【名人演讲】Margaret Chase Smith: Declaration of Conscience

2011-12-05作者：出处：

Mr. 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 dear. 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 critically 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 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 often 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 unworthy or unbecoming an American—and without that non-

Senator American having any legal redress against us—yet 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 and 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 think that it is high time for the United States Senate and its members to do some soul-searching—for us to weigh

our consciences—on the manner in which we are performing our duty to the people of America—on the manner in which

we are using or abusing our individual powers and privileges.
I think that it 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 prosecution 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 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 losing his reputation or livelihood merely because he happens to know someone who

holds unpopular beliefs. Who of us doesn’t? 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 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 thatit is not exercised by others.
The American people are sick and tired of seeing innocent people smeared and guilty people whitewashed. 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 aisle that the Republican Party faces a challenge today

that is not unlike the challenge that it faced back in Lincoln’s day. The Republican Party so successfully met that

challenge that it emerged from the Civil War as the champion of a united nation—in addition to being a Party that

unrelentingly fought 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 has developed a mania for loose spending and loose programs. History is repeating

itself—and 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

necessity 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 contradictory 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 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

Republican 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 intellectual

honesty would prove equally disastrous to this nation. The nation sorely needs a Republican victory. But I don’t

want to see the Republican Party ride to political victory on the Four Horsemen of Calumny—Fear, Ignorance,

Bigotry, and Smear.
I doubt if the Republican Party could—simply because I don’t believe the American people will uphold any political

party that puts political exploitation above national interest. Surely we Republicans aren’t that desperate for

victory.
I don’t want to see the Republican Party win that way. While it might be a fleeting victory for the Republican

Party, it would be a more lasting defeat for the American people. Surely it would ultimately be suicide for the

Republican Party and the twoparty 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 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

families have been politically mangled in the Senate debate—and 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 charges 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 don’t like the way the Senate has been made a rendezvous for vilification, for selfish political gain at the

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 Republicans and Democrats alike are playing directly into the Communist

design of “confuse, divide, and conquer.” As an American, I don’t 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 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 instead 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.