New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-02-11
JHE JUEEU SUITS.

The trial of the $G,0OO,000 suit against
Tweed, having been STAYED oil rs long
ne possible by the well paid counsel OF
the eminent convict, is now fairly under way.
we hear in court the familiar story Of the
c;cautic robbery. The remnants of the fraud
ulent vouchers destroyed when the Controllers
Office was So mystcriouSly broken open III
1871 have again been offered in evidence.
Inger,oll has come forward to repeat his con-
fession. Garvcy whose original appearance as
n witness III one of the earlier suits was such
dramatic surprise, resumes his eXtraoT-
binary revelations. The details Of the
gigantic Ring robbcric. have been so
often eprcad before the public and tested
by courts and rchcalScd in the newspapers
that they have lost most of their popular IN
tcrest, and even the graphic narrative OF Car
yey respecting the division of the plunder, the
brildmg Of "fnc houses for the Ring at the
expense Of Tie city. the collection of huge
Legislative corruption fund, also at the cost oi
the city. and the orders of the Boss that all
tcl-talc accounts should be dc.troycd-cven
this no longer cycitcs more than transient
flush of indignation ON the check Of the tax
payer. Only one thing about the Tweed sut
remains lltH ns anu lilht ~ NV pN'Pi''H'S W
havior of Mr.. Iweed's counsel.
There never WAS n criminal so vile thai he
could not find n lawyer TO defend him. and
under certain restrictions il is cnilrCiy proper
for counsel to undertake the defense OF men
whom they know To be raNcal'. But until now
we never knew of prominent member OF the
profession, with n character 10 lose, who would
condcscend to take money from an acknowl-
edged thief in payment for rviccs IN pre-
venting the recovery of stolen goods Stated
in plain English, Sir. Fields transaction with
Tweed amounts To the following: - OH have
stolen six Millions says the counsel (;
everybody knows that it isn't worth while
ito deny it, Well give me, say one million,
"and | will surrender all the lest OF
81 my business and devote myself, by the
tricks of the law, 10 keeping for you the
"rcmainder." Tweed agrees serves out Il
term in the pcnitcntiary; gets into an easier
iail runs away and leaves Mr. Field to carry
out hi. agreement. This is an essentially i'm
moral and disgrAccfu action. Judge West
brook calmcd tlr. Fields agitation the other
d,v bv assuring him that tie Court found
rolhng unprofc-sional in his conduct; ana he
WAS quite right. for the Court can only take
notice of what comes officially before IT. and
Mr.. Fields behavior in court was naturally
regular and decent But society looks further
and Judges otherwise, and no sophi-try can
convince re- spcctablc men that II Is professional
TO aid a thief in concoaling his plumber.
There are scores OF practitioners in this city
who do dirty work at the Tombs and the va
rimls criminal courts, and one never thinks oi
wasting remonstIancc upon them. But when
man who once stood near the head OF the
bar makes such sacrifice OF what he ought
10 hold worth more than money, the public
NAV well he astonished and indignant Mr..
Field, however, sweais that he will not be
driven from his course by any newspaper
hummer" Well, there is this to be said for
him: he il not comfortable in his position.