H.D. Thoreau Biography

By Stanley Switalski

Good afternoon. I do not wish to force my thoughts upon you, but I feel forced myself. Although I know little of Captain Brown, I would fain do my part to correct the tone and statements of the media. We can at least express our sympathy with, and admiration of, him and his companions, which is what I plan to do now.

Captain Brown was an old-fashioned man in his respect for the Constitution. A man of great common sense, he deemed slavery to be wholly opposed to the Constitution and he was its determined foe. He was a man of Spartan habits and used his passion to attempt to make a change.

As for his recent failure, we do not know the facts about it. It was evidently far from being a wild and desperate attempt. His enemy is compelled to say, “it was among the best planned and executed conspiracies that ever failed.” Yet the government still seeks to punish him and his men, criticizing not their purpose, but their tactics.

I have read all the newspapers I could get within a week after this event, and I do not remember a single expression of sympathy for these men. He was a superior man. No other man in America has ever stood up so persistently and effectively for the dignity of human nature. I would rather see the statue of Captain Brown in the Massachusetts State-House yard, than that of any other man I know. Some eighteen hundred years ago Christ was crucified; this morning Captain Brown was hung. I see now that it is necessary that the bravest and humanist men in all the country should be hung.

Source: A plea for Captain Brown

My reading of "A Plea for Captain Brown"

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A Speech on the Treatment of Native Americans

By Stanley Switalski
Task: Research great speeches on the Treatment of Native Americans and list the speaker, cite source, what is the speech about, pros vs. cons, who, what, when, why, where, how, audience etc. Then analyze the speech by the 6 standards of persuasion.

Creek Chief Red Eagle
Address to General Andrew Jackson
Delivered in 1814, at Fort Jackson, in what is now Alabama

What is the speech about?
The speech is about a Chief, Chief Red Eagle, who visits General Andrew Jackson to pled for assistance. After the United States soldiers had killed off most of their warriors and destroyed their villages, US citizens “invaded” Chief Red Eagle’s land and pushed the remaining tribe members off their land. Now Chief Red Eagle needed to help the remainder his people and the only people who could possibly help would be General Andrew Jackson.
Pros & Cons
There aren’t really any pros in this speech. The US soldiers killed many of Chief Red Eagle’s tribe, the following US settlers chased the remaining off their land and now Chief Red Eagle is looking for help. On top of that, we don’t even know if Chief Red Eagle ever got the help he needed.
How does the Speech follow the 6 standards?
  • State the issue and the writer's opinion:
    In the first couple of sentences, he uses effective language to show his current disposition. Throughout the speech, he exposes the situation that he has been forced to bear with. The U.S. army had came onto their territory and slaughtered them to extinction. Now the Chief of that territory is begging for the US to “send [help] for the women and children of the war party who are now starving in the woods.” Chief Red Eagle has “done the white people all the harm he could.” Now he “relies on their generosity.”
  • Give opinions and support them with facts or reasons:
    “Even hope has ended”

    He says that he once could “animate” his warriors to battle, but cannot “animate” the dead (there is no living warrior).

    “If I had been left to contend with the Georgia Army, I would have raised corn on one bank of the river and fought them on the other. But your people have destroyed my Nation.”

    What he was trying to say was that a small group of white soldiers would not have been a problem for him. He could have a thriving field of corn while fighting the Army. But it was not only the Georgia soldiers who attacked; it was all the citizens who moved out west who caused Chief Red Eagle to beg for the United States’ help.

    “I have done the white people all the harm I could.”

    Because he had given the invading soldiers a good fight, and now can do nothing else but “weep over the misfortunes of his Nation,” he feels as though he has done as much harm as he could. However, Andrew Jackson might think different and view Chief Red Eagle as even more of a savage than before.
  • Have a reasonable and respectful tone:
    “I have nothing to request in behalf of myself; you can kill me, if you desire.”

    This, being the introduction, sets the tone of Chief Red Eagle’s speech. From this we can tell that Chief Red Eagle is in distress, asking nothing for himself but something for his followers.

    “I have done the white people all the harm I could.”

    Although the topic of the sentence might be rude to say to the president, the way Chief Red Eagle phrased, it did not make him sound as a savage. Based on the fact that the United States soldiers were attacking them, Chief Red Eagle actually sounds respectful of the US.
  • Answer opposing views and Conclude by summing up reasons or calling for action
    “Your people have destroyed my Nation. I rely on your generosity.”

    Andrew Jackson might have replied, “Why should I take time out to help you, the savage?” to Chief Red Eagle’s cry for help. This is an exact rebound to that question. Essentially, what Chief Red Eagle was saying is if you hadn’t come to attack me, I wouldn’t have come looking to you for help.
  • Use sound logic and effect language
    “I exerted myself in vain to prevent the massacre of the women and children at Fort Mims.”

    Although a sentence is not a picture, I can paint my own vivid picture solely based on that sentence. Chief Red Eagle used passionate words and effective language to demonstrate his dedication for his tribe. This sentence greatly improves the amount of persuasion his speech contains.

    “Once I could animate my warriors to battle, but I cannot animate the dead.”

    Instead of saying “All of my warriors are dead,” Chief Red Eagle choose to use effective language and created that line. Now we are painted a more vivid picture of Chief Red Eagle’s situation than “all of my warriors are dead” would.

    A majority of the first paragraph contains sound logic and effective language. This is vital to the overall persuasion of the speech because most people base their opinions/final decisions early on. By Chief Red Eagle using so much sound logic and effective language in the first few sentences, he easily persuaded the audience to be on his side.

    Shortened Speech Attempt

    General Jackson, I am not afraid of you for I fear no man. I have nothing to request in behalf of myself. I come today to beg you to send for the women and children of the war party who are now starving in the woods. Your people are the cause of their misery.
    I exerted myself in vain to prevent the massacre of the women and children at Fort Mims. I am now done fighting. Once I could animate my warriors to battle, but I cannot animate the dead. If I had been left to contend with the Army, I would have raised corn on one bank of the river and fought them on the other. But your people have destroyed my Nation. I now rely on your generosity.

    Source:
    American Rhetoric.com - Chief Red Eagle Speech

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