McGuffey's Sixth Eclectic Reader, Revised Edition · Lesson XCIX · Part 10: Granada, Hamlet and the Union
105. Speech on the Trial of a Murderer (Daniel Webster)
Goal: Your student can explain Webster's argument that a guilty secret will always come out.
You'll need
- The book, open to this lesson
- A notebook and pen
- A dictionary
What's in the book
From Webster's argument in a Salem murder trial. A note explains the case: four men were arrested for the murder of Mr. White; Webster's work helped convict them.
The lesson, step by step
Words and meanings
Look over the notes and definitions printed at the end of the lesson before you start, so names and hard words don't trip up the reading.
Read the note first. It says the extract is from Webster's argument in the trial of John F. Knapp for the murder of Mr. White, a wealthy citizen of Salem, Massachusetts.
Your student picks three unfamiliar words, guesses each meaning from the sentence, then checks a dictionary.
About the author
Webster was introduced in Lesson LXXI. Ask your student what they remember.
Read aloud
Read it as a speech to a jury, with weight and pauses.
Listen for these lines:
Against the prisoner at the bar, as an individual, I can not have the slightest prejudice.
It must be confessed, it will be confessed;
Talk about it
SayHow does Webster describe the murderer's secret? Where does it hide, and what does it do to him?
SayWhy does he say the secret 'will be confessed'?
SayHow does he describe the night of the crime? What makes it frightening?
SayIs a guilty conscience a punishment in itself?
Narration
Your student explains Webster's main argument in their own words in under a minute.
Memorize or copy
Learn this line:
It must be confessed, it will be confessed;
Writing (optional)
Write a paragraph: Can a person keep a wrong secret forever? Use Webster's ideas and your own.
Tip
The speech describes a murder, but without gore. Most students find Webster's picture of a guilty conscience gripping.