news that widow Kusanoe Kita had refused to pay her taxes, because she considered it "an injustice to be required to pay equal taxes with other heads of families when equal rights were not granted."

Even in the harems of Turkey the women are beginning to assemble to listen to speakers from another country, who have brought to them a doctrine not found in the religion of Mahomet,— the doctrine that they have souls, the same as their masters, and that the time has come for their deliverance from moral and intellectual slavery.

188

MASSACHUSETTS IN THE

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The most hopeful sign of the continued s of this great reform, is found in the fact th women themselves, of all nations, are g ready to work for their own emancipation fro bondage of centuries. The women are America, and they are already past their sleep in Persia." For them the hour has in struck, the morning light has dawned, and are forever awakened to freedom and to inde dence.

APPENDIX.

A.

"OBSERVATIONS ON THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN."

BY HANNAH MATHER CROCKER.

1818.

THIS little book is worthy of mention, from the fact that it is probably the first publication of its kind in Massachusetts, if not in America. The whole title of the book is, "Observations on the Rights of Women, with their appropriate duties agreeable to Scripture, reason and common sense." Mrs. Crocker, in her introduction, says "The wise author of Nature has endowed the female mind with equal powers and faculties, and given them the same right of judging and acting for themselves as he gave the male sex." She further argues that, "According to Scripture, woman was the first to transgress and thus forfeited her original right of equality, and for a time was under the yoke of bondage, till the birth of our blessed Saviour, when she was restored to her equality with man."

This is a very fine beginning, and would seem to savor strongly of the modern woman's rights doctrine; but, un fortunately, the author, with charming inconsistency, goes on to say," We shall strictly adhere to the principle of the impropriety of females ever trespassing on masculine grounds: as it is morally incorrect, and physically improper." In the book itself, the author cites with admiration many illustrious women who have "trespassed on masculine ground." Among them are Zenobia, Jane of Flanders, Elizabeth of England, and Oberach, queen of

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Otaheite. The last named carried a sea captain (according to his own account) over a marsh with as much ease as he could a little child." In speaking of Mary Wollstonecraft, Mrs. Crocker says, that while that celebrated woman had a very independent mind, and her "Rights of Woman" is replete with fine sentiments, yet, she continues, patronizingly, "we do not coincide with her respecting the total independence of the sex." Mrs. Crocker evidently wanted her sex to be not too independent, but just independent enough.

B.

THE WORLD'S ANTI-SLAVERY CONVENTION.

This

WHEN the American Anti-Slavery Society was formed, in 1833, some of the women present at the meeting made speeches, and the convention passed a vote of thanks to women for their zeal and interest in the cause. society always encouraged women to speak against slavery, and it did not disapprove of their serving as officers of town or county societies.

In 1835, the society wished to delegate Mrs. Lydia Maria Child to visit England in the interests of the Anti-Slavery cause, and in 1837 it endeavored to secure her services as travelling lecture agent. The same year it offered the Misses Grimké a commission to enter the field as lecturers upon the evils of slavery. Previous to 1838, Abby Kelley had been speaking on the platform of women's Anti-Slavery meetings, but in that year as agent of the American AntiSlavery Society, she came before public audiences composed of both men and women.

At the sixth annual meeting of the American AntiSlavery Society, in May, 1839, an attempt was made for the first time to exclude women from active membership.

A motion was made by a clergyman that none but men should have their names placed upon the roll; but this motion was rejected by an overwhelming majority. The same year it chanced* that a woman was put on a committee to "examine and report on the publication of the annual report. This caused a great commotion among the men members; but there was no open revolt until 1840, when, for the first time, a woman was elected on the business committee of the society. In consequence of this action, a minority of the members withdrew and formed another anti-slavery society. This division afterwards extended through many of the State and local Anti-Slavery organizations.

The World's Anti-Slavery Convention was first projected by the English abolitionists. When the American AntiSlavery Society was invited to send delegates, it responded by adopting the following resolutions, offered by David Lee Child, at its annual meeting held in New York, May 12th, 1840:

"Resolved: That the American Anti-Slavery Society regards with heartfelt interest the design of the 'World's Convention' about to assemble in London, and anticipates from its labors a powerful and blessed influence upon the condition and prospects of the victims of Slavery and prejudice, wherever they are found.

"Resolved: That our beloved friends, William Lloyd Garrison, Nathaniel Peabody Rogers, Charles Lenox Remond, and Lucretia Mott, be and they hereby are appointed delegates, to represent this Society in the said Convention, and we heartily commend them to the confidence and love of the universal abolition fraternity.

"Resolved: That the Anti-Slavery enterprise is the cause of universal humanity, and as such, legitimately calls together the WORLD'S CONVENTION,- and that this Society

"It chanced (Almighty God that chance did guide)."

[Spenser's Faerie Queene.]