I nothing more. That would be an accurate view enough
bottle flies—but it is an obstacle, and might be a consider- if it were not for the locality of Melilla, but unfortu- able one. On the other hand, England, anxious for nately, owing to that locality, the " incidents" rouse the Tangier and her own free road through the Mediterranean, bitterest feelings in one European State, and dangerous watches carefully to see that France makes no compact jealousies in at least three if not four others. The Spaniards, with Spain or Morocco, and that the incident of Melilla to begin with, have been carried wholly out of them- is not made an excuse for aggrandising France on the selves. They feel about Morocco in a way which only African side of the Mediterranean at the expense of the those who have studied their history can under- future freedom of the great inland sea. The struggle in stand. The Moors are their hereditary foes, and they Fez, therefore, when the tribesmen are defeated, will be a cannot endure to receive the slightest insult, much hot one, and may produce a situation in which nations less a defeat, at their hands. The news, therefore, reckon up their battalions rather than their arguments. that the construction of some forts beyond Melilla had The Italians, too, will chime in, for they would regard a provoked a rising of the Riff tribes—men who, though French Tangier as fatal to their independence ; and when. nearly independent in fact, are in theory Moorish subjects ever Italy moves, Frenchmen seem to get beside themselves —that the forts had been besieged by thousands upon with spite and irritation. Spain may fight or bargain as thousands of Arabs and Berbers, that a Spanish regiment she pleases, that is her ancient right, and a French family had been forced to retreat after enduring starvation for occupies her throne, but Italy was made by France, and is three days in a fort, and that a Spanish General had been bound in French judgment to be her faithful, not to say akin, roused the whole country to a fever of indignation, subservient, ally. The Riff incident, therefore, in reality such as we should have felt if Isandlana had occurred in involves the " Question of Morocco," and the question of sight of our own shores. The Government was com- Morocco has been pronounced by the greatest diploma- polled to make preparations as if for a war, to talk, tists—among whom, we believe, Lord Rosebery may be at all events, of sending 20,000 men, and to offer the reckoned—a much more burning one than the question command to Marshal Martinez Campos, the most trusted of Constantinople. soldier in Spain. Moreover, the Spaniards began asking There is nothing to be done at present, of course, for whether Moors or Berbers would have dared to attack we have no right whatever to prevent Spain from exacting them without promises of support, and whether some reparation from those who have assailed her. She had a Power with secret designs had not instigated them in right, we presume, to build her new foils for the protection order to raise a quarrel, and so create an opportunity of her territory at Melilla, that is, she was either within for armed interference in Morocco. It seems to English- her own boundary, or she has the Sultan's permission, and men difficult to believe such credulity, but Spaniards can the rage of the tribesmen who saw in the forts a menace never forget the difference between their history and to their turbulent independence is no fault of hers. It 'their present position, a difference most galling to a would be too much to ask an ancient and high-spirited proud people; they see that the possibility of expansion is people to put up with a defeat which they did not provoke almost shut-off from them—though they once conquered est they should endanger the general peace, and the only a world—and they cling to their reversionary right in consequence of asking would be to throw Spain into the Morocco with a tenacity which makes them suspicious of arms either of France or of the Triple Alliance,— every proposal or movement made at Tangier by any each of them at this moment bidding eagerly for other Power. They must, they feel, at every opportunity her support or her neutrality. Even if Spain is a. keep their claim before the world. They are ready, little ambitious, and desires dominion along the coast, therefore, to fight to the last rather than not fully we do not know that it is more than natural, or that it avenge General Margallo. Tangier is untouched it matters much, for the fate of Unfortunately, it may be difficult to do it. The defence Morocco must ultimately be decided either by Europe of Melilla is easy enough, for the place is well fortified, in conference, or by agreement between England and there are plenty of reinforcements to send, and the Spanish France. All we have to do is to watch that Tangier is soldiers—who, owing to some incidents in the Peninsular not seized by anybody as a " material guarantee," and War, are ridiculously underrated in England—are among that our road through the Mediterranean, and therefore the bravest in the world. They are not always obedient to Egypt and India, is left reasonably free. Beyond at home ; they are usually badly supplied ; and they have that, we have no " objects," least of all the objects which produced only second-rate Generals ; but for actual fight- our kind critics in Paris and Marseilles are pleased to ing they deserve the high encomium which Nelson passed assign to us. We have absolutely no interest in stirring up upon the Spanish sailors. But the taking of vengeance disorder on the Morocco coast, no interest in discrediting on the Riff mountaineers is not so easy. No General without Spain, no interest in protecting or favouring or arming the 20,000 men to waste will pursue the Arabs and Berbers Berbers or Arabs of the Riff. They can take care of them- of the Riff into the recesses of their hills. Their subjuga- selves exceedingly well, and it they choose by descents Lion to the " Andalusians," whom they specially hate and into the plain to destroy the natural advantages of their distrust, would take years ; and as to compensation, there position, and give themselves away to the Spanish is none to be obtained. You can get nothing from a artillerists, the sanguinary results of that blunder will Berber except his skin, which is not an article of value ;, arise from no fault of ours. If the public here have any and ho will fight for that with the tenacity of a Zulu or a sympathies, they are with Spain, and not with France ; Soudanese. He has never been fully beaten, he thinks, and they have far too many things to do and to think of since the Visigothic days, and will obey no lord. to be intriguing in the villages of the Riff, or to be The Spaniards, therefore, after one sharp engagement, plotting disasters for either Spain or France. We dare in which the tribesmen, who are as brave as Ghoorkas, say some of the Jews of Gibraltar will manage to get will probably be defeated and dispersed, are certain condemned rifles over to the Morocco coast in spite of the to look to the Sultan for compensation ; and he Governor's sharp proclamation ; but for the rest, the has nothing to give them, except a little money whole story of our misconduct is absurd, and only reveals or some addition to their territory. If they as the depth of the passionate excitement which every for money, he will probably fight, as he did once before, incident in Morocco always evokes. for after all he is an Arab, and in his own eyes Khalif, wrong—Mr. Gladstone has gone wrong—bat at least he and he cannot yield unbeaten to the infidels whom his gives to a movement form and definition. forefathers ruled. Territory ho might concede, for he gets nothing from that wild region, and would be delighted to set up a perpetual blister on the side of its THE SPANIARDS IN MOROCCO. rebellious inhabitants, but with accession of territory the T is difficult to make English men understand the . jealousies of Europe will wake. France, besides fearing European importance of an outbreak like the Moorish lest her own Arabs in Algeria should be excited by the attack on the Spaniards at Melilla. They naturally regard anger of their neighbours and kinsfolk—a probability so it as a purposeless rising of barbarians, sure to be put great that special warnings have been sent from Paris to down, and no more to be regarded than a similar rising the Governor-General—means to have Morocco herself against the British in South Africa, or on one of the hill some day, and regards any extension of Spanish dominion frontiers of the Indian Empire. The momentary defeat as an obstacle in her road. It is not such an obstacle as of the Spaniards and the death of their General are to England, she thinks—England just now filling the butchers' them regrettable incidents in the history of the day, and shops, in the imagination of every Parisian, with blue- nothing more. That would be an accurate view enough bottle flies—but it is an obstacle, and might be a consider- if it were not for the locality of Melilla, but unfortu- able one. On the other hand, England, anxious for nately, owing to that locality, the " incidents" rouse the Tangier and her own free road through the Mediterranean, bitterest feelings in one European State, and dangerous watches carefully to see that France makes no compact jealousies in at least three if not four others. The Spaniards, with Spain or Morocco, and that the incident of Melilla to begin with, have been carried wholly out of them- is not made an excuse for aggrandising France on the selves. They feel about Morocco in a way which only African side of the Mediterranean at the expense of the those who have studied their history can under- future freedom of the great inland sea. The struggle in stand. The Moors are their hereditary foes, and they Fez, therefore, when the tribesmen are defeated, will be a cannot endure to receive the slightest insult, much hot one, and may produce a situation in which nations less a defeat, at their hands. The news, therefore, reckon up their battalions rather than their arguments. that the construction of some forts beyond Melilla had The Italians, too, will chime in, for they would regard a provoked a rising of the Riff tribes—men who, though French Tangier as fatal to their independence ; and when. nearly independent in fact, are in theory Moorish subjects ever Italy moves, Frenchmen seem to get beside themselves —that the forts had been besieged by thousands upon with spite and irritation. Spain may fight or bargain as thousands of Arabs and Berbers, that a Spanish regiment she pleases, that is her ancient right, and a French family had been forced to retreat after enduring starvation for occupies her throne, but Italy was made by France, and is three days in a fort, and that a Spanish General had been bound in French judgment to be her faithful, not to say akin, roused the whole country to a fever of indignation, subservient, ally. The Riff incident, therefore, in reality such as we should have felt if Isandlana had occurred in involves the " Question of Morocco," and the question of sight of our own shores. The Government was com- Morocco has been pronounced by the greatest diploma- polled to make preparations as if for a war, to talk, tists—among whom, we believe, Lord Rosebery may be at all events, of sending 20,000 men, and to offer the reckoned—a much more burning one than the question command to Marshal Martinez Campos, the most trusted of Constantinople. T
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