President, Lucretia Mott; vice-presidents, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Theodore Tilton, Frederick Douglass, Josephine S. Griffing, Frances D. Gage, Robert Purvis, Martha C. Wright, Rebecca W. Mott; corresponding secretaries, Susan B. Anthony, Caroline M. Severance, Mattie Griffith; treasurer, Ludlow Patton; recording secretary, Henry B. Blackwell.]

[Footnote 38:  Mr. Beecher was invited to one of the preliminary meetings held during the summer and thus replied:  “I can not come to Syracuse, much as I should like to, for I am, from the middle of August, a victim of ophthalmic catarrh, often called hay-fever or hay cold, which unfits me for any serious duty except that of sneezing and crying.  That which the prophet longed for—­that his eyes might become a fountain of tears—­I have, unlonged for, and I am persuaded that Jeremiah would never have asked for it a second time, if he had but once tried it.  The visit to Gerrit Smith’s is tempting but at this, like many another good thing, I look and pass on.”]

[Footnote 39:  See History of Woman Suffrage, Vol.  II; p. 103.]

CHAPTER XVII.

CAMPAIGNS IN NEW YORK AND KANSAS.

1867.

The first three months of 1867 were spent by Miss Anthony and a corps of speakers in a series of conventions throughout the State of New York in order to secure for women a representation in the Constitutional Convention.  The history of these was that of many which had preceded them, large crowds and much enthusiasm in some places, small audiences and chilling receptions at others.  The press comments were generally fair, but occasionally there was a weak attempt at wit or satire.  For instance, the editor of the Buffalo Commercial thus replied through his columns to a polite note from Miss Anthony enclosing an advertisement of the convention and requesting that the blank space left be filled with the names of places where tickets usually were sold, the bill to be sent to her: 

By reference to the notice which we publish elsewhere, it will be seen that we have complied with the request of Susan, except in giving the names of places where tickets are to be had.  “The bars of the principal hotels” suggested itself; but then it occurred to us that perhaps some of our strong-minded female fellow-citizens might not like to go to these places for cards of admission.  Then we thought of inserting “for freight or passage apply to the captain on board;” but we did not know whether Susan or Elizabeth was captain, and a row might have resulted, in which case the former would probably become “black-eyed Susan.”  We finally concluded not to meddle with the matter but to let Susan and Elizabeth do as the man insisted upon doing who enacted the part of the king in the play, and who profanely declared that as he was king, he would die just where he d——­ pleased.  The girls can sell tickets just