Good thing to address his
Imperial Majesty the Emperor of Morocco, to co-operate with and to
assist them in putting down the traffic in slavery in every part of the
world.
"If the government of the Queen had thought that they should recommend
to your Excellency and your royal master anything contrary to your
religion, they could not have given me letters of introduction to their
consuls in this country. Rest assured that the English people believe it
to be agreeable to the doctrines and precepts of all religions to
abolish the traffic in human flesh and blood.
"I pray, therefore, your Excellency to receive the petition, of which I
am the bearer, from the Society of English gentlemen. Our Government
have already spent three hundred millions of dollars, the money of the
people of England, to destroy the traffic in human beings; every day our
government continues to spend vast sums, adding to this enormous amount
for the same object of humanity. I am sure that, if your Imperial Master
value the friendship of England and the British government, if it be a
politic and good thing for Morocco to be allied with the most powerful
Christian nation in the world, the most certain way to conciliate and
found this alliance on a durable basis, is to cooperate with the people
of England for the abolition of the traffic in slaves, and graciously to
receive this address from the Society of Abolitionists in London.
"We come not to your Excellency with force of arms - this could not be
just; we use only moral persuasion. Our religion disapproves of
compulsion in all such affairs. But I can assure your Excellency that
the English people will never cease, though all nations be against them,
as long as God Almighty holds them up as a people, to endeavour in every
possible way, to persuade and convince the world that the traffic in
human beings is a great crime."
The Governor replied in these terms: "Your mission is against our
religion, I cannot entertain it or think of it, in any way whatever. If,
in other countries, the traffic in slaves is contrary to the religion of
those countries, in this it is not; here it is lawful for us to buy and
sell slaves. Mahomet, our Prophet, has authorized us to do this; but, at
the same time, our slaves must be fed and clothed like ourselves. If you
wish a proof of this, you can go and look at my slaves," (pointing to
his house). "To be holders of slaves, is a merit with us.
"Your address ought to come directly from your Government, from your
Queen to our Sultan. It is not enough that it is recommended by your
Government. The European sovereigns are accustomed to act by the advice
of their counsellors and ministers; but the Sultan of Morocco always
acts without advice or councils. [25] If the address had come from the
Queen, it would have been received, and an answer would have been
returned accordingly. Then if your Government had been offended at the
answer of my master not agreeing with their opinion, they could have
taken their own satisfaction in any way they might have thought proper
(or have made war on us).
"The money which you say the people of England have spent for the
suppression of the Slave Trade, has been, according to our opinion and
religion, misspent, and employed to destroy a system of which we
approve, and consider lawful. Still, I hope God will give your country
more money to spend, and in abundance.
"The English people and the people of Morocco have been, from time
immemorial, great friends, proofs of which I can give you. The guns that
we get from other Christian nations, are never so good as those we get
from England. Besides, we always give the English whatever they ask for.
When the French were at war with Spain and wished to take Ceutra from
her, the English demanded from our Sultan, a small island near Ceutra,
to prevent the French from landing and seizing Ceutra. To this request,
my Sultan acceded; and to show you that the English are our particular
friends, the English gave the island back to us when the war was at an
end."
Mr. Willshire now endeavoured to present the Address of the Anti-Slavery
Society, praying his Excellency to accept it.
On which, the Governor continued with his usual vivacity, "No; I am
sorry I cannot accept it; if I do, the Sultan must also, for now I act
as the Sultan. Indeed, I dare not receive the address, nor write to our
Lord [26] about it. Nor can I look at it, for in case the Sultan asks me
about it, I must swear that I have not touched nor seen the Address. If
I look at it, and then say I did not look at it, the Sultan will order
my tongue to be cut off from the roof of my mouth.
"And further, O Consul! O Stranger! were our Lord to agree with your
Society, and abolish the traffic in slaves throughout his dominions, all
the people would rise up against him in revolt, and the Sultan would be
the first to have his head cut off.
"Therefore, as a good and wise man, O Stranger - which you must be, or
you would not be entrusted with this mission - comply with the orders of
the Sultan's message, given to you by me and your Consul.
"Any thing which you want for yourself or your private use, I will give
it you, even to the whole of this city of Mogador. But for myself I
cannot comply with the prayers of the address, or receive it from your
own or the Consul's hands."
The message of the Sultan alluded to, was in substance to give up the
attempt of abolishing slavery in Morocco, and not to think of going to
the South, but to return at once to England.
