The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1865-08-16


ministration journal and intensely loyal,
thus pitches into the Government for
maintaining Military Courts. Had this
article appeared ina Democratic paper as
editorial, there would have been great
cry Of treason, Copperhead, &c.:
TUE COST OF MILITARY COURTS.
A military commission, with Major
General Doubleday for President, has
been engaged, one hundred aud forty days
in trying one Uozzens. a citizen of Penn
sylvania, on the charge of not having put
good duck canvas in tents furnished by
contract. The cost of the trial to the
country was over S22 900, and Cozzens,
being found guilty, was released on habeas
corpus. The Tribune says:
THE two great feats of the Doubleday
Court since the beginning of the
year have been the trial Of Mr.. Cozzens,
who was released by the haJeas corpms of
Judge Thompson-a trial that lasted from
February to June 10, a period amount
ing to about 140 days-and the further
trial of a man named Neal, an Arsenal
Inspector, which began May %, and is
not ended. As Neal will certainly be re-
leased by the same Judge Thompson, on
a similar habeas corpus, it makes little
difference in the interest of military JUS
tice' whether the trial ever ends or not
"Why the costly stupidity of military
courts, all over the country should be con-
tinued it is impossible to say, unless it is
thought we have great many Generals
and other officers whose pay must be con-
tinued at all hazards, whether they have
any, thing to do or not.
The authorities at Washington ought
to know that the whole country is sick of
the profigacy and ineficiency of the mil
itary courts. 1t is high time they were
wiped out
A dull affair has been dragging its wea-
ry length for weeks at Cambridge, Ohio,
aud we have a correspondent up there
who has been trying to tell us what it is
all about; but we have not been able to
ascertain further than that the officers en-
gagged in it should be mustered out of
service, and the matter turned over to a
justice Of the peace.
Speaking of the Doubleday Court mar
tial, which is neither better nor worse
than at least one hundred others, except
as it may differ from most in having a
Major General presiding, the Tribune
says: - sa.
1.-THE Government allows to these off :
GERS twenty servants, whose wages it pays,
and whose persons it clothes, as we'll as
thirty four horses, each horse receiving
fourteen pounds of hay and twelve pounds
of oats per day, and 100 pounds of straw
per month. As if the officers, servants,
photographer and, horses. did not get
enough money,t the Government generously
allows 81 25 per day to each officer addi-
tional, with an extra 81 20 to the Judge
Advocate. In addition to this further al
lowance, the officers are given quarters
and afuel.'' A Major General has six
rooms, and Major four, so that this
Court eats, sleeps, smokes and otherwise
lives in forty rooms-S12 so a month be-
ing allowed for the rent of each ROOM
Our readers must not suppose that the
horses of the Court get their oats, hay
and straw, and the Generals nothing to
eat. No, indeed. In military point of
view, Major General receives nineteen
rations per day, Colonel eight, Lieu
tenant Colonel seven, and Major six
Whether a Major General on Court duty
eats three times as much as Major, we
do not know, bat the Government pays
thirty cents day for each ration,in good,
lawful money. e1s of4H
aThis makes one branch of expenses
These s'courts' pay each witness So per
diem while in attendancs-that is to say
from the day he is summoned to the day
he is dismissed--as well as the actual cost
of transportation. 1t pays officers, ush-
ers, detectives and train of small subor-
dinates, as we'll as the rent of the rooms
where the meetings are held. The reader
may think that, this being good pay, the
Government must get vast deal of work
out of the nine officers, twenty servants,
one photographer, thirty-four horses and
train of officers called q 'tcourt" t"-that
they work so hard from morning till night
that the officers and horses can only keep
life in them by duly eating their rations,
hay, oats and straw. This is a mistake
No beings in the world have easier times
than the men and horses composing this
"court." eThe hours of meeting," says
our Philadelphia correspondent, are very
irregular. The general hours are from l l
in the morning to 2 in the afternoon
Many days, however, they are in session
but few minutes-but rarely if ever af-
ter 2 o'clock" So that, taking it at the
best, our "court" sits but three hours a
day. And thus it is all the country over
For easy work and good pay, commend
US to the courts of military Justice