While Spain is still slowly preparing for the attack upon
Morocco delayed by some reason not explained, both countries have made their appeal to Europe by means of diplomatic eirou- lars. The Spanish paper tells us nothing more than we knew already. It seeks to represent the Minister of Morocco as having admitted the grievances alleged, and as having promised a re- paration from which he had afterwards withdrawn. Even from
the Spanish despatch it distinctly appears that Spain had claimed to make a constant advance of her boundary upon the territory of Morocco, and that she had, demanded a form of re- paration studiously humiliating to the officers who were to per- form it, espedally in requiring that certain things said to have been removed% an attack upon Ceuta should be replaced by the Bey or Governor's own hand. That this representation is grossly'
disingenuous might almost be gathered from its internal evi- dence, but fie Moorish case is corroborated by collateral testi- mony. Spain is challenged to prove, which she has not yet done, that any Spanish resident has suffered in person or property from the alleged attack near Ceuta. After various negotiations and claims for reparations on the score of attacks by the Riff pirates, Spain sent in towards the end of September a demand for liberty to construct fortifications on a plot of ground where she was by treaty restrained from any such construction. The Government of Morocco yielded the point. Spain then demanded the same freedom for another plot of ground, also conceded ; and within about a fort- night the Spanish Government sent a third demand, comprising the humiliating conditions which we have mentioned, and asking for an extended territory and no small strip of the Morocco coast, enough to excite the jealousy of this country, since it would have given Spain that corner of the African main which
forms the inner gate-post on the south side of the Straits of Gibraltar. The cession of these, the Moorish Government de- clared to be beyond its power, and it is really for this point that Spain declares war. Meanwhile the Government at Madrid has so far conceded to the representation of Lord John Russell as distinctly to declare that it will not permanently occupy any point the possession of which may obtain for Spain a power dangerous to the free navigation of the Mediterranean. The pledge, indeed, is still obscure in its terms.
