The men’s convention has a different record.  New York, in the month of September, 1853, was in a whirlwind of excitement.  The first World’s Fair of the United States was in progress and people had gathered from all parts of this and other countries.  In order to reach these crowds, many conventions had been called to meet in this city, among them the two Temperance, the Anti-Slavery and the Woman’s Rights.  The Whole World’s Temperance and the Anti-Slavery closed just in time for the opening of the World’s Temperance and the Woman’s Rights meetings.  Rev. Antoinette Brown was appointed a delegate from two different societies to the World’s Temperance Convention and, although they had every reason to believe that no woman would be received, it was decided to make the attempt in order to show their willingness to co-operate with the men’s associations in temperance work.

Wendell Phillips accompanied her to Metropolitan Hall, where she handed her credentials to the secretary and, after they were passed upon, the president, Neal Dow, informed her that she was a member of the convention.  Later, when she arose to speak to a motion, he invited her to the platform and then pandemonium broke loose.  There were cries of “order,” “order,” hisses, shouts of “she shall not speak,” and above all the voice of Rev. John Chambers, who, pointing his finger at her, cried over and over, “Shame on the woman!” Miss Brown stood an hour and a half on the platform, in the midst of this bedlam, not because she was anxious to speak, but to establish the principle that an accredited delegate to a world’s convention should not be denied the right of speech on account of sex; but she was finally compelled to leave the hall.

Win.  Lloyd Garrison said:  “I have seen many tumultuous meetings in my day, but on no occasion have I ever seen anything more disgraceful to our common humanity.”  Samuel F. Gary led in the opposition to Miss Brown, offering a resolution that “women be not allowed to speak,” and afterwards declaring in his paper that he did it “because she tried to force the question of woman’s rights upon the convention.”  To this Rev. William Henry Channing replied in a public address:  “If any man says that, he lies.  She stood there simply asking her privilege as a delegate.”  The New York Tribune said:  “This convention has completed three of its four business sessions and the results may be summed up as follows:  First day—­Crowding a woman off the platform; second day—­Gagging her; third day—­Voting that she shall stay gagged.  Having thus disposed of the main question, we presume the incidentals will be finished this morning.”

This was not an exaggerated statement, as practically nothing was done during the three days of the convention except to fight over the question of allowing Miss Brown, an accepted delegate, an ordained minister, a young, beautiful and modest woman, to stand upon their platform and speak on the subject of temperance.  Miss Anthony was a witness to these proceedings, her Quaker blood rose to the boiling point and she registered anew a solemn vow within herself that she never would relax her efforts for one single day, if it took a lifetime, until woman had the right of speech on every platform in the land.