New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-07-28
AN RxPRNsIvK LUXURY.

We trust our readers will read very particu-
larly this paragraph from Philadelphia paper:
Tuy Do,HLypAY CouRr. MARITAL The Court re.
assembled Yesterday heard evidence as u the eha
ncter OF William Neal who las been on rias gelofe
mar tribunal for some tim, Dr. Wilson Jewell Henry
Rumm ~ b. NJ Co-reHs. and others f>Sgr>d a. 10 hf
p,ry eIrtll,at Character Of the defendant .
The ia,isr 9entersan ALEC fsted TINT MI Neal had
been very exact with him IN measuring he Irn,s ne
furnished rejecting great many OF them and eoriemp1
VOusiy denied that he ever rewarded MN p'uhi'il)
A large number Of highly respectable citizens, who
have FIR years known MI. Neal IA Az honofao'o cll1e
were in attendance ready t. testify TO Dis excellent
ch aracter They expressed themselves as beng con-
seio4s of his honorable ae7rsitaL
The doubleday Court-Martial" is one OF
those ornamental relics of the War, with which
we are very familiar, and seems TO do duty IN
Philadelphia as the unyarying item for forlorn
local reporters pen. For The last six months, It
has been busy tryingtwo civilians-one CoDens
a contractor, for the alleged cheating Of the
Government in the quality of certain tents, and
one Neal, On inspector at the Philadelphia Ar
senal, for permitting, it is said, the contractor
to cheat the Government. Cozzens received
about five months attention from the
" Court" He had two lawyers to defend him,
witnesses without number examined, argument
after argument recited, until finally the men,
bers agreed. The decision was sent TO WASH
ington, and Cozzens was arrested by "orier of
the Secretary of the War" So soon as this was
done, the two lawyers who had been speaking for
months before Court martial, quietly went
before Judge Thompson of the Supreme Court OF
PENNSYLVANIA, and sued out writ OF habeas
corpus. The Provost Marshal refused to obey
the writ "Ly order of the Secretary Of Wars"
but as the people of Pennsylvania seemed to be
If the same thought as Judge Thompson, and
there was general feeling that i'll Pennsylva-
MIA the habeas corpus, in civil cases, should not
be violated with impunity, Cozzens was re-
leased and set free by the Judge. The six
months palaver OF lawyers aud officers and
Judge Advocates went for nothing, and Cozzens
is q fee man.
In ordinary cases, we should think that a
lesson of this kind would not be lost. The
doubleday Court-Martial' became as helpless
either to condemn or praise, protect or punish,
as any boys debating society which spends
hours in discussing the fate Of Jefferson Davis.
Common sense would have suggested the as
Segment Of the eminent soldier who preades
and bis gallant colleagues to some more in-
portant duty, and the abandonment of military
courts 20 far as the bailiwick Of Mr.. Justice
Thompson is concerned. On the contrary, We
find the same "Court now busy trying" q
man named Neal, formerly holding small
place in the arsenal. What the "Court" will do
with Neal we do not know. According to the
reporter, q number of the witnesses expressed
themselves CONSCIOUS OF an honorable
acouittal." But what difference does il
makei The lawyers may talk for months;
the whole pol.list Of Philadelphia
may swear, and the Court" may hear and de-
tormine; but every eensble person Knows that,
if the Court dare to put finger upon tho said
Neal, with intent to imprison or punish, these
talking lawyers will have a writ of habeas cor
pus from Judge Thompson in two hours, and
Neal will be set at liberty. As If to deepen the
rare humor of this proceeding, we find the same
Cozzens who was "tried " for five months and
released not many weeks since in spite Of the