Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1853-06-22
ANECDOTE OF DANIEL WEBSTER.

ANECDOTE OF DANIEL WEBSTER.
well remember hearing my father tell the
following anecdote illustrative of the early gen.
ius of that great man whose loss mighty nation
mourns:
Ebenezer Webster, the father of Daniel, was
a farmer. The vegetables in his garden had
suffered considerably from the depredatons of
a woodchuck, whose hole and habitation was
near the premises. Daniel, some ten or twelve
years old, and his older brother Ezekiel, had
set a trap and finally succeeded in capturing
the trespasser. Ezekiel proposed to kill the
animal and end at once all further trouble from
him; but Daniel looked with compassion upon
his meek, dumb captive, and offered to let him
again 60 Free The boys could not agree, and
each applied to their father to decide the case
"Well, my boys" said the old gentleman,
will be yourjudge. There's the prisoner, (point-
ing to the woodchuck and you shall be the coun-
Gil and plead the case for and against his life and
liberty"
Ezekiel opened the case with strong argu-
ment, urging the mischievous nature of the GRIM
inal, the great harm he had already done, said
that much time and labor had been spent in his
capture, and now if he was suffered to live and
90 again at large, he would renew his depreda-
ton, and be cunning enough not to suffer him
self not to be taken again. and that he ought
now to be put to death that his skin was of
some value, and that to make the most of him
they could, it would not repay half the damage
he had already done. His'argument was ready,
practical, to the point, and of much greater
length than our limits will allow us to occupy
in relating the story.
The father looked with pride upon his son,
who became distinguished jurst in his man.
hood
snow, Daniel" it lis your turn; "rll hear what
you have to say"
Twas his first case. Daniel saw that the
plea of his brother had sensibly affected his ia.
ther, the Judge, and as his large, brilliant black
eyes looked upon the soft, timid expression of
the animal, and as he saw it tremble with fear
in its narrow prison house, his heart swelled
with pity and he appealed with eloquent words
that the captive might again 60 free. God, he
said, had made the woodchuck; he made him to
live, to enjoy the bright sunlight, the pure air,
the free fields and woods God had not made
him or anything in vain; the woodchuck had as
much right to life as any other living thing; he
was not Il destructive animal, as the wolf and
fox were; he simply ate few common vegeta-
bles, of which they had plenty and could spare
a part; he destroyed nothing except the little
food he needed to sustain his humble life and
the little food was as sweet to him, and as nec-
essary to his existence as was the food upon
his mothers table. God furnished their own
food he gave them all they possessed; and
would they not spare a little for the dumb crea.
ture, who really had as much right to his boun.
ty as they themselves had to their portion! Yea
more the animal had never violated The laws
Of his nature or the laws of God, as man often
did, but strictly followed the simple, harmless
instinct he had received from the hand of the
Creator of all things. Created by Gods hand
he had q right, 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
pleadings of the animal for that life, as sweet
and as dear to him, as their own was to them
and the just judgment they might expect, if in
selfish cruelty and cold heartessness they took
the life they could not restore again. the life
that God alone had given.
During the appeal the tears had started tc
the old mans eyes, and were fast running down
his sun.burnt cheeks; every feeling of fathers
heart was stirred within him; he saw the future
greatness of his son before his eyes; he fell
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 com
! passion and the strong appeal for mercy, anG
forgetting the Judge in the man and the father
he sprang from his chair, (whe Daniel was ir
the midst of his argument, without thinking he
had already won his case) and turning to hi:
elder son, dashing the tears from his eyes, ex
, claimed, "Zeke, Zeke, you let that woodchucl
go" Traveller.
THE DESTRUCTION OF PoMPEn.-Pompeii wa.
/: not completely destroyed by single eruption
, | Eioht Sncressive LAYERS traced above its ruins