Anthony was used to such care.  She had been the financial burden-bearer of every reform with which she had been connected, but to this crushing weight was added such a persecution as she never had experienced before, even in the days of pro-slavery mobs.  Then the attacks had been made by open and avowed enemies, and she had had a host of staunch supporters to share them and give her courage; now her persecutors were in ambush and were those who had been her nearest and dearest friends; and now she was alone except for Mrs. Stanton and Mr. Pillsbury.  Even they were labored with, and besought to renounce one who seemed to have complete mastery over them and was leading them to destruction, but nothing could shake their allegiance.  The excuse for this persecution was that the Equal Rights Association was injured by the publication of The Revolution.

That there should be a paper published in the interest of the rights of women had been the dream of the advocates for many years.  Antoinette Blackwell had written Miss Anthony several years before:  “I wish we had the contemplated paper for Mrs. Stanton’s especial benefit.  I am afraid it will be too late for her when we get it fairly established, which does not promise to be very soon.  Lucy believes her own talents lie in other directions, and gives no approval to the plan for herself.”  Lucy Stone had written:  “We must have a paper and dear, brave, sensible Mrs. Stanton must be the editor.”  And at another time:  “I feel very proud of Mrs. Stanton, she is so strong and noble.  When we have a new paper she must be the editor.”

Mrs. Stanton, with her house and her large family, had no desire for this position.  Miss Anthony herself was not a writer, and many times of late years had agitated the question of raising money to have Lucy Stone and her husband at the head of a paper, they having now signified their willingness to hold such a place.  The founding of The Revolution was totally unexpected and its editors accepted it only because of the great need of a medium through which the cause of woman might be thoroughly advocated.  There was not the slightest desire to enter into rivalry with anybody or to antagonize the Republicans.  If the latter had been willing to furnish the money to start a paper, or had allowed space in their own publications, the favor would have been most gladly accepted.  Had the members of the Equal Rights Association raised a fund to establish an organ, so much the better, but although the subject had been talked of for years, the capital had not been forthcoming.  There was no attempt to make the association responsible for the opinions of The Revolution, as this letter from Mrs. Stanton indicates: