Laura Strurningher Schor ,La Voix des Femmes' Warnen and the Revolution of 1848 in France The first issue 01' La Voix des Femmes was those who came to meetings in Paris and published on March 19, 1848 by Eugenie others who sent letters a,nd articles from Niboyet, former Saint-Simonian and ex­ all over Fra,nce, were determined to ex­ perienced author, translator and editor. press different opinions on the political The pu blication followed by three weeks and social issues of the day. the February Revolution, which had re­ There is ample evidence - both writ­ moved Louis Philippe from the throne. ten and iconographic - 01' the involve­ Equally significant, it followed by three ment 01' women from all walks 01' life days announcements 01' the Provisional as supporters 01' the February act.ions at Government for the coming election. The the barricades and as econornic suppor­ men who were raised to power by the ters of the Provisional Government in the revolutionaries 01' Februa,ry declared the immediate aftermath 01' the battles2 In right to vote the supreme right 01' man the excitement 01' the early days 1'0110­ and asserted that universal suffrage would wing the return to a republican govern­ put an end to inequalit.y among citizens. 1 ment, some wornen were emboldened to In addition, the revollJtionaries believed believe that they, too, would be accor­ that the right to work was a fundamen­ ded the rights 01' citizenship. The best tal right 01' citizenship and that the go­ known 01' these is Pauline Roland, a Saint­ vernment should provide jobs for the un­ Simonian, who wa.s in February 1848 li­ employed. Despite the egalitarian rheto­ ving in the small commune 01' Boussac. ric, by mid-March it had become deM Eager to participate in the revolutionary that the Provisional Government did not events, yet far from the scene of the batt­ intend to include women in the expan­ les, Roland decided to make her stand at ded eJectorate nor were they eager to set the ballot box and tater in the mailbox. up employment. opportunities for women A strong supporter 01' Pierre Leroux, she who were without work. But the women tried to cast a vote for hirn in the mu­ 01' 1848, especially those who gathered nicipal elections. Though she was denied around Niboyet and La Voix des Femmes, the right to vote, she succeeded in signing 558 ÖZG 9(1998/4 Forum,558-586 the register, using the enigmatic and me­ broader issues of ed ucation and the sensi­ morable signature, Marie Antoinette Ro­ tive topics of mari tal obligations and di­ land. Roland then described her effort in vorce. a letter to friends in Paris, women who In March and April 1848 hundreds of were close to Eugenie Niboyet ..3 Eigh­ newspapers and political clubs opened teen months later, Jeanne Deroin, ano­ in Paris, responding to the new freedom ther Saint-Simonian and friend of Pauline from censorship rules and suspension of Roland and Eugenie Niboyet, demonstra­ cautionary fees which had been features ted her belief in political equality for wo­ of the latter days of the J uly Monarchy. men by launching her own campaign for Few women dared to attend these club eleetion to the new Legislative Assembly.4 meetings since membership was restric­ Other women focussed on t.he Right ted to men and meetings were often rau­ to Work promised by the Provisional cous affairs. 6 Fewer still had the courage Government. One group submitted 30 pe­ to seek the rostrum at these meetings to tition 1.0 the Government asking thaI. wo­ discuss women's rights.7 Niboyet, Deroin, men be named as delegates to the Com­ and Gay, all former Saint-Simonian lea­ mission on Labor to organize women's ders and previous editors of women's jour­ work. They demanded that lists of unem­ nals, were increasingly aware of women's ployed women be formed, and that na­ isolation from public debate. They dedi­ tionaJ restaurants, lau nd ries and sewing cated their efforts to pieree the silen ce workshops be created to give women em­ using the vehicle of La Voix des Femmes. ployment. 11. would take several weeks They sought the support of women wri­ and many more petitions before the Com­ ters and social activists and were rewar­ mission responded 1.0 these dernands in ded by the early adhercnec of Suzanne a partial fash,ion by creating 30 national Voilquin, Elise Lemonnier, Gabrielle Sou­ workshop in the second arrondissement met, Hermance Lesguillons, and Amelie under the leaders hip of a,nother friend Prai. The only woman who snubbed them of Roland, Deroin, and Niboyet, DesirEle and denigrated their e!forts was George Gay.5 Sand .8 Women's right to vote and 1.0 work From the beginning, they saw their were the two ~ubstantive issues addres­ newspaper as part of a la,rger effort 1.0 sed by women in the immediate after­ educate women and 1.0 involve them in math of the February revolution, but a wide-ranging social action. They dedica­ third issue emerged as women sought 1.0 ted themselves 1.0 the moral, intellectual, expand the definition of citizen. French and material rights of 3011 women. They women who spoke and wrote about wo­ planned a newspaper,30 li brary and pu blic rnen 's rights were ridiculed both for the instruction for women, and an association content of their remarks and for the act which would specifically address the pro­ of participating in public debate. Ironi­ blems of women in need.9 They plan ned cally, the satirical attack on women, hel­ 1.0 involve their readers in 3011 aspects of ped 1.0 expand the range of issues under this work. Earlier women's journals had discussion from su!frage and work to thc combined literary meetings and instruc- F 0 rum, 558 - 586 ÖZG 9/1998/4 559 tional opportunities; La Voix, built on education, one about the organization of this model, was unique in specificaJJy ope­ work, a letter to the people from Marie ning meetings and columns to women of M., a review of the foreign press, an ar­ all classes and levels of instruction. In ticle about prison work and the unfair recognition of the needs of their reader­ competition it created, a list of donations ship, they also included a job placement to the republic, a discussion of arequest service in their objectives. Opening the for a two-hour work reduction from laun­ circle of readers/participants to all wo­ dresses, the story of Pauline Roland's at­ men transformed La Voix des Femmes tempt to vote, and a few announeements. from a newspaper written by women acti­ This eclectic issue, relying on the accu­ vists for themselves 1.0 a newspaper which mulation of weeks of material, was a trial offered a forum for all women with con­ ba.Jloon. Many newspapers were launehed eerns about rights and duties. The selec­ in the spring of 1848 which lasted for only tion of the title, La Voix des Femmes, the one or two issues. However, with the se­ Voice of Women, was not without pur­ cond issue of La Voix which appeared on nd pose. Earlier women 's journals used more March 22 , the editors proclaimed suc­ neutral, less evocative titles like, La Tri­ cess. The response of the readers was so bune des Femmes,10 La Gazette des Fem­ strong, they reported, that from this issue mes, and Le Journal des Femmes. Why on La Voix would be published daily. Ni­ La Voix? Niboyet and her colleaglles left boyet and her editorial committee knew a clue in an article by Hortense Wiln in that to partieipate in political debates in the April 15 th issue of La Voix. Using the a meaningful way they would have to ap­ pseudonym Henriette, art.ist.e, Hortense pear more frequently than any previous deseribed the conspiraey of silenee she women's journal had dared. and her friends encountered when they Despite the optimism of Niboyet and trien to publicize a petition to the Pro­ her associates, there was little reason to visional Government demanding work for believe that they could sustain a daily women artists, workers, authors and tea­ newspaper for women readers. Fuclled by chers. The Petition was circulated to each the euphoria of the early successes accom­ of the major newspapers of the daYi per­ panying the overthrow of the J uly I1'Ion­ sonal visits followed to the journal offi­ archy and by the conviction that La Voix ces. All of these efforts proved futile. Hen­ would be a forum for women that would riette concluded, "women being nothing, enable them to partieipate in the pu blic the press would not ta.ke on thc mission debate, the editors launched the first fe­ 12 to makI' them become something." 11 Ni­ minist daily on a shoe-string Relying boyet. and her associates believen in wo­ on friends and relatives, they patched to­ men's rights; they were determined to re­ gether the next issues of La Voix. Paulin place women 's silence with women 's voi­ Niboyet, Eugenie's son, contributed a se­ ces. rialized novel as weil as several theatrical By mid-March they cobbled together reviews. Louise Crouzat, a friend, sent ar­ the first issue which included a Profes­ ticles on the ed ucation of girls in Aigeria, sion of Faith, an article about women's Hortense Wild contributed a piece about 560 ÖZG 9/1998/4 Forum,558-586 the midwivcs of Athens, Bettina von Ar­ condition of women added to the copy nim sent in a two-part article about mi­ available to the editors.