“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:
A WESTERN TRIP.
“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 on the 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 the Western 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 magnificent state 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.”