{"id":1776,"date":"2026-08-07T20:25:18","date_gmt":"2026-08-08T01:25:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/victoria-woodhull.com\/wp\/?p=1776"},"modified":"2026-08-10T20:13:39","modified_gmt":"2026-08-11T01:13:39","slug":"wcw03021872","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/victoria-woodhull.com\/wp\/blog\/wcw03021872\/","title":{"rendered":"Woodhull & Claflin’s Weekly Excerpts – Mar. 2, 1872"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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March 2, 1872<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

[Pages 9-10]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

THE ACADEMY OF MUSIC DEMONSTRATION.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

THE REVOLUTION ALREADY BEGUN.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

TWELVE THOUSAND PEOPLE RESPOND.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most important and imposing gathering that has been known for many a day took place at the Academy of Music, on Tuesday evening last, the occasion being the lecture of Victoria C. Woodhull on

“THE IMPENDING REVOLUTION.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Six thousand men and women were crowded together within the auditorium of that immense building, while as many more made ineffectual attempts to gain admission. The whole length and breadth of Irving Place, from Fourteenth to Fifteenth Streets, as well as the wide pavements from Fourth to Third avenues was literally packed with a living, swaying mass of people. Some estimated that the crowd outside at ten thousand souls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Neither was the chief significance of this gathering in its numbers, but in the spirit which animated it. Of course, there were some rude and vulgar persons in it, but the great mass were honest, toiling citizens, who came there to hear the analysis of the wrongs under which they suffer, while there were not a few of the representatives of accumulated wealth also, and every one of each class seemed to vie with every other in efforts to gain the main door-way. When it became evident that no more could crowd their way inside, large sums, from one to ten dollars for reserved seats, and twenty to thirty dollars for private boxes were offered; and only when it was learned that not another seat was vacant did the immense throng slowly and reluctantly turn their faces homeward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ordinarily such a remarkable outpouring of the people would have received respectful attention from the press. Had it been some vulgar show; some great artist in music or the drama; some reverend divine, speaking upon a commonplace subject; some noted personage, denouncing freedom and equal political rights for women, why, whole columns with headings, immensely displayed, would have proffered their readers. But this occasion was only an inquiry about matters into which the ‘monopolists’ of all sorts do not desire that the people shall inquire; hence the press is muzzled, the people must not know too much. The speaker of Tuesday evening, however, could not have been more highly complimented than by the silence of all the Republican journals Wednesday morning. None of them had heard that the largest mass of people ever called out to inquire into political affairs, gathered Tuesday night in and around the largest hall in the city; and great was the astonishment of the “six thousand” who failed to gain admission to it, as they in vain searched the columns of the Tribune<\/em>, Times<\/em> and Standard<\/em>, for some account of what, to them, had been something quite out of the ordinary channels of events. The people can afford to have these papers ignore them ; but if the whole truth were known, the papers cannot afford to do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is true the Tribune<\/em> contained a poor attempt at ridicule, referring to a recent utterance made at Washington, which we quote for the enlightment of our readers, as to the general character of what was once a dignified and honorably conducted paper. So far as its apeing in print, the vulgar brutalism of the high moral toned Day’s Doings<\/em>, the illustrated Police Gazette<\/em> and other pictorials of that ilk is concerned, we are perfectly indifferent, since we are not responsible for its tastes. Nature will out, and there is nothing that so quickly demonstrates the brutal vulgarism of a person as the attempt to ridicule another of the opposite sex. In this sense
there is no mistaking the author of the following poetic and \u00e6sthetic effort of the Tribune<\/em>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We notice that Mrs. Victoria Woodhull, who has really become as preposterous and as intolerable a bore as George Francis Train or the Count Johannes, signifies her purpose of sending out 500 female orators to make shrill and incoherent the coming Presidential campaign. Perhaps she can do it. Who knows? If so, it will add petticoats and picturesqueness to a crusade which has hitherto been somewhat bleak from the lack of those alluring and attractive elements. The twinkle of a No. 2 gaiter with a high heel upon the rostrum would doubtless tickle the great mass-meeting-imagination, stupified by long contemplation of No. 14 brogans doubled soled; but we don’t think the discourses of the wearers of these bewildering boots would amount to much. It is seriously to be hoped that Mrs. W. will reconsider her alarming resolution and not wantonly flood the land with another deluge of talking virgins. There are surely enough now. With babble of them is the world filled, and of most of them the emptiness is as the emptiness of innumerable. Of the other sort, so far as heard from, it would appear that they desire to have as ltttle [sic] to do with
Mrs. Woodhull as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even the Herald<\/em>, usually independent, makes a tremendous effort to say nothing, and succeeds admirably. Although it could not ignore the crowd it endeavored to belittle its character:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“VICTORIA” ON THE STUMP.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

She says Christ was a Communist and does not believe in Hell or Damnation\u2014Pitches into A. T. Stewart and Astor\u2014Tom Scott gets a “Show” and so does Vanderbilt.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Last evening the Academy of Music was crowded to overflowing with a fashionable audience of ladies and gentlemen who came to listen to Victoria Woodhull in her new lecture entitled, “The Impending Revolution.” The aisles of the large auditorium were packed with ladies, who were forced to stand up packed like herrings in a barrel. Many of these ladies were afterward carried out fainting into the open air. Irving Place at as early as seven o’clock was filled with a moving mass of people of both sexes who were either endeavoring to force their way in at fifty cents a head or were fighting their way out, having found out that there was not even standing room for them. The proscenium boxes were many of them filled with the owners and their families and guests, who had come for the first time to hear the terrible Victoria Woodhull. It can be safely concluded that there were as many people turned away last evening from the doors of the Academy as there were persons who found accommodation within the walls of the temple of music. Mrs. Woodhull came on the stage in a quiet black dress, her hair cut short and allowed to float freely on her shoulders. There was a pleased flush on her cheeks as she looked first into the parquette, then into the dress circle, and finally into the amphitheater, and smiled ‘victoriously’ at the tiers upon tiers of eager faces. It was a noticeable fact that many bald-headed men were among the audience. Mrs. Rose M[a]cKinley, Miss Tennie C. Claflin, Mrs. Miles, sister to Mrs. Woodhull, and other strong-minded females were present in the boxes. It may here be observed that the bald-headed men were nearly all sitting in the front rows. Victoria read from her notes slowly and with precision, and so distinctly that she was heard all over the Academy. It is a popular belief that Victoria Woodhull is a sort of Bacchante, cut on the bias, with low neck and short sleeves, whatever she may be she has achieved success and has at last secured an audience. There were but few interruptions last night and when they occurred it was only to encourage her to proceed.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

“She has at last secured an audience.”<\/strong> Has the Herald<\/em> forgotten her audience at Lincoln Hall, Washington, of 2,500 persons; at Cooper Institute shortly after, of 3,000 persons; at the Rink, Cleveland of 4,000 persons; at Steinway Hall, according to its own report, of 3,000 persons; and at Music Hall, Boston of 3,000 persons? Verily it is convenient for this great paper to be slightly oblivious to facts contained in its own columns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Sun<\/em>, always sensational, did its best to break the effect of the meeting, upon its large number of readers, and at the same time retain its consistency. There was a great crowd\u2014in fact, a jam; but it was an earnest, and not a “chaffing,” crowd, unless a few low specimens are to determine the character of the whole:
MRS. WOODHULL’S LECTURE, A TREMENDOUS JAM IN IRVING PLACE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Victoria C. Woodhull read her lecture, “The Impending Revolution,” in the Academy, last evening, to one of the largest assemblages ever seen in that hall. An hour before the opening of the doors people began to congregate in Irving place, and fifteen minutes before eight o’clock the multitude filled up the street, extending out to Fourteenth street. The crowd was in good humor, and the chaffing was lively and amusing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Women and girls were wedged in so tight that they were helpless beyond uttering pitiful screams, indicative of disaster to toilets, and unaccustomed abrasions of knees and shoulders, while several fat old gentlemen nearly lost their tempers, as some broad-footed republican sovereign stood for an instant on a favorite corn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many were carried utterly off their feet, and so conveyed along with the surge into the vestibule. The door-keeper could hardly take and separate the tickets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

THE RUSH INTO THE ACADEMY.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the time for the lecture drew near the police became almost overpowered, and finally the doors were thrown open,
and then the unterrified rushed in with a roar and crash as loud as thunder. They jammed into the galleries and into the dress circle, overflowed into the parquet, and then the impetus was such that the mass of half-frantic people clambered over into the orchestra and filled it in a moment. The aisles were filled with men and women, who bravely stood it out to the last moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

THE AUDIENCE DEMONSTRATIVE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The audience kept up a fearful din of chaffing, stamping and hooting. Numberless facetious remarks were exchanged from
one gallery to snother, [sic] and many interruptions of the lecture were made by uneasy individuals, one malcontent wanting to
know what the speaker thought of free-love by this time. Several peremptory demands were made that she should speak louder, and some of her interrogatories were promptly answered by wise persons at the top of the house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several passages of the speech were enthusiastically applauded, as much of what she said appealed directly to the prejudices of the audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The World<\/em>, formerly fair, but more recently in matters pertaining to the radical branch of reformers, brutal, deigned to denominate the crowd a “motley crew” etc,, as follows :<\/p>\n\n\n\n

THE IMPENDING REVOLUTION.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lecture by :Victoria C. Woodhull .\u2014The Academy of Music Filled with an Immense Audience.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The crowd which had gathered last evening at the Academy of Music to hear Mrs. Woodhull deliver her lecture on “The
Impending Revolution” was immense. Long before eight o’clock, the hour appointed for the lecture, Irving place was
filled with a motley crew of all sorts of people, crowding and pushing each other about, surging up the steps which lead to
the entrance, and pressing against the doors, which were then unopened, and receiving accessions of every kind from every
direction. Speculators elbowed their way as best they could through the jam, shouting their offers of tickets at far less than the advertised price, and when the doors were thrown open it seemed that scarcely any whatever were needed. The crowd pressed by the door-keeper with such force that it was utterly impossible for the small force of police present to offer any hindrance, and collecting tickets was out of the question. Instantly every seat in the parquette and the gallery was taken, the aisles speedily filled with persons of both sexes, and every inch of standing room occupied. Soon after the lecturer commenced the boxes were thrown open and immediately filled. The entrances were jammed, and even then many were obliged to go away unable to get within ear shot of the speaker, The immense audience was far from a respectful one, and the interruptions frequent, even the applause being of a dubious character. The lecturer was attired very simply in a dark dress, with a cut-away jacket, and wearing a large blue necktie. She was unaccompanied by any one. After introducing her subject and explaining that by the “impending revolution” she
meant “the strife for the mastery between the authority, despotism, inequalities, and injustices of the present, and freedom, equality and justice in their broad and perfect sense, based on the proposition that humanity is one, which is the complete statement of the religion of Jesus Christ unadulterated by his professional followers, the speaker touched at length on what she called the different forms of despotism which now enslave humanity. Among these, she referred to the absolute slavery of the laboring classes, as she termed their present condition, the railroad monopolies for which she prophes[i]ed a speedy downfall, the monopoly of money, the reduction of the public debt, minority representation, and the relation of Christianity to politics. At the close of the lecture the audience remained seated, amid many shouts for the appearance of “Tennie Claflin” and “Tilton.” After five or ten minutes had
elapsed, however, the gas was lowered and the effect was visible enough, the Academy being speedily cleared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Star<\/em>, whose fading light betokens an early setting, whose chief delight has been to fatten on Tammany pap and defend
Tammany thieves; which purloins or invents messages; whose editor writes in the Sunday Star<\/em>, sketching coarse cuts to illustrate his coarser ideas, still more coarsely expressed, gives a hypothetical and burlesqueing exaggeration as an account of the greatest gathering ever held in the Academy as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

THE IMPENDING REVOLUTION.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Academy of Music presented an unusual scene last evening, it being the occasion of a lecture delivered by the famous Mrs. Woodhull, on the “Impending Revolution.” Rich revelations being expected from the fair orator, thousands of people of both sexes gathered around the building, in order to obtain admittance. By 7.15 P.M. the street opposite the building was almost impassable, and many an earnest wish was then expressed that the doors might be opened in order to prevent a jam, which was sure to occur in a very short time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The crowd continually increased until about 7.30, when the doors were thrown open, and a headlong rush commenced. After the first score or so had entered, a perfect wedge of human beings was continually being formed in the hall for about an hour. The rate at which this mass of human beings advanced did not exceed a yard in two minutes, and it took nearly twenty minutes, in some instances, from the time a person would leave the sidewalk till his entrance to the main part of the building. During this trying ordeal touching scenes occurred. Women were shrieking and fainting, and wishing Mrs. Woodhull and her lecture were gone to glory. Men were shouting and jeering the free-lovers, and hoping that Vic. would wait with her lecture till they had crossed the Jordan and got inside, while cries of “my ribs are going in!” “my sore arm!” “my pocket!” ” my corset!” “my hoops!” and “my poor sore feet!” resounded throughout the walls of the Academy. Inside the scene was no less ludicrous, the seats nearest the doors
were first, of course, occupied, and that quickly, too, while the reserved seats in the parquette were nearly empty. Seeing this, someone gave the mandate to enter the latter. Immediately a headlong rush was made, men and women falling over each other in the most inelegant manner. One of the gallery-doors next gave way, and in poured the crowd of the surging mass till the place was full to repletion. The private boxes were also taken possession of despite rules to the contrary; cheering, yelling, whistling, and Kentish fire were now brought into requisition, until the fair orator made her appearance on the platform. On her coming forward, cheer after cheer again resounded through the edifice, she bowing all the time in recognition. Vic. was neatly dressed in black, and her hair was in accordance with the style of the empress of Austria. There was great enthusiasm manifested throughout her remarks,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

HISSING AND CHEERING.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

vieing with each other at the lapse of every few moments. Her principal aim throughout was to have all on equal footing ; to do away with monopolists of every kind, and to obliterate hell. She said that to have these ideas carried out, a revolution was sure to come, which would be triumphant in like manner to that which swept slavery off the land. At the conclusion of her remarks she was loudly and<\/p>\n\n\n\n

REPEATEDLY CHEERED<\/p>\n\n\n\n

and bouquets to any quantity were showered on the platform, some of those which were thrown rather late were afterwards
taken off by her daughter, who was also called on for a “speech.” Before the end of the lecture several squads of police arrived to see that order prevailed and to save the Academy from destruction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
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And such is the press of New York city, without capacity to construct or execute a sound political economy ; without honesty to expose the dishonesty and incompetency of partizans ; without courage to utter the truth or permit its free expression; for a time, and only a short time will these monopolists maintain their thrones on the necks of the people. Instead of approving of what is good, and disapproving that which is not tenable or practicable in the remedies now being offered for the wrongs which none but fools or knaves deny, they suppress all that is good and valuable, and misrepresent and ridicule both the good and bad alike. These men forget that the people will find out that newspapers and politicians are equally guilty of the wrongs which make reforms and revolutions necessary at this hour; and when the expurgation shall come, they will be included among the common enemies who have bartered great principles-human rights, and the well for a mess of pottage\u2014political pap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we have said, the Academy of Music was crowded. Of course, there were rowdies there; but the great body of the audience was composed f the bone and sinew of this great city, well dressed, well behaved, thoughtful people who are anxiously asking the way out of this wilderness of political incompetency and dishonesty. Notwithstanding the most radical and revolutionary doctrines were enunciated, the great mass of that great audience accepted them, and the great mass of the people will accept them when permitted to hear dispassionately. They may not approve of our methods, but our purposes and principles are so in accord with the spirit, necessities, and tendencies of the age that the people can only be made to reject them because they are not allowed to fairly consider them.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

If the press do not, the people do, concede that our civilization and our religion are failures. The purposes of government are not accomplished, the design of the church is not met. But this is not the worst. The intelligence of the age, presented in editors and politicians is wholly unable to solve the simplest problem in the purposes of government. They do not understand any of the great questions demanding answer, in the hands of a people ready for remedy or revolution. Scurrility, slander, ridicule are fit weapons in the hands of such men, and for a time conceal their ignorance, incompetency, malevolence, and dishonesty, but the mask must fall, and then the people will lose confidence in editors just as they have in political hucksters and tricksters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We do not object, we court, fair and honorable criticism. We are ready to publish such criticism; for we have no interest in error. But such the press of New York is incompetent or unwilling to render. A horse neighs, a hog grunts, a dog barks. It is their nature. So editors steeped in corruption–the creatures of party and plunder–educated in the school that accepts as axiomatic: “To the victor belong the spoils.” What more can we expect than dishonorable and dishonest renderings. But the day of retribution is at hand, and not one who has bartered principle for political or party purposes shall escape. And so we bear patiently, and wait cheerfully for that law of compensation which enforces even-handed justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was another fact connected with the meeting which, though of considerable significance, was not noticed by the press.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the stage were two large banners, bearing the following inscriptions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What lack I yet? Jesus said unto him; go sell all thou hath and give to the poor. \u2014St. Matthew XIX., 21, 22. Neither said any that what he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.\u2014The Acts V., 32.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[Note .\u2014The “Times” of Thursday, has a long editorial, entitled “A Lamp Without Oil,” regarding this lecture, to which we shall give attention next week.]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Webmaster’s Note: These are actual extracts from the Woodhull & Claflin’s Weekly.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

JAN<\/strong><\/td>FEB<\/strong><\/td>MAR<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
January 20, 1872<\/a>
January 27, 1872<\/a><\/td>		February 3, 1872<\/a>
February 10, 1872<\/a>
February 17, 1872<\/a>
February 24, 1872<\/a><\/td>		March 2, 1872<\/a>
March 9, 1872<\/a>
March 16, 1872<\/a>
March 23, 1872<\/a>
March 30, 1872<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
APR<\/strong><\/td>MAY<\/strong><\/td>JUNE<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
April 6, 1872<\/a>
April 13, 1872<\/a>
April 20, 1872<\/a>
April 27, 1872<\/a><\/td>		May 4, 1872<\/a>
May 11, 1872<\/a>
May 18, 1872<\/a>
May 25, 1872<\/a><\/td>		June 1, 1872<\/a>
June 8, 1872<\/a>
June 15, 1872<\/a>
June 22, 1872<\/a>
June 24, 1871<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
JULY<\/strong><\/td>AUG<\/strong><\/td>SEPT<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
July 1, 1871<\/a>
July 2, 1870<\/a>
July 8, 1871<\/a>
July 15, 1871<\/a>
July 22, 1871<\/a>
July 29, 1871<\/a><\/td>		August 5, 1871<\/a>
August 12, 1871<\/a>
August 19, 1871<\/a>
August 26, 1871<\/a><\/td>		September 2, 1871<\/a>
September 9, 1871<\/a>
September 16, 1871<\/a>
September 23, 1871<\/a>
September 30, 1871<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
OCT<\/strong><\/td>NOV<\/strong><\/td>DEC<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
October 7, 1871<\/a>
October 14, 1871<\/a>
October 21, 1871<\/a>
October 28, 1871<\/a><\/td>		November 2, 1872<\/a>
November 4, 1871<\/a>
November 15, 1873<\/a>
November 18, 1871<\/a>
November 25, 1871<\/a><\/td>		December 2, 1871<\/a>
December 9, 1871<\/a>
December 16, 1871<\/a>
December 23, 1871<\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When this web site began in September 1999, there were no digitized copies of Woodhull & Claflin\u2019s Weekly<\/em> available online. Now you can find an almost complete run on the IAPSOP web site which has no affiliation with Victoria Woodhull & Company:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Woodhull & Claflin\u2019s Weekly at IAPSOP<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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March 2, 1872 [Pages 9-10] THE ACADEMY OF MUSIC DEMONSTRATION. THE REVOLUTION ALREADY BEGUN. TWELVE THOUSAND PEOPLE RESPOND. The most important and imposing gathering that has been known for many<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1776","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-woodhull-claflins-weekly"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/victoria-woodhull.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1776","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/victoria-woodhull.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/victoria-woodhull.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/victoria-woodhull.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/victoria-woodhull.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1776"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/victoria-woodhull.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1776\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2031,"href":"https:\/\/victoria-woodhull.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1776\/revisions\/2031"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/victoria-woodhull.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1776"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/victoria-woodhull.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1776"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/victoria-woodhull.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1776"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}