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Private & Confidential (for the present)
Fayetteville, N.C. Nov 3d 89.
My dear Mrs Colby, If I did not consider you worth saving I should become vexed and write you no more. It is not necessary for me to say whose ambition or whose conservatism has bought the National Assn where it is. Only allow me to remind you, that I have worked very much longer in the suffrage course than yourself, and in the most intimate relations with those whom you so love and respect. But I have never yet allowed my regard for an individual to control my regard for principles. There
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was a time in the history of our country when even Benedict Arnold was held in high esteem But enough of that, Mrs Stanton has seen as well as myself that the Nat "C Assn" has been on the downhill course for some years. Mrs. Stanton felt hampered in the free expression of her thought. I know many things I do not feel at liberty to repeat. Some years since she expressed herself that her work with Miss Anthony was nearly done, but as long as the latter wanted her and ["cried"?] and paid her expenses and entertainmt. she has been to NW.S.A conventions And she is pleased at the turn things have taken which leaves her a "free lance" "to work when she pleases,"
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informed in Wash" that my name was one of the first proposed for Honorary Vice-Presidency in the Nat'l Convention - that I was elite &c But on the Tribune list of such officers my name does not appear
You will at least acknowledge that so many omissions of this character are singular I do not protest; I have too long been accustomed to non recognition to make it a subject of any moment as far as I am personally concerned - but I would like to have the 'objects" correctly stated,
Very truly & kindly yours, Matilda Joslyn Gage
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for the remainder of her life" Now my dear Mrs Colby, I am trusting you a great deal and before I am quite ready to do so. Mrs. Stanton is in favor of a new organization which shall do suffrage work on a liberal basis - especially shwoing the Imperious tendency of the elements as the Blair Bill the Nat'l Reform Assn, the American Sabbath Union, the Conservative course of the W.C.T.U. and all that body of church parties in politics of such Ingenuous tendency to the future welfare of our country Such an organization will be formal It has good
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finanical backing; the preliminaries are not all arranged but a convention will without doubt be held in Washington the coming winter. It may hold the old name with the addition of ' liberal' Mrs Stanton has pledged herself to speak whenever I "say she must" & to give her highest thought She says in her last letter, "The suffrage movement languishes to-day, because the new-comers & many of the old ones are afraid to take one advance step; we are now in the position of the churches. Dear, you cannot arouse enthusiasm any longer on the old basis," &c
We want you with us; there is where you belong.
