1、Margaret Chase Smith: “Declaration of Conscience“delivered 1 June 1950Mr. President:I would like to speak briefly and simply about a serious national condition. It is a national feeling of fear and frustration that could result in national suicide and the end of everything that we Americans hold dea
2、r. It is a condition that comes from the lack of effective leadership in either the Legislative Branch or the Executive Branch of our Government.That leadership is so lacking that serious and responsible proposals are being made that national advisory commissions be appointed to provide such critica
3、lly needed leadership.I speak as briefly as possible because too much harm has already been done with irresponsible words of bitterness and selfish political opportunism. I speak as briefly as possible because the issue is too great to be obscured by eloquence. I speak simply and briefly in the hope
4、 that my words will be taken to heart.I speak as a Republican. I speak as a woman. I speak as a United States Senator. I speak as an American.The United States Senate has long enjoyed worldwide respect as the greatest deliberative body in the world. But recently that deliberative character has too o
5、ften been debased to the level of a forum of hate and character assassination sheltered by the shield of congressional immunity.It is ironical that we Senators can in debate in the Senate directly or indirectly, by any form of words, impute to any American who is not a Senator any conduct or motive
6、unworthy or unbecoming an Americanand without that non-Senator American having any legal redress against usyet if we say the same thing in the Senate about our colleagues we can be stopped on the grounds of being out of order.It is strange that we can verbally attack anyone else without restraint an
7、d with full protection and yet we hold ourselves above the same type of criticism here on the Senate Floor. Surely the United States Senate is big enough to take self-criticism and self-appraisal. Surely we should be able to take the same kind of character attacks that we “dish out” to outsiders.I t
8、hink that it is high time for the United States Senate and its members to do some soul-searchingfor us to weigh our conscienceson the manner in which we are performing our duty to the people of Americaon the manner in which we are using or abusing our individual powers and privileges.I think that it
9、 is high time that we remembered that we have sworn to uphold and defend the Constitution. I think that it is high time that we remembered that the Constitution, as amended, speaks not only of the freedom of speech but also of trial by jury instead of trial by accusation.Whether it be a criminal pro
10、secution in court or a character prosecution in the Senate, there is little practical distinction when the life of a person has been ruined.Those of us who shout the loudest about Americanism in making character assassinations are all too frequently those who, by our own words and acts, ignore some
11、of the basic principles of Americanism:The right to criticize;The right to hold unpopular beliefs;The right to protest;The right of independent thought.The exercise of these rights should not cost one single American citizen his reputation or his right to a livelihood nor should he be in danger of l
12、osing his reputation or livelihood merely because he happens to know someone who holds unpopular beliefs. Who of us doesnt? Otherwise none of us could call our souls our own. Otherwise thought control would have set in.The American people are sick and tired of being afraid to speak their minds lest
13、they be politically smeared as “Communists” or “Fascists” by their opponents. Freedom of speech is not what it used to be in America. It has been so abused by some that it is not exercised by others.The American people are sick and tired of seeing innocent people smeared and guilty people whitewashe
14、d. But there have been enough proved cases, such as the Amerasia case, the Hiss case, the Coplon case, the Gold case, to cause the nationwide distrust and strong suspicion that there may be something to the unproved, sensational accusations.As a Republican, I say to my colleagues on this side of the
15、 aisle that the Republican Party faces a challenge today that is not unlike the challenge that it faced back in Lincolns day. The Republican Party so successfully met that challenge that it emerged from the Civil War as the champion of a united nationin addition to being a Party that unrelentingly f
16、ought loose spending and loose programs.Today our country is being psychologically divided by the confusion and the suspicions that are bred in the United States Senate to spread like cancerous tentacles of “know nothing, suspect everything” attitudes. Today we have a Democratic Administration that
17、has developed a mania for loose spending and loose programs. History is repeating itselfand the Republican Party again has the opportunity to emerge as the champion of unity and prudence.The record of the present Democratic Administration has provided us with sufficient campaign issues without the n
18、ecessity of resorting to political smears. America is rapidly losing its position as leader of the world simply because the Democratic Administration has pitifully failed to provide effective leadership.The Democratic Administration has completely confused the American people by its daily contradict
19、ory grave warnings and optimistic assurances-that show the people that our Democratic Administration has no idea of where it is going.The Democratic Administration has greatly lost the confidence of the American people by its complacency to the threat of communism here at home and the leak of vital
20、secrets to Russia though key officials of the Democratic Administration. There are enough proved cases to make this point without diluting our criticism with unproved charges.Surely these are sufficient reasons to make it clear to the American people that it is time for a change and that a Republica
21、n victory is necessary to the security of this country. Surely it is clear that this nation will continue to suffer as long as it is governed by the present ineffective Democratic Administration.Yet to displace it with a Republican regime embracing a philosophy that lacks political integrity or inte
22、llectual honesty would prove equally disastrous to this nation. The nation sorely needs a Republican victory. But I dont want to see the Republican Party ride to political victory on the Four Horsemen of CalumnyFear, Ignorance, Bigotry, and Smear.I doubt if the Republican Party couldsimply because I
23、 dont believe the American people will uphold any political party that puts political exploitation above national interest. Surely we Republicans arent that desperate for victory.I dont want to see the Republican Party win that way. While it might be a fleeting victory for the Republican Party, it w
24、ould be a more lasting defeat for the American people. Surely it would ultimately be suicide for the Republican Party and the two-party system that has protected our American liberties from the dictatorship of a one party system.As members of the Minority Party, we do not have the primary authority
25、to formulate the policy of our Government. But we do have the responsibility of rendering constructive criticism, of clarifying issues, of allaying fears by acting as responsible citizens.As a woman, I wonder how the mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters feel about the way in which members of their
26、 families have been politically mangled in the Senate debateand I use the word “debate” advisedly.As a United States Senator, I am not proud of the way in which the Senate has been made a publicity platform for irresponsible sensationalism. I am not proud of the reckless abandon in which unproved ch
27、arges have been hurled from the side of the aisle. I am not proud of the obviously staged, undignified countercharges that have been attempted in retaliation from the other side of the aisle.I dont like the way the Senate has been made a rendezvous for vilification, for selfish political gain at the
28、 sacrifice of individual reputations and national unity. I am not proud of the way we smear outsiders from the Floor of the Senate and hide behind the cloak of congressional immunity and still place ourselves beyond criticism on the Floor of the Senate.As an American, I am shocked at the way Republi
29、cans and Democrats alike are playing directly into the Communist design of “confuse, divide, and conquer.” As an American, I dont want a Democratic Administration “whitewash” or “cover-up” any more than a want a Republican smear or witch hunt.As an American, I condemn a Republican “Fascist” just as
30、much I condemn a Democratic “Communist.” I condemn a Democrat “Fascist” just as much as I condemn a Republican “Communist.” They are equally dangerous to you and me and to our country. As an American, I want to see our nation recapture the strength and unity it once had when we fought the enemy inst
31、ead of ourselves.It is with these thoughts that I have drafted what I call a “Declaration of Conscience.” I am gratified that Senator Tobey, Senator Aiken, Senator Morse, Senator Ives, Senator Thye, and Senator Hendrickson have concurred in that declaration and have authorized me to announce their concurrence.
