Civilian & telegraph. [volume] (Cumberland, Md.) 1859-1875, 1864-08-04
DANIEL WEBSTER'S FIRST CASE.

was farmer. The vegetables in hi
garden suffered considerably from tn
debfedatiohs of %oodchuck; whose hol
and habitation was near the premises. =
Daniel, some ten years old, and his bro
ther Ezckial, proposed to kill the ahitna
and end al otce all f,rtter trouble witt
him; but Daniel looked with compassion
upon this meek, dumb captive, and of
fered to let him go free The boys coult
not agree, and each appealed to their ia
ther to decide the case.
3" Well, my boys" said the old gentle.
man, 4" I will be judge. There is pri.
soner (pointins to the woodchuck,) and
you shall be the counsel and plead the
case for and against his life and liberty"
Ezekial opened the case with strong
argument, urging the mischievous nature
of the criminal, the great harm he had
already done; said that much time aid
labor had been spent in his capture, and
If he was suffered to live and 60 at lafge;
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 death; that his skin
was of some value, and that to make the
most Of him they could it would not re-
pay half the damage he had already done:
His argument was ready, practical, and
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 becaiite distinguished jurist in
his manhood.
"Now, Dahleli it's your turn ; I'll
hear what you have to say"
1t was'his first case. Dahiel saw that
the plea of his brother had sensibly af-
fected his father; the Judge; and as his
large brilliant, black eyes looked upon
the soft, tiiiild expressioti of the animal,
and as he saw it tremble with fear in his
narrow prison house, his heart swelled
with pity, and he appealed with eloquent
words that his captive might I'D fttt-
God, he said Had made the woodchuck ;
he had made him to live, to enjoy the
bright sunshine, the pure, air, the free
fields and woods. God had not made him
nor anything in vain; the woodchuck
had as much right to live rs any other
living thing; he was not a destructive
animali as the wolf and fox were; he sim
ply ate a few common vegetables, of which
they had plenty and could well SPARE a
part; he destroyed nothing except the
little food he needed to sustain his hum
BILE life; and that little food was as sweet
to hihi, dtid as necessary to his Existence;
as was the food to him upon their mothers
table. God furnished their own food !;
lie gave thtm 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 thcr portion. yea,
more: the animal had ht9er violated the
laws of God, as mah ofttH did; but strict
ly followed the SIMPLE Instincts he had
received from the hands Of Tit Creator Of
all tliltgs. Created by Gods hands, he
had right from God to life, to food, tt
liberty; and they had no right to deprive
him of either. He alluded to the mute, blu
earnest pleadings of the animal for tina
life, as sweet, as dear to him as their owl
was to them; and the first judgment they
might expect, if in selfish cruelty and
cold-heartedness, they took the life they
could not restore again.
During this appeal, tears had startet
to the old mans eyes. and were fast run
ming down his sun-burnt cheeks; ever,
feeling of fathers heart was stirred
within; he saw the future greatness o
his son before his eyes he felt that Go'
had blessed him and his children beyon,
the lot of common meh; his pity I'M,
sympathy were awakened by the eloqucn
words of compassion, and the strong ap
+ peal for mercy; and, forgetting the judg
, in the man and the father, he spran
from his chair (while Daniel was in tn
midst Of his argument, without thinking
he had already won his case,) and turn
ing to his oldest son, dashing the tear
D from his eyes. exclaimed" Zekc, Zeke
you let that woodehuck so!"