Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1872-02-24
DANIEL wEBsTER's FIRST PLEA.

Ebcnczcr Webster, father of Daniel.
was farmer. The vegetables in his gar
den suffered considerably from the depre.
dations Of woodchuck, whose hole and
habitation was near tie premises. Daniel
some ten or twelve Yeas old, and his
brother Ezekiel, had set trap and sue.
ccedcd in catching the trcspasser. Ezekiel
proposed to kill the animal and end at once
all further trouble with him; but Daniel
looked with compassion upon his meek,
dnmb captive, and offered to let him 20.
The boys could not agree, and each ap-
pealed to his father to decide the case.
Well, my boys" said the old gentle
man, :" will be the judge. There is tho
prisoner" pointing to the woodchucs, "and
you shall be counsel and plead the case for
and against his life and liberty" 3
Ezekiel opened the case with a strong
argument, urging the misclievous nature
Of the criminal, the great harm he had
already done; said that much time and
labor had been spout in his capture, and
now, if allowed to 90 at large lie 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 &c.
cupy in relating the story.
The father looked with pride upon his
son, who became a distinguished jurist iu
his manhood.
"Now, Daniel, it's your turn Ill hear
what you've got to say"
1t was bis first case. Daniel cav that
the plea Of his brother had sensibly affect
ed his father, the judge, aud his large
brilliant black eyes rested upon the soft
timid expression Of the animal, and as lie
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 be free. God, he said,
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 else in vain /;
the woodchuck had as much right to live
as any other living thing lie was not
destructive animal like the fox or wolf; ho
simply ate few common vegetables, of
which they had plenty, and could well
spare part; he destroyed nothing except
the Nlittic~fsoarhs~ueeded to sustain his
humble life and that little food was as
sweet to him aud as necessary to his exist.
ance, as was to them tho food on their
mothers table. God furnished their own
food +; lie 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 themselves had to their 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 instincts he had received from the
hands of the Creator of all things. Crea.
ted by Gods hands, he had right from
God to life, 10 food, to liberty, aud they
had no right to deprive him Of either. lie
alluded to tho mute but earnest pleadings
Of the animal for that life, as dear to him
as were their own to them, and the just
judgment they might expect If in selfish
cruelty and cold-heartedness the took tho
life from this earth they could not restore
again.
During the appeal, tears had started to
the old mans eyes, and we're fast running
down the sun.burnt cheeks. Every feel.
ing Of fathers heart was stirred within
him, and he felt that God had blessed
him beyond the lot of common men. His
pity was awakened bv tho elouuent words
Of compassion and the strong appeal for
mercy and forgetting the Judge in ths
man and the father, he sprapg from his
chair (while Daniel was in the midst Of
his argument, without thinking he had
already won his case,) and turning to his
eldest son, dashing the tears from his eyes
he exclaimed
"Zekc, Zekc, you let that woodchuck
go"