TheSenecaFallsDeclarationofSentimentsandResolutions
伊麗莎白·凱蒂·斯坦頓/ElizabethCadyStanton
伊麗莎白·凱蒂·斯坦頓（1815—1902），美國女權運動的偉大領袖，1848年7月19日至20日，她與另外四位婦女籌劃召開了一次會議，「討論社會、公民、宗教狀況和婦女的權利問題」。在斯坦頓的領導下，小組起草了一個模仿《獨立宣言》的《感傷宣言》。大約100名婦女和男士聚會紐約的塞尼卡福爾斯，討論、修改並接受了她們的《宣言》。比起普遍蔑視婦女權利，尤其是蔑視婦女投票權的輿論來，她們要進步得多。
AceintheHole
Understandthesenewwordsbeforeyoureadthisarticle.
1.destructiveadj.引起破壞（或毀滅）的；破壞
（或毀滅）性的
2.disfranchisementn.剝奪公民權
3.preeminentadj.卓越的,傑出的,超群的
4.assemblyn.集會,集合;集合的人們；立法機構,議會
1.DeclarationofSentiments
When,inthecourseofhumanevents,itbecomesnecessaryforoneportionofthefamilyofmantoassumeamongthepeopleoftheearthapositiondifferentfromthatwhichtheyhavehithertooccupied,butonetowhichthelawsofnatureandofnature』sGodentitlethem,adecentrespecttotheopinionsofmankindrequiresthattheyshoulddeclarethecausesthatimpelthemtosuchacourse.
Weholdthesetruthstobeself-evident:thatallmenandwomenarecreatedequal;thattheyareendowedbytheirCreatorwithcertaininalienablerights;thatamongthesearelife,libertyandthepursuitofhappiness;thattosecuretheserightsgovernmentsareinstituted,derivingtheirjustpowersfromtheconsentofthegoverned.Wheneveranyformofgovernmentbecomesdestructiveoftheseends,itistherightofthosewhosufferfromittorefuseallegiancetoit,andtoinsistupontheinstitutionofanewgovernment,layingitsfoundationonsuchprinciples,andorganizingitspowersinsuchform,astothemshallseemmostlikelytoeffecttheirsafetyandhappiness.Prudence,indeed,willdictatethatgovernmentslongestablishedshouldnotbechangedforlightandtransientcauses;andaccordinglyallexperiencehathshownthatmankindaremoredisposedtosuffer,whileevilsaresufferable,thantorightthemselvesbyabolishingtheformstowhichtheyareaccustomed.Butwhenalongtrainofabusesandusurpations,pursuinginvariablythesameobject,evincesadesigntoreducethemunderabsolutedespotism,itistheirdutytothrowoffsuchgovernment,andtoprovidenewguardsfortheirfuturesecurity.Suchhasbeenthepatientsufferanceofthewomenunderthisgovernment,andsuchisnowthenecessitywhichconstrainsthemtodemandtheequalstationtowhichtheyareentitled.Thehistoryofmankindisahistoryofrepeatedinjuriesandusurpationsonthepartofmantowardwoman,havingindirectobjecttheestablishmentofanabsolutetyrannyoverher.
Now,inviewofthisentiredisfranchisementofone-halfthepeopleofthiscountry,theirsocialandreligiousdegradation—inviewoftheunjustlawsabovementioned,andbecausewomendofeelthemselvesaggrieved,oppressed,andfraudulentlydeprivedoftheirmostsacredrights,weinsistthattheyhaveimmediateadmissiontoalltherightsandprivilegeswhichbelongtothemascitizensoftheUnitedStates.
Inenteringuponthegreatworkbeforeus,weanticipatenosmallamountofmisconception,misrepresentationandridicule;butweshalluseeveryinstrumentalitywithinourpowertoeffectourobject.Weshallemployagents,circulatetracts,petitiontheStateandNationallegislatures,andendeavortoenlistthepulpitandthepressinourbehalf.WehopethisConventionwillbefollowedbyaseriesofConventionsembracingeverypartofthecountry.
2.Resolutions
Whereas,thegreatpreceptofnatureisconcededtobe,that「manshallpursuehisowntrueandsubstantialhappiness」,BlackstoneinhisCommentariesremarks,thatthislawofNaturebeingcoevalwithmankind,anddictatedbyGodhimself,isofcoursesuperiorinobligationtoanyother.Itisbindingoveralltheglobe,inallcountriesandatalltimes;nohumanlawsareofanyvalidityifcontrarytothis,andsuchofthemasarevalid,derivealltheirforce,andalltheirvalidity,andalltheirauthority,mediatelyandimmediately,fromthisoriginal;therefore,
Resolved,thatsuchlawsasconflict,inanywaywiththetrueandsubstantialhappinessofwoman,arecontrarytothegreatpreceptofnatureandofnovalidity,forthisis「superiorinobligationtoanyother」.
Resolved,thatalllawswhichpreventwomanfromoccupyingsuchastationinsocietyasherconscienceshalldictate,orwhichplaceherinapositioninferiortothatofman,arecontrarytothegreatpreceptofnature,andthereforeofnoforceorauthority.
Resolved,thatwomanisman』sequal—wasintendedtobesobytheCreator,andthehighestgoodoftheracedemandsthatsheshouldberecognizedassuch.
Resolved,thatthewomenofthiscountryoughttobeenlightenedinregardtothelawsunderwhichtheylive,thattheymaynolongerpublishtheirdegradationbydeclaringthemselvessatisfiedwiththeirpresentposition,northeirignorancebyassertingthattheyhavealltherightstheywant.
Resolved,thatinasmuchasman,whileclaimingforhimselfintellectualsuperioritydoesaccordtowomanmoralsuperionty,itispreeminentlyhisdutytoencouragehertospeakandteach,asshehasanopportunity,inallreligiousassemblies.
Resolved,thatthesameamountofvirtue,delicacyandrefinementofbehaviorthatisrequiredofwomaninthesocialstate,shouldalsoberequiredofman,andthesametransgressionsshouldbevisitedwithequalseverityonbothmanandwoman.