The Paris correspondent of the Standard considers the war with
the Arabs in Africa as very serious. The late expedition of the Duke of Orleans into the interior, so potnpously described in the French official papers, seaved only to harrass the troops and exasperate the natives- " As soon as the French expedition had returned to Algiers, and the Marshal Vallee and the Duke of' Orleans had left the land they bad so recently traversed, the Arabs united together, and a war has begun, time result of which no one would venture to predict. The tribes have felt themselves insulted by the ex- pedition to the lron Gates ; and whilst the .7(nrenfd des Dirbata was writing its complimentary phrases on the success of this military promenade, the Arabs were very diflimently occupied, and were availing themselves of the state of the
French troops to make an unexpected attack on them. * • *
" The accounts which have been received and published by the French Go- vernment, and which I herewith transmit, though of course made to represent in the best colours the outbreak of this war, yet admit that Abd-el-Kader commenced by an almost unexpected attack on ninny points of the French line ; and that the reettlts of two units had been unfortunate to the French arms. These despatches, of various dates, from the 15th to the 24th of No- vember, were received only on Sunday., and all together, by time Government. "Abd-el-Kader has, according even to the admission of the French Govern- ment agents, a most powerful and extraordinary influence in the north of Africa, and especially in Western Algeria. The first object effected by him was the cessation of commercial intercourse with the tribes subjected to his authority. Abd-el-Kader has, for a long time past, given Marshsl116e loud, anxiety, as it was known that be was hastile to the French, and that the peace of 'raffia was never sincere. Why then did Marshal Vallee, et the time of the year when the French troops were the least prepared fir com1;:lt, when they bad been diminished by sickness and want of good and suitable provisions, anti Oen all was against them, undertake so unpopular and so unwise a measure as the expedition of the Duke of Orleans to the Iron Gates ? "The policy of Marshal Vahife during- the last two years has been unfit:W.3- ti011,Lbly lnote pacific and just than that of any of his predect-s,ors; hut to Jon, surely not be astonished that the Arabs cannot on the one hand forget
si I I: Pie past, and will not quietly submit to forei,zn domination mul rompust. Tie. tribes, during the government of the Dey f Al litre, were comparstively imle- talent though the ary was a Mussulman, lime much more do they require
pe , to be independent now, who]) governed by a Christian power ? 1 .coofess I think that Marshal Valh'is less proved by his despatches thst Abdo:I-Ka:kr is at once an abler diplomatist and gcnend than himself ; fIn• whilst the Marshal was deceived by the Arab chief as to the lilt in ions (it' that :mimic and power:M
i Jr .,le leader, Abl.el-Kader was well aware of all that was being said Lnn! and I tl Marshal.
Lite whole of the published docomonts demonstrate in ii clear an 1 1:;•.- rals.,rerable nmuncr, that the FruN,7II h-ve not gained any solid foatino in Africa, iu spite of all their wars and att 'As during nine years on the ',Pula- flan of the province anti the ::urrounding tribes ; and, second, that the French are more hated now than ever they were, and have less chance of estalilishing them elves than when first they went to Al:iiers. I know it is St It and V.di Is :ail, that the English are jealous of the French possss;sions in Aii•Lat,
tial: we all write under this feeling. Bat it is certain th thou:It Ire !nighT 1,...j.•alous of a %s ell-governed and prospetous colony, we never c.in hsi of such a cid:my as that at Algiers.
" Letters from Algiers of the 24th ult., brought to Toulon by the Chimer,. steamer, state that the troops of Alide!-KaJCP had vu rI t I,..v(.•ral firms, nris,acred many people, and entirely swept away several posts. It wits rvpried that upwards of ;350 hauls had been cut MY. A dctachinvid of di min, sent to the relief of some farms threatened by the Arabs, had mit noun:id, an 1 it wis supposed they had been cut to piece.s. Fort Outhinandis, kept iv tailitary convicts, had heen taken by the Arabs, who iii .tsacred the whole garr:son. Tile Second Light infantry marched on the 21th fir the camps. dIaron Viallard Was holding out at his farm, The Twentv-foorIii of the Lcue
Lad tel 150 men, including a chef de battalion, a lisutenants, anti three sub-lieutenants. Colonel Lamoriciere, at the hes1 yf his regiment, after IL ving sliAained a long nod s inguinary ituttthjet, nesr ed.:, had his opponents, killing great numbers. Blidals was 1,10eIsii led."
A correspondent of the Courier wrote front Algiers on the 24th of No vomiter —
" During the last three days, the plain has been in the power of Ahd-el- Rader.s Arabs, who are committing every species of murder and excess. All the colonists who had not time to seek refuge in the ramps have be. n massaer,.1. Oa °tic pint 40 dead bodies were thund decapitated. Tlicy bel,mged to a detachment of the Forty-first Regiment, sent to escort a suppis: of provIdoos to I.Pidah. On another point, 127 men, belonging to the »win, stationed. on the banks of the Chitfa, were surprissd and ni is:sacred LV the Arabs. All the camps are surrounded hy the euuettLv. SII th:If 0III. in danger of &mine, l'or they fire too feeble to attenqit any ed,:ctive sorties. The plain is inundated, in consequence of the heavy rains we have lately had, witilt makes the communication between our different posts all but impos. sHle. Several strong detachments of traops have already marched out. The Marshad himself has set of with the artillery."
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