The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1853-06-22

he had befsirnd<d. 9Th light he.ri and
ei'ersiul enunirnsncr. rrIurnesl 10 his hap.
} py hume.
ANEcDoTE or DANIEL WEBSTER
I Ebenezer Webster. the father Of Da-
mel, vas farmer. The vegetables in
his garden had suffered eonsideubly
from the deprrdstions Ut xoodchsek. /.
whose hole and. hsbitztien ~ere near
! the premises. Daniel. some ten or
twelve years Old. and his older brother.
Ezekiel. had set trap and finally sue
eerded in capturing the trespssser.
Ezrkiel proposed 10 kin the animal.
and end . once al future trouble from
him, but Daniel looked with eompas-
sion upon his meek. dumb captive. and
offered to let him 70 free. The bays
could not agree. and each spPesIed to
their father TO decide the case. well.
my buys" said the old gentleman. |
will be the judge. There is the pri-
soner, (pointing TO the woodchuck.)
and you shall be the counsel and plead
the case for and against hs life and
liberty"
Ezekiel opened the case with q
strong argument. urging the mischie>
yous nature Of the criminal. the great
harm he had already done. said much
time and labor had been spent IN his
capture. aud if he was suffered to live
and 60 again at large. that he would
renew his depredations. and be cum
ming enough not to suffer himself TO be
caught again, and that his skin Was Of
some value, and that to make the most
OF him they could, II would not repay
half the damage he had already done.
Ills argument was ready. practical. to
the point, and Of much greater length
than our limits will allow Us TO occu-
\ py in relating the story.
The father looked with pride upon
his son, who became q distinguished
jurist in his manhood. "Now, Daniel,
II is your turn-l'lI hear what you have
TO say" Twas his first case. Daniel
saw that the plea Of his brother had
sensibsy affected his father, the Judge,
and as his large, brilliant black ewes
looked upon the soft, timid Expression
OF the animal, and as he saw il tremble
with fear in its narrow prison house,
his heart swelled with pity. and he ap-
pealed with eloquent words that the
captive might again 20 free. God, he
said, had made the woodchuck; he
made him to love. to enjoy the bright
sunlight, the pure air, the free fields
and woods. God had not made him.
or any thing, ia vain the woodchuck
had as much right to live as any other
living thing; he was not destructive
animal, as the wolf and the fox we're ),
he simply ate a few common vegeta.
bles, Of which they had a plenty and
could well spare part; he destroyed
nothing except the little food he need
ed to sustain his humble life, and that
little food was as sweet to him, and
necessary to his existence, as was to
them the food upon his mothers table.
God furnished their own food, he gave
them all they possessed; and would
they not spare little for the dumb
creature, who really had as much right
to his small share of Gods bounty as
they themselves had to their portionf
Yea, the animal had never violated the
laws Of his nature or the laws of God,
as man often did; but stictly followed
the simple, harmless instincts he had
received from the hands Of the Creator
OF all things. Created by Gods hand,
he had right, a right from God, to
life, to food, to liberty and they had
no right to deprive him Of either. He
alluded to the mute. but earnest plead.
ings Of the animal for that life, as
sweet, as dear to him, as their own
was to them, and the just judgment
they might expect. If, in selfish cruelty
and cold-heartedaess. they took the life
they could not restore again, the life
that God alone had given. During this
appeal the tears had started to the old
mans eyes, and were fast running
down his sunburnt cheeks every feel>
ing ot fathers heart was stirred with
in him; he saw the future greatness Of
his son before his eyes; he felt that
God had blessed him in his children
beyond the lot of common men; his
pity and sympathy were awakened by
the eloquent words of compassion, and
the strong appeal for mercy; and for>
getting the judge in the man and the
father, he sprang from his chair, while
Daniel was in the midst Of bis argu.
ment. without thinking he had already
won his case, and, turning to his older
son, dashing the tears from his eyes,
exclaimed, " Zeke, Zeke. you let that
woodchuck 60" Boston TSarelsr.
The Washington correspondent Of
the COMMERCIAL writes: "Major Dom
elson has beep here lately and asked
for some office lor his son-in-law, Mr..
Wilson late mipnher If ConSrpss from