The Morning News

ELIZABETH CADY STANTON,

PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL WOMAN'S SUFFRAGE ASSOCIATION.

The International Women's Council, at Washington, was opened by the venerable lady of whom we present a portrait. She read an address which told briefly the story of the woman suffrage movement up to date, and mentioned national questions in the settlement of which she believes the voice of women would be wise and powerful. Mrs. Stanton appeared to be strong and well.

A native of Johnstown, N. Y., Elizabeth Cady was born Nov. 12, 1826. The town was well known as a center of literary life and activity, and Miss Cady not only enjoyed, but was benefited by her surroundings.

She had in early life all the advantages which come from life in a city, as well as those of the country, for she had the advantage of healthy, physical life secured by exercise in the open air, as well as that of having refined and educated people around her at home, and of benefiting by their conversation and by observation of their behavior. At school she was an excellent student and always made it a point to study all that the boys were in the habit of studying. She delved into the classic mysteries of Greek roots, talked boys' slang, tried to drive horses as boys did, and, in fact, was absorbed by an anxiety to be a boy; and when she got out of the academy she was most thoroughly disgusted to find that because she was a woman it would be utterly impossible for her to go to Union College and that she must go to a young ladies' seminary. With great reluctance she finally went to Miss Willard's French Seminary, in the city of Troy, where her course as a student was not altogether a smooth and happy one. In 1837 she met and made the acquaintance of Henry B. Stanton, who was a radical anti-slavery agitator, and after a very short season of courtship they were married.

From that time she became one of the most active and energetic advocates of woman's rights, and was the moving spirit in the first convention of the women's suffrage project, which was held in 1848 at Seneca Falls, N. Y., where Mr. and Mrs. Stanton were residing. She is an able and eloquent speaker, enjoys the proud distinction of being the only woman who ever ran for Congress, and is withal a good-hearted, honest soul, and not fanatical in all her modes of thinking, for she does not believe in easy divorces or free love doctrines, and is an earnest advocate of free trade.