The devil and Daniel Webster
Dan’l Webster’s brow looked dark as a thundercloud. “Pressed or not, you shall not have this man” he thundered. “Mr. Stone is an American citizen, and no American citizen may be forced into the service of a foreign prince. We fought England for that in ‘12 and we’ll fight all hell for it again!”
“Foreign?” said the stranger. “And who calls me a foreigner?”
“Well, I never yet heard of the dev — of your claiming American citizenship,” said Dan’l Web- ster with surprise.
“And who with better right?” said the stranger, with one of his terrible smiles. “When the first wrong was done to the first Indian, I was there. When the first slaver put out for the Congo, I stood on her deck. Am I not in your books and stories and beliefs, from the first settlements on? Am I not spoken of, still, in every church in New England? ‘Tis true the North claims me for a Southerner, and the South for a Northerner, but I am neither. I am merely an honest American like yourself - and of the best descent - for, to tell the truth, Mr. Webster, though I don’t like to boast of it, my name is older in this country than yours.”