'It is a national feeling of fear and frustration that could result in national suicide'
74 years ago, Republican senator Margaret Chase Smith stood up in the chamber and spoke her 'declaration of conscience' against McCarthyism.
It's a speech for reason over fearmongering, democracy over demagoguery. Most of all it was a speech that required the courage of putting country over party, and so is a speech very much set to the mood of the present day.
featured it in her newsletter yesterday, and my dad emailed me to make sure I knew about the speech. I do, of course. It’s on many lists of the greatest speeches in American history, and I’ve pilfered these lists for the sake of my Speakola archive (I try to add embedded video and transcript).It’s worth a read from beginning to end. This is the most famous and the most beautiful part.
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.
There’s also this opening that could have been written in 2024. Note the directness and the simplicity of the language. It’s ‘j’accuse’ without adornment.
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.
Read Margaret Chase Smith’s brave and brilliant speech in its entirety on Speakola. Then listen to current day outspoken ‘never Trump’ Republicans like Mitt Romney’s ‘Donald Trump is a phony’, Jeff Flake’s ‘Anger and resentment are not a governing principle’, and Chris Christie’s speech dropping out of the presidential race:
These people are on the right side of history, even if it took some of them a while to get there (G’day Chris). But I do constantly fear they are not on the right side of the 2024 presidential election result.
I’ve been depressed about the swing state polls in the United States, and worried that Trump’s 2016 prediction has all but arrived:
‘I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn't lose any voters, OK? It's, like, incredible.’ - Donald Trump;, Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa1
is now on Substack, I love his Making Sense podcast, and he summed up my feelings about the felony conviction in New York2:
Hopefully, the United States pulls through. Hopefully a narcissistic, criminally convicted, two time impeached 77-year-old insurrectionist doesn’t somehow jag an election from an 81 year old who loves his country more than himself, and has given six decades of public service.
I do believe history will remember Biden as a great man. He’s been a steady hand as president, he’s led the country through a period of economic recovery. Yes he’s too old, but he’s less than four years older than Trump, who is full of KFC and an obvious danger to democracy and the world. Don’t vote for the guy who digs on Putin and Kim Jong Un! This election night speech, as his opponent was plotting and conniving and throwing every rattle out of the cot, is wonderful:
And I hope it can provide some comfort and solace to the more than 230,000 families who have lost a loved one to this terrible virus this year. My heart goes out to each and every one of you. Hopefully this hymn gives you solace as well.
“And He will raise you up on eagle’s wings,
Bear you on the breath of dawn,
Make you to shine like the sun,
And hold you in the palm of His Hand.”
And now, together — on eagle’s wings — we embark on the work that God and history have called upon us to do.
With full hearts and steady hands, with faith in America and in each other, with a love of country — and a thirst for justice — let us be the nation that we know we can be.
A nation united.
A nation strengthened.
A nation healed.
The United States of America.
God bless you.
And may God protect our troops.
Marcy Chase Smith died in 1995 aged 98. She was the first woman to serve in both houses of the United States Congress, and the first woman to represent Maine in either.
She was a great American and a true leader. And we need more of those right now.
I’m battling a little to keep the flow of podcasts and newsletters and new speeches posted to the Speakola library up to date. It’s a one person operation. I really would appreciate a donation, if you enjoy these contributions. It’s just over US$3 a month subscribing in the blue box below. Or choose Patreon. Or a straight non recurring donation.
Best wishes
Tony Wilson, Speakola
A good podcast to listen to in this MAGA moment. Gabriel Sterling’s incredible speech predicting the January 6 bloodshed:
NPR, https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/01/23/464129029/donald-trump-i-could-shoot-somebody-and-i-wouldnt-lose-any-voters
If you recommend Speakola,
, (fourth button on your dashboard), you will double our subscribers in a month! Go on! I’ve collected thousands of great speeches for just a few donations and paid subs. It is just me.