ON April 15， 1861， the President of the United States called out seventy-five thousand militia， and summoned Congress to meet July 4， when four hundred thousand men were called for， and four hundred millions of dollars were voted to suppress the Rebellion.
These startling events roused the entire people， and turned the current of their thoughts in new directions. While the nation's life hung in the balance， and the dread artillery of war drowned， alike， the voices of commerce， politics， religion， and reform， all hearts were filled with anxious forebodings， all hands were busy in solemn preparations for the awful tragedies to come.
At this eventful hour the patriotism of woman shone forth as fervently and spontaneously as did that of man； and her self-sacrifice and devotion were displayed in as many varied fields of action. While he buckled on his knapsack and marched forth to conquer the enemy， she planned the campaigns which brought the nation victory； fought in the ranks， when she could do so without detection； inspired the sanitary commission； gathered needed supplies for the grand army； provided nurses for the hospitals； comforted the sick； smoothed the pillows of the dying； inscribed the last messages of love to those far away； and marked the resting places where the brave men fell. The labor women accomplished， the hardships they endured， the time and strength they sacrificed in the War that summoned three million men to arms， can never be fully appreciated.
Indeed， we may safely say that there is scarcely a loyal woman in the North who did not do something in aid of the cause； who did not contribute time， labor， and money to the comfort of our soldiers and the success of our arms. The story of the War will never be fully written if the achievements of women are left untold. They do not figure in the official reports； they are not gazetted for gallant deeds； the names of thousands are unknown beyond the neighborhood where they lived， or the hospitals where they loved to labor； yet there is no feature in our War more creditable to us as a nation， none from its positive newness so well worthy of record.
While the mass of women never philosophize on the principles that underlie national existence， there were those in our late War who understood the political significance of the struggle； the "irrepressible conflict" between ******* and slavery， between National and State rights. They saw that to provide lint， bandages， and supplies for the army， while the War was not conducted on a wise policy， was to labor in vain； and while many organizations， active， vigilant， and self-sacrificing， were multiplied to look after the material wants of the army， these few formed themselves into a National Loyal League， to teach sound principles of government and to impress on the nation's conscience that ******* for the slaves was the only way to victory. Accustomed， as most women had been to works of charity and to the relief of outward suffering， it was difficult to rouse their enthusiasm for an idea， to persuade them to labor for a principle. They clamored for practical work， something for their hands to do； for fairs and sewing societies to raise money for soldier's families， for tableaux， readings， theatricals朼nything but conventions to discuss principles and to circulate petitions for emancipation.
They could not see that the best service they could render the army was to suppress the Rebellion， and that the most effective way to accomplish that was to transform the slaves into soldiers. This Woman's Loyal League voiced the solemn lessons of the War： Liberty to all； national protection for every citizen under our flag； universal suffrage， and universal amnesty.
After consultation with Horace Greeley， William Lloyd Garrison， Governor Andrews， and Robert Dale Owen， Miss Anthony and I decided to call a meeting of women in Cooper Institute and form a Woman's Loyal League， to advocate the immediate emancipation and enfranchisement of the Southern slaves， as the most speedy way of ending the War， so we issued， in tract form， and extensively circulated the following call：
"In this crisis of our country's destiny， it is the duty of every citizen to consider the peculiar blessings of a republican form of government， and decide what sacrifices of wealth and life are demanded for its defense and preservation. The policy of the War， our whole future life， depend on a clearly defined idea of the end proposed and the immense advantages to be secured to ourselves and all mankind by its accomplishments. No mere party or sectional cry， no technicalities of constitutional or military law， no mottoes of craft or policy are big enough to touch the great heart of a nation in the midst of revolution. A grand idea杝uch as ******* or justice杋s needful to kindle and sustain the fires of a high enthusiasm.
