The Striking
Anecdote, Illustrating The Exclusive Policy Of The Maroquine Court, Is
Familiar To All Who Have Read The History Of The Moorish Sultans Of The
Mugreb.
Years ago, a European squadron threatened to bombard Tangier,
unless their demands were instantly satisfied; and the then reigning
Sultan sent down from Fez this imperial message:
"How much will the enemy give me if I myself burn to ashes my
well-beloved city of Tangier? Tell the enemy, O governor of the mighty
city of Tangier, that I can reduce this self-same city to a heap of
smoking ruins, at a much cheaper rate than he can, with all his ships,
his warlike machines, and his fighting men."
The strength of Morocco lies in her internal cities, her inland
population, and the natural difficulties of her territory; about her
coast she cares little; but the French did not find this out till after
their bombardments. The unwonted discovery led them afterwards to boast
that they had at length opened Morocco by the other and opposite system
of a pacific mission. The parties forming the mission, pretended to have
obtained from the Emperor permission for Europeans "to travel in Morocco
without let or hindrance whithersoever they will." But the opposition
press justly ridiculed the pretensions of the alleged concession, as the
precarious and barren result of a mission costing several million of
francs. Even an Englishman, but much more a Frenchman - and the latter is
especially hated and dreaded in all the Maroquine provinces, would have
considerably hesitated in placing confidence in the safe conduct of this
jealous Court.
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