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Rhetorical Analysis Of Margaret Chase Smith's Address To The Senate

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On June 1, 1950, Margaret Chase Smith, a U.S. senator form Maine and a member of the Republican Party, presented her “Declaration of Conscience” to the United States Senate in hopes of appealing to President Truman, which did in fact happen. In her speech, Smith concludes that all Americans should be able to follow the principles of Americanism without being labeled as communists or fascists. The principles of Americanism include the right to criticize, the right to hold unpopular beliefs, the right to protest, and the right of independent thought. During her address, Smith indirectly criticizes Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin as his philosophy of McCarthyism is what influenced her to address the Senate. In McCarthyism, people are …show more content…

Smith convincingly presents the negatives of McCarthyism and wins the support of other Senators and the public. Accusing McCarthy of making unfair accusations also diminishes the popularity of his beliefs, which in turn provides more support for Smith. This also helps the issue be remedied quicker. Next, Smith establishes methods to put an end to McCarthyism. This allows her to gain more credibility with other Senators and the public as it makes it look like she knows how to handle the situation. This once again puts McCarthy in the position of a bad guy as he looks like he is blindly making accusations and assumptions. Finally, Smith sympathizes with the American people. This is extremely wise as it enables her to win the support of the masses. By appealing to the public, she is able to rally support from people who can create propaganda and spread her message quickly and freely. Therefore, her objections against McCarthyism will gain popular support and will eventually lead to the removal of Senator McCarthy from …show more content…

She argues that the Democratic Party has failed at leading the nation. Smith explains, “America is rapidly losing its position as leader of the world simply because the Democratic Administration has pitifully failed to provide effective leadership”. Because World War II had ended just five years ago, Americans were still concerned about how they were going to rebuild and move forward. By stating that the Democratic Party is setting America up for failure, she appeals to all Republicans, resulting in even more popularity for her. She also makes the case that the Republican Party would do a better job leading the nation because they care more about the people. Smith once again summons disdain for Democrats and support for Republicans when she concludes that “Today we have a Democratic Administration that has developed a mania for loose spending and loose programs. History is repeating itself”. Although Smith does not rely heavily on Logos, she uses it tactfully in order to gain support from Republicans all over the United

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