The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1872-10-22
MISCELLANY.
DANIEL WEBsTER's FIRST PLEA.

Ebenezer Webster father of Daniel, was a
farmer. The vegetables in his garden suffer-
ed considerably from the depredations OF
woodchuck, whose hole and habitation was
near the premises. Daniel, some ten or
twelve years old and his brother Ezekiel, had
set trap and at last succeeded in catching
the trespasser. Ezekiel proposed 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 CO. 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, and you shall be the
counsel to plead the case for and against his
life and liberty"
Ezekiel opened the case with a strong argu-
ment, urging the mischievous nature of the
criminal, and great harm he had already done,
said that much time and labor had been spent
in his capture, and now, if suffered to go at
large, he would renew his depredatons, and
be cunning enough not to be caught again,
and that he ought to be put to death that
his skin was of some value, and that, 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
limit will allow us to occupy in relating the
story.
The father looked with pride upon his son,
who became a distinguished jrrist in his man.
hood.
CHOW, Daniel, it's your turn; I'll hear
what you've got to say"
1t was his first case. Daniel saw the plea
of his brother had sensibly affected his father,
the judge, and his large, brilliant black eyes
rested upon the soft, timid expression of the
animal. and he saw it trembled with fear in
its narrow prison-house; his heart swelled
with pity, and he appealed with eloquent
words that his captive might go free. God,
he said, made that woodchuck he made him
to live, to enjoy the bright sunshine, the pune
air, the fields and woods. God had not made
him or anything in vain; the woodchuck had
as much ii Int to I've as any other living thing
he was not destructive animal, like the wolf
he simply ate few common vegetables, OF
which they had plenty, and could well spare
part he destroyed nothing except the little
food he ale to sustain his humble life, and that
little food was as sweet TO him and as neces-
sary 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 dumb crea-
ture who really had as much right to his small
share of Gods bounty 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 men often did, but strictly
followed the simple instincts he had received
from the hands of the Creator of all things.
Created by Gods hand he had right from
God 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 dear to him as were their own, and
the just Judgment they might expect if in
selfish cruelty and cold-heaitedness they took
the life they could not restore again.
During the appeal the tears had started to
the old mans eyes, and were fast running
down his sunburnt cheeks. Every feeling of
a fathers heart was stirred within him, and
he felt that God had blessed him beyond the
lot of common men. His pity was awakened
by the eloquent words of compassion and the
strong appeal for mercy, and, forgetting the
Judge in the man and the father, he sprang
from his chair, (while Daniel was in the midst
of his argument, without thinking he had al
ready won his case and, turning to his eldest
son, dashing the tears from his eyes, he ex-
claimed, sZeke, Zeke. youlet that woodchuck
go !''-Porgotio.