The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1880-03-27
MosbY and his Critics.
HIS scATHING REVIEW OF A FELLow-CoNsUL's
LETTER.

WASHINGTON, February 22.-Colonel Mosb,
continues to transmit to the State Department
yOluminOus details 10 sustain his charges Of cor
ruptiOn against other United States officials II
China and elsewhere. Some of his communica
tons, couched in his characteristic style, furnish
quite interesting reading. One of his recent com
munieations is in reply to the charges against hin
by Mr.. Studer, United States Consul at Singapore
a copy OF which was sent to him by the Depart.
ment of State. The charges made by Mr.. Studel
involved alleged irregularities in the method oil
discharging seamen by the Consulate at Hong
kong; and in the course of his letter he reflected
on the Confederate record Of Colonel M0sby. and
Intimated that be was hostile to Union soldiers,
of whom Mr.. Studer claims to have been one.
Alter submitting a statement OF facts disprOvIng
the charges affecting his Official character, and in
vItIng the Department to investigate his official
acts since taking charge Of the Consulate, be pro-
ceeds to comment IN refreshing style on Mr..
Studer s allegations concerning his personal con-
duct and feelings, as the following extracts will
show
CONSUL sTUDER's WAR RECORD.
Mr. Studer informs the department that he
served In the Union army, and he imagines me
to be his enemy on that account. In other
words, that while long ago 1 was reconcIled with
such soldiers as Grant, Sherman, and Hancock,
| am unable to forgive a warrior at Singapore.
Now, the fact is, that | never knew he had been
a soldier until L read his letter. | am informed
he Is a Swiss, and L have no doubt that with the
characteristic aptitude of his race, he went to the
highest bidder and fought. if he did any fighting,
like - Dugald Dalgetty,' for provender and pay.
lt Is perfectly evident that my failure 10 answer
his letters was adopted as a mere pretext for
writing a letter to the department, conveying
what he considers the following grave charges
against me
First That L profess to be proud of my mil
itary record and that | related some of my guer-
rilla exploits with great gusto.'' This is true.
Secondly-"T That l felt ashamed of being class
ed with United States Consuls in the East
This Is also true, with the qualification which
never embraced by any means all the United
States Consuls IN the East, but only such men as
Bailey, LorIng, Sickles, Torrey and Studer. L have
said that these men have so degraded the Consul
lar service that | felt Inundated at being placed
on the same level with them. [ think most Amer
leans IN the East agree with me. For such men
as Judge Denny, General Stabel and Mr.. Man
gum L feel the highest respect, for they are an
honor to our country.
WHAT MAKES AN HONORABLE SOLDIER.
Ihird-That he, Studer, and other Consuls
q did not serve on the right side during the
war. Every one who knows me will pronounce
this charge to be UNANIMOUSLY false, without my
contradiction. L have always maintained that
the merits of n soldier are not dependent on the
political merits OF the cause in which he fights,
as bad men fight in a good cause and good men in
a bad cause. L have no doubt that if Gen. Grant
had been a citizen of Virginia and Gen. Lee of
ilIinolS' they "ouIu sui nave Iought on opposite
sides. II, however, the Department desires to
know whether my department and conversation
have been offensive to those TO whom | was
opposed in conflict of farms, L would refer it to Gen.
Grant and Gen. Stabel, and officers of the Amer
lean navy whom | have met in the East, and to
w. ii. Forbes, the head of the American house
OF Russell 81 Co., a citizen of New York, and I
believe personally known to the Secretary of State.
| have said that | believed Mr.. Studer availed
himself of a mere pretext for writing his letter.
L have every reason to believe that the man who
inspired it is the Rev. Chester Holcomb, a rene
gade missionary, now Secretary of Legation at
Pekin, whose chief employment since l have been
In the East has been in writing around to differ
ent Consulates to procure such letters to be writ
ten against me.