Charles City intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Floyd County, Iowa) 1864-1866, 1865-02-02
Daniel webster. First Case.

Ebenezer Webster, father Of Daniel,
was farmer. The vegetables in his
garden suffered considerably from the
depredations of woodchuck, whose
hole and habitation were near the prem
ises., Daniel, some ten or twelve years
old, and his brother Ezekiel, had set a
steel trap. and at last succeeded in
capturing the trespasser. Ezekiel pro-
posed to kill the animal, and end at
once all further trouble with him but
Daniel looked with compassion upon
his meek, dumb captive, and offered
to let him go. The boys could not
agree, and each appealed to their ia.
Their to decide the case
Well, my boys" said the old gen.
tleman, / will be the judge. There
is the prisoner" pointing to the wood.
chuck, " and You shall be the counsel
and plead the case for or against his
life and liberty
Ezekiel opened the case with a
strong argument, urging the mischiev.
GUS 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 suf-
fered to, live and go at large, he would
renew his depradations, and be cum
ming enough not to suffer himself TO
be caught again, and that he ought to
be put to death that his skin was Of
some value, and that, make most of
him they could, it would not repay
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 ia
ther looked with pride upon his son,
who becamea distinguished jurist in
his manhood. = 81 fTET
Now, Daniel, it's your turn I'll
hear what you've got to say"
1t was his first case. Daniel saw
that the plea of his brother had sensi-
bly, affected his father, the Judge, and
as his large, brilliant black eyes look
ed upon the soft, timid expression of
the animal, and he saw it tremble in
its prisonhouse, his heart swelled with
pity, and he appealed with eloquent
words that the captive might again go
free. God, he said, had made the
woodchuck he made him to live, to
enjoy the bright sunshine, the pure air,
the free fields and woods. God has
not made him or anything in vain the
woodchuck had as much right to live
as any other living thing; he was not
destructive animal, as the fox or
wolf he simply ate a few common
vegetables, Of which they had plenty,
and could well spare part he des-
troyed nothing, except the little food
he needed to sustain his humble life :;
and that little food was sweet to him,
and as necessary to his existence, as
was to them the food on their 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 share Of Gods bounty, as
they themselves had to their portion I!
Yea. more the animal had never vio-
lated the laws Of his nature, or the
laws Of God, as man often did; but
strictly followed the simple instincts
he had received from the hands of the
Creator of all things. Created by
Gods hands, he had 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
pleadings Of the animal for that life,
as sweet and dear to him as their own
was to them; and the inst Judgment
they might expect, If, imselfsh cruelty
and cold-heartedness, they took the
life they could not restore.
During this appeal, tears had start
ed to the old mans eyes, and were
fastrunning down his sun-bnrnt cheeks.
Every feeling Of fathers heart was
stirred within him /; he saw the future
greatness Of his son before his eyes,
and he felt that God had blessed him
and his children beyond the lot of con-
mon men. His pity and sympathy
were awakened by the eloquent words
OF compassion, and the strong appeal