Galton can be seen bringing forward an argument in his defense as he fears disownment from
the group of his friends. His persuasion is to show that the motive behind his involvement in the
gun manufacturing business has nothing to do with a negative motive, but rather it is only a
burden of business legacy that he has to carry. He is taking a rational approach to explain his
case to his group of friends. His plea to them can be seen as a presentation to a group that is
against violence, unethical motives, and bloodshed. People who believe in good works and want
to stand against corruption in society.
Generalizing the group of Galton’s friends under the umbrella of only empathy or non-violent
for the whole society would be a challenging task, as the view of his friend group has not been
presented to us. The source also points out that the people it is addressed to are also indirectly
involved in war through their tax funding. The source does not clearly define the motive of
Galton behind his involvement in firearms manufacturing, as we are presented with only his
view on his involvement in this business of gun manufacturing.
Being unable to know more about Gilton’s lifestyle and historical background provides a vague
picture in determining his plea to his friends. The ties of Galton with other parties in his circle,
such as his potential buyers or partners, are unclear. The historical spread of wars in that time
period is not clear, and how much their use of weapons influenced wars in the region. The
source can be seen showing only a subjective view of Galton, instead of one based on facts.
Being able to know what good or bad firearms have brought to the wars in history would have
helped determine his stance more clearly.