The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-03-09
WEBSTER AND the wooDcHvck'
The Great Orators Character Illus
trated In an old Story Told Anew.
Boston TRANSCRIPT

Ebenezer erWebster, Daniel.W Webster's father,
was once very much annoyed by wood
chuck, which was wont to enter his garden
in the night and eat up many Of the fine veg
etables he found there. Daniel and his bro
ther Ezekiel succeeded, after considerable
trouble in capturing the intruder In box
trap.
"Now, Mr. Woodchuck,~ said Ezekiel, I'VE
will fix you. You have done mischief enough.
Dan, let's take him out into the field and
open the trap and let the dog kill him.
"Oh, no do not do that" said Daniel, who
pitied the poor captive. Lets take him TO
the woods and let him CO." The boys could
not and 50 they Went 70 sneE tSa@
''He ought to be killed. said Ezekiel,
''but Dan wants TO let him CO."
''Well, boys" said the old gentleman, "as
yon can't agree about 1t, you may argue the
case before me- will be the judge. You,
Ezekiel. may first give your reasons for the
treatment you propose, and Daniel shall be
the counsel for the prisoner and plead MS
cause.
Then Ezekiel opened the case against the
prisoner and he was deeply in earnest
This is the substance of what he said:
"The woodehuck is very mischieyous
animal, and this one has done great deal OF
harm. as we all know. III we had not caught
him, he would have destroyed great many
of our vegetables, and perhaps would have
spoiled our garden. We have spent great
deal of time and labor in his capture and, II
he should be suffered to live and go at large
again, there is little doubt that he would be-
gin his depredations anew and be cunning
enough to escape recapture. Besides, IL
would be nothing more than strict justice for
the woodchuck to be punished for what evil
he has already done; and that punishment
should be such as will prevent him from do
ratr aatt 70 aha
his evil nature, so nothing but death or i'm
prisonment for life can put a stop to his dep
relations. We cannot afford to take care Of
him and feed him, he might get away and go
back to his evil practices: II we kill him,
his skin will be of some little value to us;
but it will not repay half the damage he has
already done. In case we let him go free,
even if he should not steal from us again, he
will probably steal from others; therefore,
the public good requires that he should be
The father was highly pleased with this
speech of Ezekieps, and 1t was evident that
he was influenced against the woodchuck by
the earnest and able argument to which he
had listened.
1t was now Daniels turn, and, as he
looked upon the soft and timid expression OF
the trembling animal, his large, brilliant
black eyes were suffused with tears His
heart was moved with pity and his whole
soul was aroused, as he appealed, with elo-
~--
captive.
'He made him to live. He made him to
roam free in the fields and woods, and to
enjoy the pure air and the bright sunshine.
God did not make anything in yain,-not
even the w0Odchuek. He made him TO NIL
his proper place in creation, and the wood
chuck has as much right to live as any other
living thing. He Is not destructive animal,
like the wolf and the fox and the tiger. He
does not kill poultry; he does not take life;
he does not destroy anything for mere sport;
he simply eats few vegetables, OIL when
we have an abundance and can well spare
part. The food he eats to sustain life Is as
sweet to him and Is as necessary to his ex-
istence as is that for us which Is served up
on our mothers table. God furnishes our
food. So, also, the Bible tells, He giveth to
the beast his food, and to the young ravens
which cry Are we not also told to 'consid-
er the ravens, which neither have store
house nor barn; and God feedeth them?
So, also, he feedeth all dumb animals, II man
does not rob them of their just share. IL God
in our garden. shall we not share a little
from our abundance for this poor dumb crea-
ture, who cannot speak for himself, but Is
mutely pleading for life at our handsr We
have no right to take that life away without
good cause; and Is there good eauseY Ihe
woodchuek has never violated the laws OF
his nature or the laws of God, as man often
does but he strictly follows the laws OF his
being which he has received from the hands
Of the Creator of all things. Is it not quite
as probable that we have taken that which
God designed for the woodchuck as that
the woodchuck has taken that which God
designed for us? We have taken the land
where he roamed, and have cut down the
trees that supplied him with nuts and aeorns.
Shall we, then, take it into our hands to pun
ish the woodchuck-to imprison him to put
him TO death-just for taking the food which
God has provided for him? l say we have
no right to deprive him of either life or liber-
ty. Witness the mute and earnest pleading
Of the animal for that life which is $50 sweet
to him. OH let us not take it away in self
ish cruelty and cold heartlessness; for, II we
do, we must expect just and righteous
Judgment for our wanton act.
During this earnest plea Of Daniels, tears
started from the fathers eyes and ran down
his sunburnt cheeks. His pity and sympa-
thy were awakened by the touching words
OF compassion and the eloquent and earnest
appeal for mercy to the captive; and, while
Daniel was yet in the midst Of his argument
the old man, giving way to his feelings and
forgetting that he was acting as judge,
sprang from his chair, dashed the tears from
his eyes, and exclaimed, "Zeke, Zeke, you
LET that wOOdchuck gOp"