the anti-slavery crusade-第7章

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e　Appeal　which　had　been　sent　to　Charleston　were　seized　by　a　mob　and　publicly　burned。　When　it　became　known　soon　afterwards　that　the　author　of　the　offensive　document　was　intending　to　return　to　Charleston　to　spend　the　winter　with　her　family；　there　was　intense　excitement；　and　the　mayor　of　the　city　informed　the　mother　that　her　daughter　would　not　be　permitted　to　land　in　Charleston　nor　to　communicate　with　any　one　there；　and　that；　if　she　did　elude　the　police　and　come　ashore；　she　would　be　imprisoned　and　guarded　until　the　departure　of　the　next　boat。　On　account　of　the　distress　which　she　would　cause　to　her　friends；　Miss　Grimke　reluctantly　gave　up　the　exercise　of　her　constitutional　right　to　visit　her　native　city　and　in　a　very　literal　sense　she　became　a　permanent　exile。　The　two　sisters　let　their　light　shine　among　Philadelphia　Quakers。　In　the　religious　meetings　negro　women　were　consigned　to　a　special　seat。　The　Grimkes；　having　first　protested　against　this　discrimination；　took　their　own　places　on　the　seat　with　the　colored　women。　In　Charleston；　Angelina　had　scrupulously　adhered　to　the　Quaker　garb　because　it　was　viewed　as　a　protest　against　slavery。　In　Philadelphia；　however；　no　such　meaning　was　attached　to　the　costume；　and　she　adopted　clothing　suited　to　the　climate　regardless　of　conventions。　A　series　of　parlor　talks　to　women　which　had　been　organized　by　the　sisters　grew　in　interest　until　the　parlors　became　inadequate；　and　the　speakers　were　at　last　addressing　large　audiences　of　women　in　the　public　meeting…places　of　Philadelphia。　At　this　time　when　Angelina　was　making　effective　use　of　her　unrivaled　power　as　a　public　speaker；　she　received　in　1836　an　invitation　from　the　Anti…slavery　Society　of　New　York　to　address　the　women　of　that　city。　She　informed　her　sister　that　she　believed　this　to　be　a　call　from　God　and　that　it　was　her　duty　to　accept。　Sarah　decided　to　be　her　companion　and　assistant　in　the　work　in　the　new　field；　which　was　similar　to　that　in　Philadelphia。　Its　fame　soon　extended　to　Boston；　whence　came　an　urgent　invitation　to　visit　that　city。　It　was　in　Massachusetts　that　men　began　to　steal　into　the　women's　meetings　and　listen　from　the　back　seats。　In　Lynn　all　barriers　were　broken　down；　and　a　modest；　refined；　and　naturally　diffident　young　woman　found　herself　addressing　immense　audiences　of　men　and　women。　In　the　old　theater　in　Boston　for　six　nights　in　succession；　audiences　filling　all　the　space　listened　entranced　to　the　messenger　of　emancipation。　There　is　uniform　testimony　that；　in　an　age　distinguished　for　oratory；　no　more　effective　speaker　appeared　than　Angelina　Grimke。　It　was　she　above　all　others　who　first　vindicated　the　right　of　women　to　speak　to　men　from　the　public　platform　on　political　topics。　But　it　must　be　remembered　that　scores　of　other　women　were　laboring　to　the　same　end　and　were　fully　prepared　to　utilize　the　new　opportunity。　The　great　world　movement　from　slavery　towards　freedom；　from　despotism　to　democracy；　is　characterized　by　a　tendency　towards　the　equality　of　the　sexes。　Women　have　been　slaves　where　men　were　free。　In　barbarous　ages　women　have　been　ignored　or　have　been　treated　as　mere　adjuncts　to　the　ruling　sex。　But　wherever　there　has　been　a　distinct　contribution　to　the　cause　of　liberty　there　has　been　a　distinct　recognition　of　woman's　share　in　the　work。　The　Society　of　Friends　was　organized　on　the　principle　that　men　and　women　are　alike　moral　beings；　hence　are　equal　in　the　sight　of　God。　As　a　matter　of　experience；　women　were　quite　as　often　moved　to　break　the　silence　of　a　religious　meeting　as　were　the　men。　For　two　hundred　years　women　had　been　accustomed　to　talk　to　both　men　and　women　in　Friends'　meetings　and；　when　the　moral　war　against　slavery　brought　religion　and　politics　into　close　relation；　they　were　ready　speakers　upon　both　topics。　When　the　Grimke　sisters　came　into　the　church　with　a　fresh　baptism　of　the　Spirit；　they　overcame　all　obstacles　and；　with　a　passion　for　righteousness；　moral　and　spiritual　and　political；　they　carried　the　war　against　slavery　into　politics。　In　1833；　at　the　organization　of　the　American　Anti…Slavery　Society　in　Philadelphia；　a　number　of　women　were　present。　Lucretia　Mott；　a　distinguished　〃minister〃　in　the　Society　of　Friends；　took　part　in　the　proceedings。　She　was　careful　to　state　that　she　spoke　as　a　mere　visitor；　having　no　place　in　the　organization；　but　she　ventured　to　suggest　various　modifications　in　the　report　of　Garrison's　committee　on　a　declaration　of　principles　which　rendered　it　more　acceptable　to　the　meeting。　It　had　not　then　been　seriously　considered　whether　women　could　become　members　of　the　Anti…Slavery　Society；　which　was　at　that　time　composed　exclusively　of　men；　with　the　women　maintaining　their　separate　organizations　as　auxiliaries。　The　women　of　the　West　were　already　better　organized　than　the　men　and　were　doing　a　work　which　men　could　not　do。　They　were；　for　the　most　part；　unconscious　of　any　conflict　between　the　peculiar　duties　of　men　and　those　of　women　in　their　relations　to　common　objects。　The　〃library　associations〃　of　Indiana；　which　were　in　fact　effective　anti…slavery　societies；　were　to　a　large　extent　composed　of　women。　To　the　library　were　added　numerous　other　disguises；　such　as　〃reading　circles；〃　〃sewing　societies；〃　〃women's　clubs。〃　In　many　communities　the　appearance　of　men　in　any　of　these　enterprises　would　create　suspicion　or　even　raise　a　mob。　But　the　women　worked　on　quietly；　effectively；　and　unnoticed。　The　matron　of　a　family　would　be　provided　with　the　best　riding…horse　which　the　neighborhood　could　furnish。　Mounted　upon　her　steed；　she　would　sally　forth　in　the　morning；　meet　her　carefully　selected　friends　in　a　town　twenty　miles　away；　gain　information　as　to　what　had　been　accomplished；　give　information　as　to　the　work　in　other　parts　of　the　district；　distribute　new　literature；　confer　as　to　the　best　means　of　extending　their　labors；　and　return　in　the　afternoon。　The　father　of　such　a　family　was　quite　content　with　the　humbler　task　of　cooperation　by　supplying　the　sinews　of　war。　There　was　complete　equality　between　husband　and　wife　because　their　aims　were　identical　and　each　rendered　the　service　most　convenient　and　most　needed。　Women　did　what　men　could　not　do。　In　the　territory　of　the　enemy　the　men　were　reached　through　the　gradual　and　tentative　efforts　of　women　whom　the　uninitiated　supposed　to　be　spending　idle　hours　at　a　sewing　circle。　Interest　was　maintained　by　the　use　of　information　of　the　same　general　character　as　that　which　later　took　the　country　by　storm　in　Uncle　Tom's　Cabin。　In　course　of　time　all　disguise　was　thrown　aside。　A　public　speaker　of　national　reputation　would　appear；　a　meeting　would　be　announced；　and　a　rousing　abolition　speech　would　be　delivered；　the　mere　men　of　the　neighborhood　would　have　little　conception　how　the　surprising　change　had　been　accomplished。　On　rare　occasions　the　public　presentation　of　the　anti…slavery　view　would　be　undertaken　prematurely；　as　in　1840　at　Pendleton；　Indiana；　when　Frederick　Douglass　attempted　to　address　a　public　meeting　and　was　almost　slain　by　missiles　from　the　mob。　Pendleton；　however；　was　not　given　over　to　the　enemy。　The　victim　of　the　assault　was　restored　to　health　in　the　family　of　a　leading　citizen。　The　outrage　was　judiciously　utilized　to　convince　the　fair…minded　that　one　of　the　evils　of　slavery　was　the　development　of　minds　void　of　candor　and　justice。　On　the　twenty…fifth　anniversary　of　the　Pendleton　disturbance　there　was　another　great　meeting　in　the　town。　Frederick　Douglass　was　the　hero　of　the　occasion。　The　woman　who　was　the　head　of　the　family　that　restored　him　to　health　was　on　the　platform。　Some　of　the　men　who　threw　the　brickbats　were　there　to　make　public　confession　and　to　apologize　for　the　brutal　deed。　In　the　minds　of　a　few　persons　of　rare　intellectual　and　logical　endowment；　democracy　has　always　implied　the　equality　of　the　sexes。　From　the　time　of　the　French　Revolution　there　have　been　advocates　of　this　doctrine。　As　early　as　1820；　Frances　Wright；　a　young　woman　in　Scotland　having　knowledge　of　the　Western　republic　founded　upon　the　professed　principles　of　liberty　and　equality；　came　to　America　for　the　express　purpose　of　pleading　the　cause　of　equal　rights　for　women。　To　the　general　public　her　doctrine　seemed　revolutionary；　threatening　the　very　foundations　of　religion　and　morality。　In　the　midst　of　opposit