Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1872-07-11
DANIEL WEBSTER ON THE WOODCHUCK.
HIS FIRST PLEA.


Ebenezer Webster, father Of Daniel, was
farmer. The vegetables in his garden suffered
considerably from the depredations OF a wood
chuck, whose hole and habitation was near
the premises. Daniel, some ten or twelve
wears old, and his brother Ezekiel, had set
trap, and at last succeeded in catching the
trespasser. Ezekiel proposed to kill the ami
NAL and end at once all further trouble with
him but Daniel looked with compassion upon
his meek, dumb captive, and offered to let
him 90. The boys could not agree, and each
appealed to their father to decide the case.
"Well, my boys, said the old gentleman,
"I will be Judge, and you shall be the counsel
to plead the case for or against the wood
chuck"
Ezekiel opened the case with a strong argu-
ment, urging the mischievous nature of the
criminal, the egreat harm he had already done,
and that much time and labor had been spent
in his capture, and now, if suffered to 60 at
large, he would renew his depredations, and
be cunning enough not to be caught again,
and that he ought now to be put to death;
that his skin was of some value, and that,
make the 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 father looked with pride upon his son,
who became distinguished jurist in his man
hood.
"Now, Daniel, it's your turn. I'll hear
what you've got to say"
r L., ~,t oo,o nopiol oaw that 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 the captive might 60 free. God,
he said, had made the woodchuck. He made
him to live, to enjoy the bright sunshine, the
pure air, the trees, fields and woods. God had
not made him or anything in vain; the wood
chuck had as much right to live as any other
living thing; he was not destructive animal
like Tie wolf; he simply ate few common
vegetables, of which they had plenty, and
could we'll spare part he destroyed nothing
except the little food he ate to sustain his
humble life; and that little food was as 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 dumb creature, who really had
as much right to his share Of Gods bounty as
they themselves had to their portion? Yea
more the animal had never violated the laws
of nature or the laws of God, as man often did,
but strictly followed the simple instincts ne
had received from the hands of the Creator OF
all things. Created by Gods hands, he had
right from God to the food, to liberty, and
they had no right to deprive him of either.
He alluded to the mute but earnest pleading
Of the animal for that life, as dear to him as
were their own, and the judgment they might
expect, if in selfish cruelty and cold.hearted-
ness, they took the life they could not restore
again.
During the appeal the tears had started to
the old name eyes and were fast running down
his sunburnt cheeks. Every feeling Of
fathers heart was stirred within him, and he
felt that God had blessed him beyond the lot
of common men. Hispity 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 already
won the case,) and turning to his eldest son,
dashing the tears from his eyes, he exclaimed:
"Zeke, Zeke, you let that woodchuck goF