CHAPTER SIXTH.

In September, Mrs. Bloomer attended the two great temperance conventions held in that month in the city of New York. During her stay of ten days she was the guest of Mrs. L. N. Fowler, where for the first time she met her old correspondent, Mrs. Frances D. Gage, between whom and Mrs. Bloomer there existed for many years and until Mrs. Gage’s decease the warmest friendship. She also here again met her old co-laborers in temperance and other reform work, Miss Lucy Stone and Miss Antoinette L. Brown. When the World’s Temperance Convention met in Metropolitan Hall a most bitter wrangle at once commenced over the question of admitting women to seats in the convention, and after one or two daysspent in its discussion it was decided in the negative. The Whole World’s Temperance Convention then followed, over which Rev. T. W. Higginson presided. To this convention both men and women were admitted as delegates, and the proceedings throughout were intensely interesting. A public meeting held in the Tabernacle was interrupted to some extent by a noisy demonstration whenever a man attempted to speak, but the women were listened to without interruption. Among the speakers were Miss Stone, Miss Brown, Mrs. Gage, and Wendell Phillips. Mrs. Bloomer was an intensely interested participant in all these meetings, and in a quiet way took part in them, speaking briefly from the platform in Metropolitan Hall. She also delivered a temperance address in Broadway Tabernacle to a very large audience, Miss Emily Clark and Mrs. Mary C. Vaughan being the other speakers. While in the city Mrs. Bloomer also attended the Crystal Palace exhibition then open to the public. It was a very interesting presentation of the progress of the world up to that time in theseveral departments of human skill, industry and the fine arts, but has been far exceeded in extent and variety in subsequent years. One of the curious things occurring at these gatherings was a vegetarian banquet held in the Metropolitan Hall in which, it was said by the newspapers of the day, were gathered all the reformers of every description then in the city. The table was abundantly supplied with all kinds of fruit and vegetable productions, but every form of animal food was strictly excluded. Some speeches were made; but, on the whole, the affair was not esteemed a very great success. On the following day Rev. Miss Brown delivered a sermon from the platform in the same hall to a fair congregation on that old subject, “The exceeding sinfulness of sin.”

Of the Whole World’s Temperance Convention Mrs. Bloomer wrote as follows:

“It was largely attended, and passed off most happily. There were no old fogies present to raise a disturbance and guy the speakers; no questioning the right of each individual, whether man or woman, to utter his thoughtson the great subject which they had met to consider. All was peace and harmony and it did the heart good to be there.“There were delegates present from some twenty states and Canada and Europe, and a more earnest and intelligent set of men and women were never met together. We had the pleasure of meeting and taking by the hand many of our friends and co-workers to whom though personally unknown we had long been attached.“The time allotted to the convention was too short to allow so full and free an interchange of sentiment as was desirable. Many who had come up hither with hearts burning with zeal for the good cause, many from whom it would have been pleasant and profitable to hear, were obliged to forego the privilege of speaking on account of the limited time which had been fixed upon for the convention. The ‘whole world’ could not possibly be heard in two days, yet all appeared satisfied with the rich feast that had been furnished them; and we trust that those who were not heard in New York have gone home strengthened and better prepared to make themselves heard and their influence felt in the coming contest.”

“There were delegates present from some twenty states and Canada and Europe, and a more earnest and intelligent set of men and women were never met together. We had the pleasure of meeting and taking by the hand many of our friends and co-workers to whom though personally unknown we had long been attached.

“The time allotted to the convention was too short to allow so full and free an interchange of sentiment as was desirable. Many who had come up hither with hearts burning with zeal for the good cause, many from whom it would have been pleasant and profitable to hear, were obliged to forego the privilege of speaking on account of the limited time which had been fixed upon for the convention. The ‘whole world’ could not possibly be heard in two days, yet all appeared satisfied with the rich feast that had been furnished them; and we trust that those who were not heard in New York have gone home strengthened and better prepared to make themselves heard and their influence felt in the coming contest.”

Returning home Mrs. Bloomer issued another number of her paper, and then with her husband started on a Western trip. Of the first part of this tour, Mrs. Bloomer herself gave the following report:

“Columbus, Oct. 10, 1853. We reached Cleveland about six o’clock on Sunday morning, when we soon found our old friend C. E. Wheeler and wife where we spent the few days of our stay very pleasantly. We had heard much of the beauty of Cleveland, but in this respect I think it has not been overrated. It is indeed a fine city full of life and enterprise. The broad streets so nicely shaded give it an appearance of health and comfort unlike that of any other city I have ever visited. It is rapidly growing in population and wealth, and great numbers of fine buildings are now in process of erection. It is destined ere long to take rank in importance with any city in the West.“On Monday evening, I addressed a large and attentive audience at the Athenæum onthe subject of temperance and the Maine law. The subject is attracting great attention in this state this fall, and great efforts are being made to secure the passage of a prohibitory law at the next session of the legislature. Party lines are set aside and the frowns and threats of party leaders entirely disregarded in many sections. This is the only true course to be pursued, and I rejoice to see the men thus breaking away from party shackles and earnestly contending for the right.“Yesterday, the National Woman’s-Rights Convention commenced its session. The attendance, though respectable, was not large. There are many here from abroad, and I should judge the Northern states were well represented. Mrs. F. D. Gage, our dear Aunt Fanny, is president. I was prevented from attending the afternoon session on account of having accepted an invitation extended to me by the Temperance Convention to repeat before that body the address delivered on Monday evening at the Athenæum. Gen. Gary, Dr. Jewitt, and others of the great men were present. I was rather disappointed in Dr. Jewitt; but I was under the necessity of leaving before he finished his speech, to meet another engagement.“The attendance at the Woman’s-Rights Convention at the Melodeon, in the evening, was very large. Mrs. Garrison read several resolutions submitted by the business committee. I followed with an address of about three-quarters of an hour on woman’s right of franchise, after which Lucretia Mott occupied a half-hour or more in her usual happy and interesting style of speech.“We next visited Mount Vernon, which is a pleasant village of about 6,000 inhabitants, and where I addressed the people on the Maine law. There are four papers published here; among them is theWestern Home Visitor, which is a reformatory paper of high character and has a circulation of about four thousand copies. Newart was our next stopping place. It has a rather bad reputation for hard drinking, but it has a division of the Sons of Temperance which is doing good work. I judge there is a considerable reform spirit here, also, from the fact that the First Presbyterian church was opened to me by the unanimous consent of the trustees, that I might be heard on the Maine law.“We arrived in this city on Saturday, and stopped at the Niel House where the attendance is excellent. Just opposite is the magnificentstate house in process of erection, which when completed will be second in size and grandeur only to the National Capitol at Washington. I addressed a large audience on Saturday evening on the Maine law, and this evening I propose speaking again on intemperance and the wrongs of woman. I had the pleasure of a call from Mrs. Janney, secretary of the Woman’s State-Temperance Society of this state, from whom I learned that the society is far less efficient than ours though it is slowly gaining ground. The reason for this inefficiency is doubtless the fact that its leaders are unwilling to send out agents of their own sex to lecture and gather funds to promote the cause. To-morrow we leave here and travel westward.”

“On Monday evening, I addressed a large and attentive audience at the Athenæum onthe subject of temperance and the Maine law. The subject is attracting great attention in this state this fall, and great efforts are being made to secure the passage of a prohibitory law at the next session of the legislature. Party lines are set aside and the frowns and threats of party leaders entirely disregarded in many sections. This is the only true course to be pursued, and I rejoice to see the men thus breaking away from party shackles and earnestly contending for the right.

“Yesterday, the National Woman’s-Rights Convention commenced its session. The attendance, though respectable, was not large. There are many here from abroad, and I should judge the Northern states were well represented. Mrs. F. D. Gage, our dear Aunt Fanny, is president. I was prevented from attending the afternoon session on account of having accepted an invitation extended to me by the Temperance Convention to repeat before that body the address delivered on Monday evening at the Athenæum. Gen. Gary, Dr. Jewitt, and others of the great men were present. I was rather disappointed in Dr. Jewitt; but I was under the necessity of leaving before he finished his speech, to meet another engagement.

“The attendance at the Woman’s-Rights Convention at the Melodeon, in the evening, was very large. Mrs. Garrison read several resolutions submitted by the business committee. I followed with an address of about three-quarters of an hour on woman’s right of franchise, after which Lucretia Mott occupied a half-hour or more in her usual happy and interesting style of speech.

“We next visited Mount Vernon, which is a pleasant village of about 6,000 inhabitants, and where I addressed the people on the Maine law. There are four papers published here; among them is theWestern Home Visitor, which is a reformatory paper of high character and has a circulation of about four thousand copies. Newart was our next stopping place. It has a rather bad reputation for hard drinking, but it has a division of the Sons of Temperance which is doing good work. I judge there is a considerable reform spirit here, also, from the fact that the First Presbyterian church was opened to me by the unanimous consent of the trustees, that I might be heard on the Maine law.

“We arrived in this city on Saturday, and stopped at the Niel House where the attendance is excellent. Just opposite is the magnificentstate house in process of erection, which when completed will be second in size and grandeur only to the National Capitol at Washington. I addressed a large audience on Saturday evening on the Maine law, and this evening I propose speaking again on intemperance and the wrongs of woman. I had the pleasure of a call from Mrs. Janney, secretary of the Woman’s State-Temperance Society of this state, from whom I learned that the society is far less efficient than ours though it is slowly gaining ground. The reason for this inefficiency is doubtless the fact that its leaders are unwilling to send out agents of their own sex to lecture and gather funds to promote the cause. To-morrow we leave here and travel westward.”

Mrs. Bloomer then passed on to Richmond, Indianapolis, Detroit, Chicago, and Milwaukee. Unfortunately, her own report of her visits to these cities is lost and cannot be reproduced. She remained one or two days in each of them, and in each delivered one or two addresses,—certainly two in Detroit, Chicago, and Milwaukee, one on temperance and one on woman’senfranchisement in each city. In all she was favored with large audiences and listened to with the closest attention, and highly favorable notices of her lectures appeared in the newspapers of all the cities visited. With the exception of Lucy Stone, who had previously spoken in some of them, she was up to that time the first woman who had been heard on the platform in the large towns of the great West.

But the journey, with all she did during its continuance, was really beyond her strength and she was very glad to return home the latter part of the month and secure the rest she so greatly needed. But she could not keep quiet, and her pluck and perseverance enabled her to go on with her work. The issues of theLilywere resumed, and she was soon again in the lecture field in reply to pressing invitations from surrounding towns. Her last lecture, at this time, in New York was delivered at the courthouse in Ovid, in which beautiful town some of the earlier years of her life had been spent.

The December number of theLilycontained the following announcement:

“Our husband having purchased an interest in theWestern Home Visitorpublished at Mount Vernon, Ohio, and determined upon moving to that place forthwith we, as a true and faithful wife, are bound to say in the language of Ruth ‘where thou goest, I will go’; and so, before another number of theLilyreaches its subscribers, we shall if all is well be settled in our Western home.“This announcement, we are well aware, will be an unpleasant surprise to many of our readers and friends in this state; yet we trust that our change of location will not be deemed by them sufficient cause for deserting us. We go but a short distance to the west. TheLilywill continue to be published and its character will be in no wise changed. ‘Uncle Sam’ will carry it as safely and regularly to the homes of our friends as he has done heretofore, and also convey all letters and remittances to us as safely and securely in Ohio as in New York. Then, friends, we pray you let not our change of location affect our intercourse with each other;but remember that, there as well as here, we shall labor for the promotion of the great and good cause to which we have devoted so many years of our life. We look confidently to you for that support and encouragement which you have bestowed so liberally heretofore, and we trust that your efforts in behalf of theLilywill be increased rather than diminished.“We feel that it matters little in what part of the vineyard we are placed, so we but improve and cultivate to the best of our ability the part assigned us. And this feeling bears us up under the heart-sorrow occasioned by the sundering of the many ties that bind us to home and friends in our native state. We bid farewell to all with an aching heart.“Yet our grief in parting with associations so dear, is mingled with hope for the future. We prefer to look on the bright side of every picture, and to do what we can to render life’s journey pleasant and happy rather than darken and embitter it by mournings and grief. So we will dash aside the tears, and school our heart to bear with fortitude this the greatest sorrow ever laid upon us; believing that it is for our interest to take this step, though it be so agonizing to part with those we love.“We go to seek a home among strangers,not knowing what will be our reception, or whether kindred spirits are there to gather around and cheer our loneliness; but in this, too, we have hope that we shall be met in the same spirit of kindness which we bear with us.“We have never been pleased with the appearance of our paper in folio form, and so have determined to change it back to a quarto; and we shall hope, with the increased facilities which we shall have for printing it at Mount Vernon, thatThe Lilywill present a more respectable appearance than it has done the past year.”

“This announcement, we are well aware, will be an unpleasant surprise to many of our readers and friends in this state; yet we trust that our change of location will not be deemed by them sufficient cause for deserting us. We go but a short distance to the west. TheLilywill continue to be published and its character will be in no wise changed. ‘Uncle Sam’ will carry it as safely and regularly to the homes of our friends as he has done heretofore, and also convey all letters and remittances to us as safely and securely in Ohio as in New York. Then, friends, we pray you let not our change of location affect our intercourse with each other;but remember that, there as well as here, we shall labor for the promotion of the great and good cause to which we have devoted so many years of our life. We look confidently to you for that support and encouragement which you have bestowed so liberally heretofore, and we trust that your efforts in behalf of theLilywill be increased rather than diminished.

“We feel that it matters little in what part of the vineyard we are placed, so we but improve and cultivate to the best of our ability the part assigned us. And this feeling bears us up under the heart-sorrow occasioned by the sundering of the many ties that bind us to home and friends in our native state. We bid farewell to all with an aching heart.

“Yet our grief in parting with associations so dear, is mingled with hope for the future. We prefer to look on the bright side of every picture, and to do what we can to render life’s journey pleasant and happy rather than darken and embitter it by mournings and grief. So we will dash aside the tears, and school our heart to bear with fortitude this the greatest sorrow ever laid upon us; believing that it is for our interest to take this step, though it be so agonizing to part with those we love.

“We go to seek a home among strangers,not knowing what will be our reception, or whether kindred spirits are there to gather around and cheer our loneliness; but in this, too, we have hope that we shall be met in the same spirit of kindness which we bear with us.

“We have never been pleased with the appearance of our paper in folio form, and so have determined to change it back to a quarto; and we shall hope, with the increased facilities which we shall have for printing it at Mount Vernon, thatThe Lilywill present a more respectable appearance than it has done the past year.”

The removal of Mr. and Mrs. Bloomer from Seneca Falls excited a good deal of interest, as they had been many years residents of that place and had taken an active part in the events of village life. A public meeting was called and largely attended by their friends and admirers, at which speeches were made and a fine supper served. A report of this gathering will be given in full. The editor of theCourier, Mr. Isaac Fuller, who had been intimately acquainted with Mr. and Mrs. Bloomer for many years, published the following article in his paper:

“The Lily.This paper will hereafter be published at Mount Vernon, Ohio, its editor and proprietor having moved with her husband to that place. Although we disapprove of some of the measures advocated in theLily, we part with it and its worthy editor with sincere regret. It is now five years since its publication was commenced, and during the whole time Mrs. Bloomer has had the entire direction of it, both editorially and financially, displaying talents and business qualifications possessed by few of the gentler sex and which but few of her friends were prepared to see her exhibit. The ability and energy with which theLilyhas been conducted have attained for it a circulation of over four thousand copies in different parts of the Union, thus giving to our enterprising village notoriety which it would not have otherwise obtained. Our business engagements with Mrs. Bloomer have been such as to give us a knowledge of the facts above mentioned, to which we add that she possesses in an eminent degree, those social virtues which everywhere command respect and which give value to character in every position occupied by members of refined society. We say this becausewe know that strangers are wont to consider the editor of theLilya coarse, unrefined woman possessing few or none of the traits which adorn the female character, and as cherishing a disregard of the duties devolving upon woman in the domestic relations of society; whereas just the reverse is the fact. We hope theLilywill lose none of its vitality from being transplanted, and may its amiable editor enjoy a long and happy life!”[1]

“D. C. Bloomer, Esq., having made known his intention to remove from the village where he has resided for sixteen years past, the numerous friends of himself and wife assembled by appointment at Union Hall, on Tuesday evening last, for the purpose of publicly testifying their respect for them. The proceeding originated with the Good Templars, a temperance order to which Mr. and Mrs. Bloomer belong, but was participated in by citizens of all classes. The assemblage composed about equally of both sexes was very large, numbering we should judge from 400 to 500 persons. Five tablesmost bountifully spread and extending the whole length of the hall were twice filled. After the refreshments were disposed of C. Salisbury, Esq., was called to the chair, and speeches and toasts followed. Appropriate and extended remarks were made by Gilbert Wilcoxen, Esq., C. H. Reed, Esq., S. D. Tillman, Esq., Rev. Mr. Fraly, and others. We are not able to report what was said, but the sentiments offered were highly complimentary to Mr. and Mrs. Bloomer, both of whom responded in a very handsome manner. The following resolutions were presented and passed by a hearty and unanimous ‘aye’:“Whereaswe have learned that our respected friend and fellow-citizen, Dexter C. Bloomer, and his wife, Mrs. Amelia Bloomer, are about to remove from this village;“Andwhereasthey have, during the long period they have resided among us not only sustained the character of good citizens, but have been known as efficient and active workers in the cause of temperance; therefore,“Resolvedthat we, the temperance men and women of Seneca Falls here assembled on this occasion, do tender to Mr. and Mrs. Bloomer our warmest and most sincere acknowledgments for their faithful and devoted service in promotingthe noble work of redeeming the world from the evils of intemperance.“Resolvedthat, as citizens of the village, we also desire to tender to Mr. and Mrs. Bloomer an expression of the high regard we entertain for them, and to bear our willing testimony to the general esteem and respect in which they are held by their neighbors and associates among whom they have so long resided.“Resolvedthat, while we part with our friends with sincere regret, our warmest wishes for their future welfare will go with them to their new home, and we shall always hear of their prosperity with the greatest satisfaction.“The serious part of the proceedings having been gotten along with, music and dancing were introduced and the festivities were prolonged to a late hour, when the assembly dispersed and all retired to their homes with a consciousness of having discharged their duty to valued friends who were about removing from their midst.“The whole of the proceedings passed off most agreeably and pleasantly, and we regard the affair as the very highest compliment that could have been paid to those in whose honor it was gotten up.”

“Whereaswe have learned that our respected friend and fellow-citizen, Dexter C. Bloomer, and his wife, Mrs. Amelia Bloomer, are about to remove from this village;

“Andwhereasthey have, during the long period they have resided among us not only sustained the character of good citizens, but have been known as efficient and active workers in the cause of temperance; therefore,

“Resolvedthat we, the temperance men and women of Seneca Falls here assembled on this occasion, do tender to Mr. and Mrs. Bloomer our warmest and most sincere acknowledgments for their faithful and devoted service in promotingthe noble work of redeeming the world from the evils of intemperance.

“Resolvedthat, as citizens of the village, we also desire to tender to Mr. and Mrs. Bloomer an expression of the high regard we entertain for them, and to bear our willing testimony to the general esteem and respect in which they are held by their neighbors and associates among whom they have so long resided.

“Resolvedthat, while we part with our friends with sincere regret, our warmest wishes for their future welfare will go with them to their new home, and we shall always hear of their prosperity with the greatest satisfaction.

“The serious part of the proceedings having been gotten along with, music and dancing were introduced and the festivities were prolonged to a late hour, when the assembly dispersed and all retired to their homes with a consciousness of having discharged their duty to valued friends who were about removing from their midst.

“The whole of the proceedings passed off most agreeably and pleasantly, and we regard the affair as the very highest compliment that could have been paid to those in whose honor it was gotten up.”

FOOTNOTES:[1]FromSeneca County Courier, Dec. 1853.

[1]FromSeneca County Courier, Dec. 1853.

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