Volume 18 Issue 47
July 21, 1848
INDEPENDENCE PRESS
FREEDOM, INTEGRITY, TRUTH
SIGNED: THE DECLARATION OF RIGHTS AND SENTIMENTS!
SENECA FALLS, NEW
YORK - In the week
since the first women’s
rights council, the entire
country has been abuzz
with talks of liberty,
happiness and rights. This past weekend,
68 women and 32 men
signed what is being
called the Declaration of
Rights and Sentiments. Over 300 attended
the conference whose
goal was to draft and
complete this Declaration
giving women more
rights than they ever had
before. Lead by head
author Elizabeth Cady
Stanton, the Declaration
of Rights and Sentiments
was written in the style
of the Declaration of
Independence. Notable attendees
included Frederick
Douglass whose
presences, some say,
helped pass the
resolutions that lead to
the completion and
successful signing of the
Declaration. In a postconvention interview, Mr.
Douglass told our
affiliate the North Star
that creation of the
Declaration of Rights and
Sentiments was the
"grand movement for
attaining the civil, social,
political, and religious
rights of women."
As much as it has
had success, the
Declaration of Rights
and Sentiments has had
equally as much
criticism. In this day and
age, it is not typical for
women to be awarded
not only so much
freedom, but so many
rights. Thus there is
much controversy
surrounding the events of
this past weekend. According to the Oneida
Whig, the document
produced in the
convention was “the
most shocking and
unnatural event ever
recorded in the history of
womanity”. Many argued
that the document was
distracting women from
their really societal
abilities and was at their
expense rather than their
happiness. Many even
felt that the Declaration
would hinder women’s
suffrage at such a rate
that it would loose any
and all endorsements if
put in place due to
societal pressure. Nevertheless, it is
the duty of this publisher
to share such sentiments
with the public for
according to the
Independence Press, the
United States is and will
remain and entirely free
country. Thus, listed
below are many if the
Sentiments listed within
the Declaration:
•
H e h a s n e v e r
permitted her to
exercise her
inalienable right to
the elective franchise.
•
He has compelled her
to submit to laws, in
the formation of
which she had no
voice.
•
He has withheld from
her rights which are
given to the most
ignorant and
degraded men - both
natives and
foreigners.
•
Having deprived her
of this first right as a
citizen, the elective
franchise, thereby
leaving her without
representation in the
halls of legislation,
he has oppressed her
on all sides.
Attendees of the Council
(1848)