TheSenecaFallsDeclarationofSentimentsandResolutions
伊丽莎白·凯蒂·斯坦顿
ElizabethCadyStanton
伊丽莎白·凯蒂·斯坦顿(1815—1902),美国女权运动的伟大领袖,1848年7月19日至20日,她与另外四位妇女筹划召开了一次会议,“讨论社会、公民、宗教状况和妇女的权利问题”。在斯坦顿的领导下,小组起草了一个模仿《独立宣言》的《感伤宣言》。大约100名妇女和男士聚会纽约的塞尼卡福尔斯,讨论、修改并接受了她们的《宣言》。比起普遍蔑视妇女权利,尤其是蔑视妇女投票权的舆论来,她们要进步得多。
AceintheHole
Understandthesenewwordsbeforeyoureadthisarticle。
1。destructiveadj。引起破坏(或毁灭)的;破坏
(或毁灭)性的
2。disfranchisementn。剥夺公民权
3。reeminentadj。卓越的,杰出的,超群的
4。assemblyn。集会,集合;集合的人们;立法机构,议会
1。DeclarationofSentiments
When,inthecourseofhumanevents,itbecomesnecessaryforoneortionofthefamilyofmantoassumeamongtheeoleoftheearthaositiondifferentfromthatwhichtheyhavehithertooccuied,butonetowhichthelawsofnatureandofnature’sGodentitlethem,adecentresecttotheoinionsofmankindrequiresthattheyshoulddeclarethecausesthatimelthemtosuchacourse。
Weholdthesetruthstobeself-evident:thatallmenandwomenarecreatedequal;thattheyareendowedbytheirCreatorwithcertaininalienablerights;thatamongthesearelife,libertyandtheursuitofhainess;thattosecuretheserightsgovernmentsareinstituted,derivingtheirjustowersfromtheconsentofthegoverned。Wheneveranyformofgovernmentbecomesdestructiveoftheseends,itistherightofthosewhosufferfromittorefuseallegiancetoit,andtoinsistuontheinstitutionofanewgovernment,layingitsfoundationonsuchrinciles,andorganizingitsowersinsuchform,astothemshallseemmostlikelytoeffecttheirsafetyandhainess。Prudence,indeed,willdictatethatgovernmentslongestablishedshouldnotbechangedforlightandtransientcauses;andaccordinglyallexeriencehathshownthatmankindaremoredisosedtosuffer,whileevilsaresufferable,thantorightthemselvesbyabolishingtheformstowhichtheyareaccustomed。Butwhenalongtrainofabusesandusurations,ursuinginvariablythesameobject,evincesadesigntoreducethemunderabsolutedesotism,itistheirdutytothrowoffsuchgovernment,andtorovidenewguardsfortheirfuturesecurity。Suchhasbeentheatientsufferanceofthewomenunderthisgovernment,andsuchisnowthenecessitywhichconstrainsthemtodemandtheequalstationtowhichtheyareentitled。Thehistoryofmankindisahistoryofreeatedinjuriesandusurationsontheartofmantowardwoman,havingindirectobjecttheestablishmentofanabsolutetyrannyoverher。
Now,inviewofthisentiredisfranchisementofone-halftheeoleofthiscountry,theirsocialandreligiousdegradation—inviewoftheunjustlawsabovementioned,andbecausewomendofeelthemselvesaggrieved,oressed,andfraudulentlyderivedoftheirmostsacredrights,weinsistthattheyhaveimmediateadmissiontoalltherightsandrivilegeswhichbelongtothemascitizensoftheUnitedStates。
Inenteringuonthegreatworkbeforeus,weanticiatenosmallamountofmisconcetion,misreresentationandridicule;butweshalluseeveryinstrumentalitywithinourowertoeffectourobject。Weshallemloyagents,circulatetracts,etitiontheStateandNationallegislatures,andendeavortoenlisttheulitandtheressinourbehalf。WehoethisConventionwillbefollowedbyaseriesofConventionsembracingeveryartofthecountry。
2。Resolutions
Whereas,thegreatrecetofnatureisconcededtobe,that“manshallursuehisowntrueandsubstantialhainess”,BlackstoneinhisCommentariesremarks,thatthislawofNaturebeingcoevalwithmankind,anddictatedbyGodhimself,isofcoursesueriorinobligationtoanyother。Itisbindingoveralltheglobe,inallcountriesandatalltimes;nohumanlawsareofanyvalidityifcontrarytothis,andsuchofthemasarevalid,derivealltheirforce,andalltheirvalidity,andalltheirauthority,mediatelyandimmediately,fromthisoriginal;therefore,
Resolved,thatsuchlawsasconflict,inanywaywiththetrueandsubstantialhainessofwoman,arecontrarytothegreatrecetofnatureandofnovalidity,forthisis“sueriorinobligationtoanyother”。
Resolved,thatalllawswhichreventwomanfromoccuyingsuchastationinsocietyasherconscienceshalldictate,orwhichlaceherinaositioninferiortothatofman,arecontrarytothegreatrecetofnature,andthereforeofnoforceorauthority。
Resolved,thatwomanisman’sequal—wasintendedtobesobytheCreator,andthehighestgoodoftheracedemandsthatsheshouldberecognizedassuch。
Resolved,thatthewomenofthiscountryoughttobeenlightenedinregardtothelawsunderwhichtheylive,thattheymaynolongerublishtheirdegradationbydeclaringthemselvessatisfiedwiththeirresentosition,northeirignorancebyassertingthattheyhavealltherightstheywant。
Resolved,thatinasmuchasman,whileclaimingforhimselfintellectualsuerioritydoesaccordtowomanmoralsuerionty,itisreeminentlyhisdutytoencouragehertoseakandteach,asshehasanoortunity,inallreligiousassemblies。
Resolved,thatthesameamountofvirtue,delicacyandrefinementofbehaviorthatisrequiredofwomaninthesocialstate,shouldalsoberequiredofman,andthesametransgressionsshouldbevisitedwithequalseverityonbothmanandwoman。