He will not be fattened and
bled as the Emperor treats other governors. He politely hinted this to
the Emperor when he accepted office; since then, he has resolutely
refused all presents from the merchants, so that the Emperor has no
excuse whatever for bleeding him under the pretext that he is afflicted
with a plethora, from his exactions on the people. The moneys referred
to by the Moors are the custom dues, which are collected by a separate
department, and transmitted direct, to the Emperor.
Whilst residing at Mogador, Mr. Cohen arrived from Morocco, where he had
been with the merchants. He is the English Jew who assisted Mr. Davidson
in his travels through Morocco. His experience in Maroquine affairs is
considerable, and I shall offer his conclusions concerning the present
state of the Empire. I prefer, indeed, giving the opinion of various
residents or natives of the country to our own. Mr. Cohen's ideas will
be found to differ exceedingly from that of the (Imperial) merchants,
who, in point of fact, are not free men, and cannot be trustworthy
witnesses. As Mr. Elton justly observed, the Europeans are so much
involved with the Emperor, that they are almost obliged to consent
publicly to the violent death of the unfortunate Jew, Dorman, although
he was under the French protection, and likewise a kind of vice-consul.
Mr. Cohen says - "the people of Morocco are tired of their government,
tired of being pillaged of their property, tired of the insecurity and
uncertainty of their possessions; that is to say, of the few things
which still remain in their hands." Mr. Cohen goes so far as to
say - that, were a strong European power to be established on the coast,
the entire population would flock to its support. He gives the following
instance of the style and manner in which the Emperor bleeds the
governors of provinces.
A few years ago, a governor of Mogador presented himself to the Sultan
of Fez. He was received with all due honours. The governor then begged
leave to return to Morocco. He was dismissed with great demonstrations
of friendship. He arrived at Morocco, and the governor of that city
immediately informed him that he was his prisoner, the Sultan having a
claim against him, of 40,000 dollars. At length, the poor dupe of royal
favour obtained permission to go back to Mogador and to sell all he had,
in order to make up the sum of 40,000 dollars.
This is the way in which things are managed there. Of Maroquine policy,
Mr. Cohen says, "That when the Sultan finds himself in a scrape, he
gives way, though slightly dilatory at first. So long as he sees that he
does not commit himself, or is not detected, he does what he likes with
his own and other people's likewise, to the fullest extent of his power.
But on any mishap befalling him, Muley Abd Errahman, whenever he can,
always shifts the responsibility upon his ministers, and if one of them
gives his advice, and the course taken therein does not succeed, woe be
to the unhappy functionary!"
Some years ago, a number of troops rebelled against the Emperor. At the
instance of the prime minister, Ben Dris, they were pardoned; but,
instead of receiving gratefully this imperial mercy, the troops broke
out afresh in rebellion, which, with great difficulty, was quelled by
the Sultan. This, however, being accomplished, he called the prime
minister before him, and thus addressed the amazed vizier.
"Now, Sir, receive four hundred bastinadoes for your pains, and pay me
30,000 ducats; you will then take care in future how you give me
advice." Nevertheless, Ben Dris still remained vizier, and continued so
till his death. Bastinadoing a minister in Morocco is, however, much the
same as a forced resignation, or the dismissal of a minister in Europe.
Doubtless Ben Dris thought himself surprisingly lucky that the Emperor
did not cut off his head.
It was the late Mr. Hay's opinion, that Muley Abd Errahman was a good
man, but surrounded with bad advisers. The probability seems rather,
that he took all the credit of the good acts of his advisers, and flung
on them the odium of all the bad acts committed by himself, as many
other despotic sovereigns have often done before him.
With regard to the disaffection of the people, as alleged by Mr. Cohen,
its verification is of great importance to us, and our appreciation of
it equally so.
We might be counting upon the resistance of the Maroquines against an
invasion of the French, and find, to our astonishment, the invaders
received as deliverers from the exactions and tyrannies of the
Shereefian oppressor. The fact is, Morocco will never be able to resist
the progress of nations any more than China, especially since she has
got the most restless people in the world for her neighbours. Besides,
during the last thirty years, many of the Maroquines have visited
Europe, and their eyes are becoming opened, the film of Moorish
fanaticism has fallen off; even on their aggressive neighbours, they see
the exercise of a government less rapacious than their own, and more
security of life and property. Still, the Emperor will use every means
to build up a barrier against innovation.
Just at this time, a _rekos_ (courier) arrived from Mr. Willshire (now
at Morocco), bringing letters in answer to those which I had addressed
to him, touching my visit to the Emperor. He writes that he had "already
received orders from His Imperial Majesty respecting the object of my
mission," which words give me uneasiness, as they are evidently
unfavourable to it, and consequently to my journey to Morocco.
