The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1881-11-24
Daniel Webster's First Plea,

EOeneZer w custer, laIneT OF DANIEL,
was farmer. The vegetables in his
garden suffered considerably from the
depredations OF a woodchuck whose
hole and habitation was near the prem
ises. Daniel, some 10 years old, and his
brother had set trap, and at last sue
ceeded in catching the trespasser. EZe-
kiel proposed to kill the animal and end
at once all trouble with him; but Dan
iel 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, 81 will be the Judge and
you shall be the counsel to plead his
case for and against his life and liberty"
Ezekiel opened the case with a strong
argument, urging the mischievous ma
ture of the animal, the great harm he
had already done, said thaC much time
and labor had been spent in his capture,
and how, if suffered to go 1t 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 dam
age he had already done. His argu-
ment was ready, practical and to the
point, and of much greater length than
our limit will allow us to occupy in re-
lating the story. The father looked
with pride upon his son, who became a
distinguished jurist in his manhood.
"Now, Daniel, it's your turn; III
hear what you've got to say"
1t was his first case. Daniel saw that
the plea of his brother had affected his
father, the judge; and his large, brill
liant black eyes rested upon the soft,
timid expression of the animal, and he
saw il trembled with fear in its narrow
prison-home. His heart swelled with
pity, and he appe&led with eloquent
words that the captive might go free.
God, he said, had made the wOdochuck;
He made him 10 live, to enjoy the
bright sunshine and pure air, the fields,
the woods. God had not made him or
anything in vain. The wood chnck had
AS much right to live as any other liv-
ing thing he was not a destructive an
imal, 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 ate TO sustain his humble. life; and
that the 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 a dumb creature
who really had as much right to his
small share of Gods bounty as they
themselves had 10 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 Creator of all things. Created
by Gods hands, he had a right from God
to food, TO liberty, and they had no
right to deprive him OF either. He al
luded to the mute but earnest pleading Of
the animal for that life as dear TO him
as was their own, and the just judg-
ment they might expect il, in selfish
cruelty and cOld-heartedness, they took
the lie they couly not restore again.
During the appeal the tears had started
| in the old man : eJ eS, and were running
down his sunburnt cheeks. Every feel
ing of g 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 ap-
peal for mercy; and, forgetting the
| Judge in the man and father, he sprang
| from his chair (while Daniel was in the
midst Of his argument, without think
| ing he had already won his easel. and
| turning to his eldest sch, dRshinR the
lears from his eyes, he exclaimed,
"Zeke, Zeke, you let that woOdrhnck
go!"
/ nufv ii t-rr s.f