On June 1, 1950, Margaret Chase Smith delivered her speech, “Declaration of Conscience” in order to make the Senate and President Truman re-evaluate their positions on a speech made four months prior. In February of 1950, fellow Republican Senator Joseph R. McCarthy accused 205 members of the State Department of being communist traitors to the United States government. His accusations caused fear, mistrust, and hatred among the senators. Through her speech a few months later, Smith set the record straight and encouraged the Senate to regain “basic principles of Americanism.” Through her use of rhetorical appeals, she restated the Constitutional rights of American people, and caused the senate to see themselves as guilty of betraying those basic
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Her words allow the audience an affirmation of her prowess, a sense of unity, and an ability to trust what she is saying to be truth. She also uses fair-minded statements to back her arguments. She reiterates her political standings throughout her speech. Several times, she says “As an American”, “As a Republican”, and “we Senators”. She uses generic terms such as these because they apply to everyone in the audience, including her. By using inclusive diction, she provides the audience with a sense of unity that had recently been torn down by a similar speech. Even when she emphasizes her point of being a woman in a male-dominated society, she is showing a sense of humility that adds to the sense of unity and trust that she built up throughout her speech. She also uses legal diction that should be known to a Senator, such as “legal redress” and “congressional immunity”. Her use of such political terms enforces the idea to the audience that she is a Senator who is capable and who understands the situation. Throughout the different aspects of her speech, Smith has to make accusations in order to counter those that McCarthy made. However, Smith makes it increasingly clear that she does not intend to accuse only one group. One strong, fair statement that she makes towards the end of her speech is “I condemn a Republican “Fascist” just as much as I condemn a Democratic “Communist”. I condemn a Democrat “Fascist” just as much as I condemn a Republican “Communist”. She accuses both parties equally of fault, including her own party. Her equal treatment of both sides allows the audience to see that she is not biased and will make fair statements in her
Her words allow the audience an affirmation of her prowess, a sense of unity, and an ability to trust what she is saying to be truth. She also uses fair-minded statements to back her arguments. She reiterates her political standings throughout her speech. Several times, she says “As an American”, “As a Republican”, and “we Senators”. She uses generic terms such as these because they apply to everyone in the audience, including her. By using inclusive diction, she provides the audience with a sense of unity that had recently been torn down by a similar speech. Even when she emphasizes her point of being a woman in a male-dominated society, she is showing a sense of humility that adds to the sense of unity and trust that she built up throughout her speech. She also uses legal diction that should be known to a Senator, such as “legal redress” and “congressional immunity”. Her use of such political terms enforces the idea to the audience that she is a Senator who is capable and who understands the situation. Throughout the different aspects of her speech, Smith has to make accusations in order to counter those that McCarthy made. However, Smith makes it increasingly clear that she does not intend to accuse only one group. One strong, fair statement that she makes towards the end of her speech is “I condemn a Republican “Fascist” just as much as I condemn a Democratic “Communist”. I condemn a Democrat “Fascist” just as much as I condemn a Republican “Communist”. She accuses both parties equally of fault, including her own party. Her equal treatment of both sides allows the audience to see that she is not biased and will make fair statements in her