Daniel Webster’s famous prosecution speech in the Salem Murder Trial (1830) has been both praised and condemned. Celebrated as a masterpiece of forensic eloquence it is also criticized as contributing to a miscarriage of justice. This essay examines that address to the Salem jury in the context of Webster’s own classical training in rhetoric. Specifically, the paper discusses the elements and details of Webster’s persuasive strategy as they are drawn from his Ciceronian rhetorical sensibility. Ethical condemnations of Webster’s address cannot be sustained when that trial speech is reviewed from the vantage of classical forensic rhetoric. In fact, Webster’s performance may be one of the last great expressions of the classical forensic paradigm in American courtroom oratory.

中文翻译：

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塞勒姆的经典修辞：丹尼尔·韦伯斯特和怀特上尉的谋杀案

丹尼尔·韦伯斯特（Daniel Webster）在1830年的《塞勒姆谋杀案》（Salem Murder Trial）中著名的检察演说受到赞扬和谴责。作为法医口才的杰作，它也被认为助长了司法流产。本文在韦伯斯特自己的经典修辞学背景下，考察了塞勒姆陪审团的讲话。具体而言，本文讨论了韦伯斯特的说服策略的要素和细节，这些要素和细节是从韦伯斯特的西塞隆式修辞敏感性中得出的。当从经典的法医修辞学的角度对审判演说进行回顾时，韦伯斯特讲话的伦理谴责将无法维持。实际上，韦伯斯特的表演可能是美国法庭演说中经典法证范式的最后伟大表现之一。