Margaret Chase Smith.docVIP

Margaret Chase Smith Declaration of Conscience delivered 1 June 1950 ? 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-criticis