Weekly Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1853-1861, 1856-12-18
IFrom the N. Y. Journal Of cOmmerce.l

MESSRS. EDITORS ~ on VIII please give
the following incident in the youthful days
of the late Hon. Daniel Webster, place in
the columns of your paper. Doubtless some
of your readers may have read it, still it will
always be found interesting, and proves how
the finer feelings were inherent in his nature,
and shone forth conspicuously at an early
period in the life of that truly great and good
man. h lIr Lla A.
"Ebenezer Webster, the father of Daniel,
was a farmer. The vegetables. in his garden
had suffered considerably from the depreda-
tons of woodchuck, whose hole and habi-
tation was near the premises. Daniel, some
ten or twelve years old, and his older brother
Ezekiel, had set trap and finally succeeded
in capturing the trespasser. Ezekiel propos-
ed to kill the animal and end at once all fur
ther trouble from him; but Daniel looked
with compassion upon his meek, dumb, cap
tive, and offered to let him 90 free. The
boys could not agree, and each appealed to
their father to decide the case. "Well, my
boys" said the old gentleman, 81 will be the
Judge. There is the prisoner (pointing to
the woodchuck), and you shall be counsel
and plead the sase for and against his life
and liberty.
Ezekiel opened the ease with a strong ar
gument, urging the mischevious nature of
the criminal, 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 go on at large. he would
renew his depredations, and be cunning
enough not to suffer himself to be caught
again, and that he ought now to be put to
Heath; that his skin was OF some value, and
that 10 make the most of him they could, it
would not repay half the damage he had al
ready done. His argument was ready, prac-
teal, to the point, and of much greater length
than our limits will allow us to occupy, in re-
lating the story. .r S.
The father looked with pride upon his
son, who became a distinguished jurist in his
manhood. "Now, Daniel, it is your turn
Pll hear what you have to say"
Twas his first case. Daniel saw that the
idea of his brother had sensibly affected his
father, the Judge, and as his large, brilliant
black eyes looked upon the soft, timid ex-
preston of the animal, and as he saw it trem-
bic with fear in its narrow prison house, his
heart swelled with pity, and he appealed
with eloquent words that the captive might
again go free. God he said, m ade the wood.
bright sunlight the pure air, the free fields
and woods. God had not made him, or any,
thing in in vain; the woodchuck had as
much night to live as any other living thing;
he was not destructive animal, as the wolf
and fox were; he simply ate few common
vegetables of which they had a plenty and
could well spare a part; he destroyed moth
ing except the little food he needed to sus-
tain his humble life; and that little food was
as sweet to him, and as necessary to his ex-
istence, 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 them
selves had to their small 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 in
stincts he had received from the Creator of
all things. Created by Gods hand, he had
a right, right from God, to life, to food, to
liberty; and they had no right todeprive him
of either. He alluded TO the mute but ear
nest pleadings of the animal for that life, as
dear al their own was to them; aud the Just
Judgment they might expect if in selfish cru
city and cold heartlessness 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 sun burnt cheeks, every feeling of
a fathers heat was stirred within him; he
saw the future greatness of his son before his
eyes; he felt that God had blessed him and
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 forgetting the
Judge in the father, sprang from his chair
while Daniel was in the midst of his argu-
nent, without thinking he had already won
The case,) and turning to his oldear son, dash
ng the tears from his eyes, exclaimed, "ZEKE
lEKE, You LET THAT wooDcHUcK GO p