The New York Herald Newspaper, January 2, 1874, Page 6

6 THE MOORS. The Herald Correspondent Visits Tangier. ATIVE JEALOUSY OF FOREIGNERS. Ride Through the Country with a Gorgeous Slave. —— ARAB HOSPITALITY. Morocco, Nov. 5, 1873. 'The.rumor that civil war had broken out in Morocco and that a sanguinary struggle had been ‘maugurated for the Succession to the throne of the @eceased despot Sidi Mohammed, Emperor of | Merocco, decided me to abandon my intention of yeturnins into the bosom of civilization, ana to phce more renew acquaintance with tae labled ‘Afric land in order that the readers o! the HERALD should be fully informed of what was passing in this beautiful but neglected and misgoverned cor- ner of the earth, Morocco 1s within a few hours’ sail of civilization, and yet, perhaps, less is known ofthe people and their government by the ma- jority of the reading public than ig known of the ‘trives in the interior of Africa. The inhabitants, Without being so rude and uncivilized as the Diack trides of the South, are far more exclusive in their ideas and more hostile to fereigners, They re also fiercer and braver, so that intercourse with thems extremely delicate, except in the few towns on the coast, where the dread of condign punishment makes any interference with the Christian dogs dangerous. It would be a very Tash experiment, however, for any one sup- posed to be a Christian to venture alone into the Anterior, as he would almost to a certainty be | murdered either from fanaticism or greed, or prob- ably the mixed motive of serving Allah and self at the same time. It would, perhaps, be too much to expect a true believer to resist the temptation of earning a place in heaven, and at the same time Uning his purse with a few hundrea dollars, which im this country represents no mean capital. Hav- ing these conditions in mind I resolved to set out | 4p light marching order, so that if it should be de- @irabie to proceed to the interior the evil disposed | would have as little inducement as possibie to try | the effect of their koveiah, or long guns, on my | person. A steamer for Tangier leaves the port of Gibral- sarevery other day with that marvellous punc- ‘wality upon which the true-born Britisher always prides timself,, and which is, like 80 many other things upon which that self-complacent personage strokes himself down—alla sham. The hotel people im the morning pretended to be tn an awful fuss Jest : should miss the boat, which was advertised ‘to sail to the minute of ten o'clock A. M., so I was bundled of when I was just in the middie of my ‘reakiast and really beginning to eat something. However, time and tide wait for no man, 1 thought, | and the old saw by force had to console me for | the loss of breakiast. “It’s after ten, sir, but | ‘We'll catch her,” said a sarcastic scoundrel who | Pretended to take an immense interest in my wel- | fare with a view toa shilling on embarcation. By | the time I reached the dirty pier below the market, | ‘where the landing place is, the perspiration was | rolling down my face, so hurried had been the ‘March in a broiling sun through bustling way- farers down to this starting point, “Ali right, sir, she’s there yet,” said the fellow who had taken | me in charge; and, sure enough, there was a | steamer away in the distance, lying tranquilly in | the smooth water, sweltering under the hot sun- beams. AS we wriggled out of the crowd of small | ‘craft and lumbering-looking boats, with their e@houting and gesticulating crews, the little black steamer came more fully into view, and I was somewhat surprised to notice tnat there were no boats about her nor any sign of steam. However, the assurance of the men that the steamer would ge out sharp removed all suspicion, especially as | the absence of movement was explained by suying | that another steamer had sailed the day before | carrying @ number of passengers. As we drew mear the men were washing up the deck in a eareless way, and, so far as ocular evidence went, ‘there was nove to show that any serious intention existed to go to sea for @ month, In answer to our hail, however, we were told that an inten- tion did exist to leave port that day, but when the hour of sailing was mentioned the sailor assured us, jibingly, that ten A. M. meant at least half-past tweive, evidently looking on any one foolish enough to place reliance on a salling advertise- Ment as an extremely FRESH SPECIMEN OF A LAND LUBBER, The scoundrel who had betrayed me into the Pleasant position of having to broil on the deck of # dirty little steamer for two hours and a half, un- @er the pretence of care for my imterests, fam fally convinced made me lose my breakfast and Undergo the roasting for his own personal con- venience; but the climax of the joke was reached when, with a Christian-like forgiveness, I pre- #ented the feliow with half a crown in considera- ‘tion of his meritorious service, he wanted half a @overeign. Now, this was too much to be borne, #0 I advised the fellow, with classic curtess, to go to whe hotel and leave me to sweiter in peace, Roping that in the far distant future he would not nd himself in similar, put still more unpleasant, quarters. Two hours ana a half inan almost landlocked bay, with not the slightest whisper of a breeze, and the sun directly overhead, shooting down his beams on your devoted head, and even the water @eeming hot and molten like liquid gold, is a pretty Jong stretch to wait through; but it comes to an end at last. Those long hours would have been ‘@nbearable had not some shore boats come of ‘with cargo, and Moorish and Jewish merchants, ‘who constantly pass and repass between Tangier @nd the Rock, Only in so cosmopolitan a place ould such a collection of picturesque, dirty-look- ‘fag souls be met with, for no amount of contact with civilization can make the low Arab anything bat the dirty, shuffling fellow he is, THE RIVAL OF THE SPANIARD im ancleanliness, as in bigotry, fanaticism, igno- wance and conceit, Notwithstanding tie distrac- ten afforded by these types of a semi-civilized @ociety and several ajtercations between Spanish Deatmen and some Moorish sailors, the anchor came up witha pieasing sound, and in a few min- utes We were steaming out of the harbor rapidly. Ranning close for some time to the Spanish coast we could see quite distinctly the solid watch towers built on commanding points to give notice of the approach of the Barbary corsairs and to re- ets their landing in the days when the Moore were still strong enough to prey on tue commerce of the Christians and to harass the maritime populations of the Mediterranean by frequent descents on un- guarded points. In our own day these towersserve the morg prosaic purpose of watching smugglers and preventing the contraband trade which has al- Ways been very actively carried on from the Rock to the very great injary of the Spanish revenue. Ape’s Bill, the A‘rican Pilar of Hercules, looking gray and shattered, rises bold and rugged aimost in face of Gibraitar, and the mountains on the Bar- bary coast sweep back inte the country in mag- mificent masses; but intue direction of Tangier they gradually sink unwi dually ghey seem lost in the sea at Cape Spartel, which is dimly seen in the @istance dipping humbly into the sea, The hills along the Airican coast are viewk ana inhospitable, coverea with a brown heati and apparently wholly uncultivated. Until within asbort distance of Tangier no villages or signa Of habuations are visible; but { was assured that some apparent ‘Break in the heath on the top of one of the hi'is rep. resented a village, sucti as form the chief places of residence of the Arabs outside the few large towns on the coast and in the interior. However, I can- mot personally bear witness to their existence, as 1 could not clearly make them out, but suppose my informant to be correct, as he had a good deal of | experience amd knew the country very weil. & eudden Disa ID bas Mongienous suc: wiON Of | Arabs, sitang cross-legged in the corner of @ shed. | whi | out to us the more or ies real dangers of & logical | J ee NEW YORK HERALD. FR brown, heath covered Mils reveals Tangier nestling inadip im a@ hold headland which fises precipi tousty from the sea. ‘The harbor ts formed by a deep carved indentation of the shore and ts very much exposed ‘both to winds and heavy seas, Dur- ing bad weather the anchorage muss be very unsafe, for even when the sea ts calm there ts a heavy swell, which renders land img somewhat diMcult. As there is no mole existing acd ships even of light draught cannot approach to the shore, passengers and merchan- dise must be conveyed to land in boats, Even boats cannot quite reach the shore, and the pas senger has to trust himselfon the shoulders of some unbeliever uuleas he is lucky enough to pro- cure THE SOLITARY CHAR which some enterprising individual has introduced for the greater comiort and security of the trav- eller, I was fortunate enough to secure the chair both landing and embarking, which | look on as an extraordinary piece of good management due to the sharpness and shrewdness of my Hebrew guide, who had accompanied me from Gibraltar, one Simon Barruel, whom I recommend to Ameri- can travellers visiting Morocco. In order to avoid being bothered, and cheated at the same time, I lett the payment of boatmen and chairmen to my Jewish guide to the infinite disgust of tne interested partes. Travellers nave so spoiled this class that they look on a forcigner as their natural prey, and are not content with being paid fairly tor ther work, but expect to receive for a half hour’s work from a traveller a3 much a8 & native would give them for a week’s. AS we struggied up through the crowd of Arabs and Jew® assembied on the beach to witness the arrivals, we were surrounded by the boatmen, the chairmen and a smal) army of imterested friends clamoring for their pay, and Jabbering at such @ rate im Arabic that | feared Simon would come to grief. But that individual treated them with the most imperturbable sang- Jroid, and one by one the clamorers dropped off, seetng that nothing was to be made of us. More than once I felt inclined to give the crowd a dollar to go away, which alter experience taught me would have been money badly expended, and would have exposed me to unceasimg aunoyance. Passing whe customs at Tangicr is by no means & dificult operation, as it was only necessary to approach two very grave-looking, white-turbaned and white-bearded ‘These ornamental-looking people peered lazily into my sac de nutt and nodded their consent to, the passage of the unbeliever in @ slow and digni- fied manner, not apparently caring to exert them- selves 80 Much as to look up at me. Perhaps they sawime, but it is my opinion that they saw only my suck, and that as if in adream. Once having gone through this formality there was no more trouble or bother to be feared. Not a soldier or policeman was in view, and apparently the so- ciety among which I had come had reached that perfection dreained by some European enthusiasts, when there shail be no soldiers or policemen or omcials of any kind. However, this was only the appearance of things, ag there are both soldiers, policemen and officials, thoagh the stranger does not learn at once to recognize them, It must, how- ever, be stated, to the great credit of the Moors, that these classes form a very small proportion of the whole population. The waut of any regular uniform, and the custom of appearing without arms, unless when engaged in some special duty requiring tne soldiers to be in arms, gives to the popwation its extremely PACIFIC APPEARANCE, Tangier, seen from @ distance, is pleasingly pic- turesque and striking. The houses rise in irregu- lar licrs, presenting the appearance of huge wiite- Washed square boxes plied one above auother, Without order or method, out somehow jumbled together $0 as to make a@ pleasing picture. The crenelated batteries r also in irregular tiers, and tne gray mass of the Kusbanh which crowns the almost perpendtcular rock that faces the stratt, With the old ramparts rapidly crumbling to ruins, ive the a appearance almost fautastia, The modern massive batterles reassure the specta- tor of the reality of the scene. Above the mass of houses rise the towers of the mosques, With their small white flags, (orm striking objects in the view. The town hac once a stone mole, but our civilizing cousins, the British, when they abandoned ‘Tangier, biew it up, and the remains now form a@ kind of break- water, The landing takes place on the small beach inside this breakwater, which is dignified by the name of ‘the Marine.” Thence mgress to the town 18 obtained by a gate of modern construction, the old one, which was not larger than a smal! postern, having been walled up. Jt was situated inside the battery still eulled the Marine Battery, and ingress and egress Were obtained through the crenelated battlements. Over the gate there is placed a marble giobe sustained by a hand, the Whole built into the wall. The legend assures us that inside oi this globe is placed the head of Badjt Mohammed Erii, who for a loaf of bread delivered over the town to the Portuguese ‘The head is walled up as a warning to future hungry and, nO doubt, is not without its moral efect on the true believers. In tuis battery are three huge bronze guns, captured from the Portucuese, and now, like the armament, sadly neglectea. Indeed, if it it were not for we Kindness and thonght- fulness of the considerate Britishers the batteries would be in a sad state; but somehow, doubtless from Christian charity, Engiish cannon have been liveraily supplied to urm the batteries, just as at the present moment a quantity of small arms have been sent over trom Gibraltar to be placed in the hands of the Moors. It remains to be seen what use they will make of these weapons, as THE STATE OF THE COUNTRY is eminently unsatisiactory. It does not, however, appear probable that anything more than a small amount of pot shooting at long range and a tew rezzias by the half independent tribes, which is here called war, is pow to be feared. So far as foreign interests are concerned nothing will be done likely to provoke a confitct, unless, indeed, it may be that a little convenience will be suffered by the Spamards in collecting their part of the revenue; but though the more fanatic of the po} ulation have some idea of resisting furtner pa: ment of the indemnity the majority of the intelli- gent people see the folly and danger of any act of hostility. There was some trouble at first. with the Bedouins, who burned a good many fields in the neighborhood of Casa Blanca, but such acts have no very deep importance in this country, and will no doubt be summarily re- pressed and punished by the new Emperor who, by all accounts, 1s a man who STANDS NO NONSENSE. He ts satd to be very severe and not exactly par- ticular whether it is the hand or the head of a sub- ject he lops off, eye law of the Empire regulat- tng the succession Muley Hassan has no claim to the throne, the natural heir being the brother of the deceased Emperor, Muley Abbas, one of the most enlightened men among the Moots, who has Jearned wisdom in the schoo! of adversity. He it was that made peace with Spain just at the right time, and was very nearly being repaid by the buw- string. He is known to be very liberal 10 his ideas and would, itis Supposed, introduce the rallway and telegraph if he were to ascend the throne, With the army he 18 @ special layorite, and also with the peopie, but the priests, marubouts and fanatics erally regard lim almost as a dog of an infidel. i all probability they would fly to arms were he to ascend the throne, and tuis knowledge, probably, as weil as paternal feeling, decided him to abdi- cate in favor of Muley Hassan, who is married to bis daughter, Jt may be also that he dreamy of imitating the Kédive and declaring THE SUCCESSION HEREDITARY, so securing the throne to bis own family. Be that 8S iL may, bis act of abdication has rendered any Teal Opposition to the new Emperor out of the question, a8 there is no possible pretender with sufficient influence to carry any large secuon of the population into war against the combined pores of uncle aad nephew, sustained as they are y all the joreign Powers. It 18 supposed that Muley Hassan, as soon as he shall have fully estabhshed his power, will seize the sacred treasure which has hitherto been jeaiously guarded by the marabouts, No monarch has ever < dared to touch this store, which, if the mara- Outs have hot been stealing from it, ought to contain quite a respectable number of millions, Mnuiey Hassan does not get the creditor being quite so Scrupueus as his predecessors, and it is surmised that Muley Abbas will urge his son-in- law to appropriate the sacred treasury and apply it to the creation of a reguiar army, worthy of the name, organized and equipped aiter the manner of Buropean armies. This would be the first step to the real consolidation of the mon: 1’ power, Wiuch under existing conditicns is nominally much more eXtensive than tt is in fact. Monarchy is here carried out to its logical conclusion; wie Emperor is THE SOUXCE OF ALL POWER AND WEALTH, the lives and the property of subjects of His Moorish Majesty are absolutely at his disposal, His mere will can make a beggar the richest man in bls do- minion, or transform the wealthiest into a houseless begyar by a word. The latter o7 uon, much to the disgrace of monarchical theories,’ is more frequent than the former. Indeed. the Emperor generally considers thav he is by far Ue poorest man in lis dominions, ior he generally applies the confiscated property to his own use, su Uist the theory aud practice of the division and redistribu- tion of property cannot fairly be claimed as ex- clusively republican. ,Uniortunately tor the rich Moors, the Emperor not only takes @ fancy very often to thetr money, but also to their heads, which, no doubt, they find it still more incon! venient to part with, as, though @ man, may get on without money, he can scarcely manage | Withowt @ bead. Muley Hassan, 1 am told, has already distinguished himseif by a not over clear appreliension of the distinction between meum and fwum, 80 that such Moors as are supposed to have movey do not feel over comiortabje, but are, somehow, soling themselves with the idea that his brand-n Majesty will find enough piunder in the sacred treasury to Satisfy all his wants, so that they may continue to live in the peaceful enjoyment ot their heads. Uf course & good deal Ol this is idle specuiation, but itis interesting and instructive as showing what pleasant thoughts the coming to the throne of an emperor causes jn Moorish society. This LOGICAL MONARCHY is really an interesting study for a republican peo- bie. Monarehical writers are constantly pomting Tepuplie, Now here we have astate of society with che “divine right” and “ieuntaim of honor” prin- Ciple carried vo its logical conciusion, giving as a result something very closely ailied to barbarism. It woul be aificult to overrate the damage in- a0 Ob Soe pegmie LY ENC AROMAS rid ¢&- were plunged in a state of wret AQIAUCE Nearly aguroaching b ercised vy tne MmMperor, aha tne pacnas, OF ZO ernors, who worthily represent him. So little curity is there jor she life or property of Moorish sub- 4 jects that many of the wealthiest men in the country’ gre naturalized citizens of orher Powers, and #0 this fact is due the immunity they enjoy trom beang plundered. in the interior the people who have mone; de it in the ground, carefully avoiding any ‘alepla of fortune lest they should excite the cupidity of some pacha or other powerful official. But even the pacha cannot be rich with impunity unless he bave unusual good luck or very powerful infu for as soon as the Bmperor thinks that one 0! governors has amassed a large amount 18 of money he tmmediately pounces on him, seizes his wealth and either turns him adrift penniless or reappoints him somewhere else to act as a kind of collector of imperial revenue, There is @ shock- ing amount of bluntness in these proceedings ; but, atte all, do they differ so very materially from what takes place in more polished despotisms ? In form certainiy, but notin result. The people are pase tm Morocco, and exactly the same ining jappens to them under some extremely civilize: governments that I could name. The difference 18 @ mere question of procedure. Twenty thousand men compose that force which ta Morocco stands for the army Oo! civilized Powers. I pus it in this way to prevent people getting wrong notions about ® Moorish army. In truth, there 18 ne such thing. There are armed men who are called soldiers, and who fight witn arms and are proven, as brave as apy equal number of men in the world, but who have not a trace of the or- ganization that would entitle them to be looked upon a3 an in the sense in which the word is usually applied. It is said that somewhere about haif the armed force 1s composed of blacks, of diverent shades, In time of war the number of armed men which the Emperorcan put into the field 18 calenlated at 80,000, A Moorish would in all probability become less dangerous in roportion as it became more numerous. The ab is @ brave, but not a steady soldier. His forte 1s shooting at long range from behind a rock or charging at a desperate pace over level ground ; at close quarters he is decidedly an ugly customer, being Leste sv ery and in the use of his weapons dexterous; besides, he is a fataltet, but somehow it 1s very dificult to persuade him that his hour has come. The Moorish branch of the Arab family are, perhaps, the most fanatic and determined. They have not by any means forgotten their triumphs and conquests in the past, and, absurd as it may appear, they entertain a vague idea that the Cross has net quite done with the Crescent yet. This be- lief is, no doubt, whoily due to THE DENSE STATE OF IGNORANCE in which they are plunged, not alone with regard to the outside world, but even to their own past history. A ve: bg mty nr inhabitant of Tangier, woo had travelled in Europe and spoke French well, was quite astonished when [ informed him that a tower we were looking at was once known as the Irish tower during the British occupation, “Phe British occupation |" he said in surprise; “I never knew Tangier was in the possession of tho Britisn, nor have I ever heard it irom Arab or Jew, though I was born bere and have lived nearly all my life here.” He lett me half increduious, think- ing that I must have been mistaken. Certainly, if Isurprised him, he had his revenge, for it ap- eared to me impossible that ap occupation that Tere some marks behind it should have been so easily forgotten. ‘The proiound ignorance of tho people fs aggra- vated Wy their Worse than Chinese exclusiveness, It was my intention to penetrate into the interior and try to learn something of the state of the peo- ple irom personal observ tion, but @ little experi- ence in the immediate ne'ghborhood of Tangier soon convinced me that such an attempt would be worse than useless, Leaving aside the danger to wiuch one would expose himself among lawless fanatics of being shot from behind 3 rock for the greater honor and glory of Allah, there remained the persistent exclusion of the traveller from the dweilings of the peopie beyond the roads and tne pen marked down us stopping places, and in the jarge towns nothing could see, a8 @ transient traveller would have very little chance of hen his Way into an Arab interior. Kven my civilize Tangier friend always conversed with me on the threshold of his door, it never coming even into his travelled mind to invite an unbeliever beyond the mystic portal. Unlike the Jews and Christians, the Moslems keep their houses con- stantly closed up; even windows are not to be found, but only now and then loopholes, exactly similar to those we putin stocsades for rifemen to fire through. Doubtless the passengers in a Moorish town would be exposed to the still more dangerous fire of tair eyes irom even these narrow bh oery eg! but the Moors, who know something about the fair sex, have made even the loopholes 80 that they cannot very conveniently be looked through. Having failed to get a peep at an Arad in doors in the city, I resolved to try what could be done in the country, where it was said the ex- clusive rule was not so strict. So procuring mules I sallied out, accompanied by my guide, bat, although we reached the outskirts of more than one wretched little hamlet, consisting of some 20 miserable huts, made tor the Most part of loose stones and clay, with thatched rovu!s tuat looked the picture of ruin, we never managed to get insiae, The nearest ap- proach was by bribing @ ragged woman, very ugly and very dirty, to sell us some Barbary tgs. The woman was not old, bul looked many years older than she really was. Her clothing consisted of a long white garment and a kind of sash round her loins. She wore neither cap nor shoes of any kind, and looked generally as dirty anda miserable as a human being can well be, She made no effort to conceal her face, though I should readily have jorgiven her if she had; lor certainly she was not blessed with beauty, but, instead, had three fine children who vied in dirtiness and good humor with their mother. When she emerged out of her hut—stye would be @ more correct term—she pro- posed to regale us with goats’ milk; but, as the Surroundings were far from reassuring, the offer was declined, and we stated our prejerence for Barbary figs. Wuile our parley with the woman lasted a group of MUFFLED UP FEMALES OF THE MORE SQUBAMISH 7 son’ assembied at a distance with a guard of young brats who looked as if they would think it great fun to stone us, but were afraid to begin. Our scanty refreshment being concluded, I presented the Woman with a small silver coin representing the Immense value of six cents. Such generosity quite overcame the poor Mosiem soul, and she poured out | know not how many prayers for the conversion of the glaour, while we rode away, to the evident relief of the ghost-like ladies who eyed us from a distanue trom under their national domino, This was scarcely satisfactory, though I had seen enough to gain a pretty fair idea of the state of misery in which the rural populations live, and to learn how backward the agriculture of the country is, though some little irrigation is carried on by Comparatively old methods in some gardens, “Atthough my guide spoke Arabic very weil, the fact that be was a Jew rendered him almost as un- welcome a visitor as the Frank by whom he was accompanied, In order to have more authority I therefore went to the Pacha who commanded in the district to ask that a soldier should be detailed to actas escort during my rides in the country. ‘The request was at once acceded to, and one of the special guard of the Pacha detailed for the duty, Betore I had been long at my hotel a black soldier presented himself to inform me that by special order of the Pacha he was to accompany me in- stead of the man first selected. The natter was wholly indifferent to me, so1 told him the hour f Intended to set out and he at once made his salaam, In the morning my guide complimented me on my good fortune im having optained THE FAVORITE SLAVE OF THE PACHA as & guard, adding that the presence of the slave ‘was almost equivalent to the presence of the Pacha himself, A ride of a few hours brought us to the lighthouse, which is one of tue points vis- ited by ali travellers, Onr stay had littie to do with curiousity abont the only lighthouse in the Moorish domioious, but had mach to do in procur- ing @ good breakfast from the obliging people who dwell in it, Aiterwards @ millstoue quarry was visited, and proved to be areal curiosity, a huge cave having been formed by the workmen cutting the small millstones out of the solid rock, or rather the honeycombed stone. Leaving this curiosity behind, the real use of our sable friend was about to begin. So ‘far we might have gone without him, but now we wished to pro- ceed furtner and plunge into the country, visiting the villages on the road. It struck me alter contemplating my ebony protector that if anything could give the simple country folks an Opmion of my importance the black soldier would have tne effect, He was dressed in his swellest costume—a red fez and blue silk tassel hid his biue-black Wool, a white gelandre, or loose garment of sabstantial stuff, covered a light biue under dress, the whole surmountea by the lignt burnous, Riding boots of yellow morocco leatuer, and huge drab spurs, inlaid with silver, completed & magnificent costume. A long kolebah, gun, silver mounted and inlaid with ivory, was pro- tected from dust by @ red cloth cove jon, word, in a red velvet sheath, mounted with soli silver, and a silver-hilted dagger compieted the armament of the soldier, who was mounted on a richly caparisoned Arab horse. When [ issued out of my hotel and mounted my humble mule! felt envious a mourir of the Pacha’s slave, and nota little put out at bemg reducea to comparative insignificance by the gorgeous splendor of my agen 3 genius. How ve ever managed to ride witn his awlally long gun through the narrow, crowded streets, where every one seemed to put himself in tue Way expressly to get Knocked down, is a puzzie to me; but somehow he managed at by much the same kind Of dexte.ous management as the rope dancer employs to hold on to tae rope, and the soldier resembled noting so much as @ rope dancer riding out of the town with his balanc- ing pole of & gun swaying right and left, as if he were trying to balance himself on his horse by its aid. After @ long ride we came to a straggling village Placed hear the top of a mouutain, # regu- lar Kabyle hamlet. We had come expressiy to see just such 4 place, and lexpected that the soldier would ride boidly im and impose the law of hos pitality on the inbabitants, Imagine, then, my dis- gust when the dusky swell haited at some 200 yards from the village and refused to go a foot further until some men came ont and parleyed With us, informing us pretty plainly that the road passed through the village and we could follow it-—jast only this and nothing more, Feign- ing thirst, an appeal Was made for water, and the hospitable fellows brought out a jar, but would not so I was again fain to content myse eye view of an Arab settlement. Among 8 people the correspondent’s mission must, of neces- sity, be barren and nnpro@uctive, as all the usual sourees of Information and observation are sly walled up, We were, thereiore, com- pe! to return to Tangier and ndon the idea of visiting the Moors in their homes; bat enough was seen to make it evident tha vole people IDAY, JANUARY 2, 1874. | THE BUCHU CHIEF JUSTICE. The Republican Papers Have Nothing to Say. The radical journals are as dumb as oysters on Genersl Grant’s appointment of George H. Wil- liams, of Oregon, present Attorney General and a the Supreme Court, whitch is second only to that of President of the United States. Tey can find nothing to recommend him for the position and nothing upon which to base an argument to justify the President for making an appointment of a man ‘Whose unfitness for the position is so well known, and, in that connection, who ts so aniversally un- popular, and, consequently, they bave adopted the only course left them, and that is to maintain gomplete reticence. How New England Views the Buchu Chief Jastic [From the Worcester (Mass.) Press, Dec. 29.) Mr. Williams is not fitted to make even & re- spectable Chief Justice. We all remember how his appointment as Attorney General created surprise and regret throughout the country, accustomed as the people were to strange selections, He nad had no considerable experience at the bar, and he cer- tatply had never developed any special ability in the professien of the law. Since he became At- torney General his name has been prominently connected with but one case before the courts, and this case was the Crédit Movilier suit, which was argued at Hartiord. Here his jaiure was conspicuous and complete, His argu- ment, considered as coming irom the Attorney General of the United States, was ridiculous and humiltating. Every lawyer who heard it was astounded to think that such a man could be the chiel law oMcer of the government. This 1s not mere assertion, nor isit the statement of po- tical opponents. The Hartford Courant, a lead- ing republican newspaper, which could have no motive in assailing Mr. wintams, and which has every motive to strengthen, not weaken, the re- publican party, states that the Attorney @eneral made a most unfavorable impression in that city, that his failure as a lawyer was complete, and that every member of the Bar in Hartford is of the opliton that to make him Chief Justice would be an outrage. Tne only other republican paper in Hartiord, the Post, bears testimony to the same effect. The Post says that Mr. Williams’ argument Was so weak that it was painful to the lawyers who were present, and that the case could not have been worse managed if there had been a de- termination in advance to lose it. The Buchu Chief Justice’s Chance tor Confirmation. [Prom the Portland Oregonian, Dec. 18.] Attorney General Williams is just a little fartber removed from the Chief Justiceship than he was before bis name was sent into the Senate. There ts no mistaking the cause of this sudden change in the fortunes of Mr. Williams. He had before him at one time most promising opportu- nities for winning an illustrio me and refiect- ing credit upon the State to which he owes ail he has ever won. To-day be is arraigned as a crimi- nal betore the Senate of the United States and the nation atlarge. Whatacontrast! We could have wished that he had been spared the humiliation of these latter disclosures; but itis quite apparent now that, whatever muy befali him, he can never rid his good name of the damning disgrace into which the Senate Committee on Judiciary are about to inquire. We predict that Mr. Williams will yet keenly regret the tuiamous oficial act Whose stigma has prompted the unusual action of the Senate, The Bachu Chief Justice Unfit for the Position. {From the Augusta (Ga.) Chronicle, Dec. 28.) Each succeeding day furnishes fresh evidence of the entire unfitness of Mr. George H. Williams for the high position to which he bas been nominated by the President, The williag and pliant tool of a railroad lobby and a eeeetey of the Treasury will make @ fine Chief Justice for the Supreme Court of the United states. Attorney General Williams Unfit for the Position of Chicf Justice. {From the Boston Advertiser (leading peices organof Massachusetts), Dec. 30. Among the things which it may be hoped the members of the Senate will have learned during the recess are the strength and prevalence of the conviction in all parts of the country, among those whose judgment is entitled to respect, that the nomination of Attorney General Williams to be Chief Justice of the Supreme Court is, not fit to be confirmed. There is hardly enough difference or opinion on this subject tomake an apparent dtvi- sion, This jadgment is not a partisan one, nor is it founded upon personal prejudice. The intelli- gent sentiment of the country is quite up to the Standard the best of our statesmen have given us, and desires that the great office now vacant may be filled without consulting any motives except those of the broadest and most enlightened pat- riotism. The Bar and the people of the country ask that the incumbent shall @ man of pre- eminent projessional qualifications, of un- questioned and unquestionable rectitude, und, above all, one of whom they cau readily believe that all his motives look towards justice. Mr. Williams is not such a person. He has held high offices, in which his tact in conciliating favor has been shown much more clearly than his talents. His Senatorship, which might be called an exception, was froma State in which at the time there was not much competition of able men, and to which, while it was a Territory, he liad been sent with tie prestige of Executive favor. Many positions have distinguished him, but in spite oi the most favor- able opportunities he has not acquired distinction, even below whe first rank, either as a lawyer or a statesman. A hundred names not on the oficial lists where his appears are more conspicuous, by the services of those who bear them, and have a surer title to the grateful remembrance of their countrymen. Why, then, is he preferred belore all others, when ® vacancy Occurs in an oftice not second in !mportance to any in the Republic, not second to any judictal position in the world, the duties of which are not St of the most learned and the most accomplished The President Blamed for Nominating a Bucha Chief Justice. {From the oe ya & (Pa) Valley Spirit, Dec. 81.) The Senate did a wise thing when it postponed the consideration of the nomination of Mr. Williams for Chief Justice until after the recess, It will do a wiser thing if it decline to confirm the nomination at all. The name of Mr. Lad should never have been presented by the President for this position. The country expected that some man would be selected for this great office who is @ bright and shining light im the legal firmament, There was no difliculty about procuring such a one. There are a few leading men in the country, any one of whom pablic opinion would have recognized as @ proper person, by reason of his known abilities and recognized pre-eminence in the legal profession, to fill the office of Ohief Jnstice. There are thousands of men in the country ag fully qualified for the a Fa as the one whom the President has chosen. he had taken a man of great ability asa lawyer or jurist, and of spotiess reputation, the country would have applauded the act, for there was ® general and unusual anxiety thet the right man should be chosen tor this position. But tne un- nouncement of this appointment took the people by surprise. They regard itas degrading to the American people, The Chie( Justice of the United States cannot hide his light under a bushel. He is like a city seton a hill, which cannot be hidden. It foliowa, then, that if he be @capable man he will reflect honor; li an incapable man, discredit, upon the nation. The Chief Justice Should Be Above Sus- picion. (From the Cleveland (Ohio) Leader, Dec. 30.] Itis rumored that the President will formaily withdraw the nomination of General Williams as Chief Justice immediately upon the reassembling of Congress. This is a wise determination, and will hardly be regretted except by the devoted personal friends of General Williams. it needs no argument to show that the spectacle of a Senate committee sitting in secret session to rake over and pronounce upon the personal record of a can- didate for the chief piace on the Supreme Benca is one which no Awerican can contemplate without @ certain sense Of humiliation. It makes no ditfer- ence whether all the charges against General Wiliams are true or not, the jact that some have been proved and the others more or less generally believed should be enough to preclude his fitness for the position. The man who succeeds to the er- mine o: Jay and Marshall and Chase should be like Cwsar’s wife, above suspicion. He shoula be so pure and dignified in character that the peo- ple should believe in him without being convinced of his unfitness by proots and arguments. He should be a man whose character the Senate could not even suspect, and his confirmation should be like that of Chief Justice Chase, a mere form, spontaneous and readily granted immediately upon ita presentation, The head of the Supreme Court is the second oMictal position in the United Staves; to confer it upon @ weak or an impure man, ® man whose personal record or judicial attainments are in any way open to suspicion or contempt, would be to degrade & tribunal to the purity and ability of which this country, from the rat adoption of the constitution, has owed much of its dignity before the world. There are not many men upon whom the President can fitiy bestow tile supreme honor, Mr. Cushing would have been an ideal Sas but ne has bet chosen for Spain, and the small list of proper cai didates 1s thereby narrowed by one. With such ChEdLess Ba bg- eo as Evarts, Waite and Curtis living, the Sai | Jaticephly nocd nok he anworthily comerred, fourth rate lawyer, to the office of Chief Justice of” CUBA. The Virginius To Be Returned “in a Few Days.” i atasneindiaaa Fish’s Popularity with the Volunteers. NO TRACE OF MR. RALPH KEELER. Havana, Dec. 27, 1873, ‘The great holiday of Cuba has come and gone, and the Qatholic heart, with its texhaustible fountain of emotion, has poured itself out over the wonderful anniversary of Christ, All the angry ex- citement that cherished nothing but resentful pas- sion gave way to acheery innocence or behavior that was in remarkable contradistinction to the violent manifestations of the prior week. Christ- mas Was a day ofserene peace. Overhead the sky was blue and cloudless, and the atmosphere full of that delicious spirit which nature seems to breathe in these tropical latitudes WITH AN UNRESTRAINED JOYOUBNESS, It was a very different Christmas from what you folks have in New York. There were no slush and snow in the streets, and, as far aa the weather went, there was nothing to indicate our conven- tonal notions of the day ushered in with dying sleet or snow and gloom above and around, The natives had their balls and parties in the evening, but otherwise the day was extremely qui, It was like a New England Sabbath until nightfall, and then there was much joyous carry- ing on, The mi jt masses were thronged; and for once there was some show of male attend- ance in the churches, Now, it may be said, all excitement has ceased. The Virginius, according to the newspapers, is to be returned in afew days, and shouid she be sent back to Havana there will, no doubt, be an extra- ordinary display of delight. Mr. Fish willin time have his likeness suspended in every barroom in Havana, just as I noticed Senator Sumner was portrayed to the admiring gaze of the darkies of Hayti, after his splendid defence of the black Re- public, a few years ago, in the United States Sen- ate. What Americans here think of Mr. Fish is condensed inthe expression of one of them, “He 1s just like that darned tiger that wouldn’t tackle the bull last Sunday week.” MR, FISH WILL RECRIVE A SPLENDID OVATION whenever he comes to Havana, He might augment his popularity with the Spaniards if he would only induce President Grant to order the American feet over from Key West TO BOW THE STARS AND STRIPES tothe Morro Castle, and fire a salute in deference to the red and yellow banner of Castile. I toid you in a former letter of the humiliation a Spaniard seemed to feel over the surrender of the Virginius, The humiliation appears to me to be all the other way, and no American with whom I have spoken, except one or two who were on the wrong side of the .ence in the war for the Uniou, has apything else but _ ANATHEMA FOR THE CONDUCT OF HIS GOVERNMENT in this whole business. Had Captain Fry been an Englishman, in place of being sn unfortuuate American, bis merciless murder would have been avenged by the whole power of Great Britain; be- cause that neither by deed nor intent could it be demonstrated he was a pirate. This is what Americans say. They ask, Is there to be no re- dress for the crime of Fry’s death? Is there to be even no apology? You have so many Cubans in New York, and there are so many here, and the struggle they are making for independence has drawn upon 80 much Of the attention of the civilized world, that 1 con- sider additional reference to them Will not be out of place, YOU HAVE HEARD OF THE CUBAN LABORANTES, of their plotting and intriguing ways, of their hatred of Spaniards, &c. Let us look at the mo- tives these people have to plot and intrigue. The number of Spanish officials in the city of Havana is over 1,000. ‘he offices in the Custom House, in the Palace, inthe military administration, in the Post Oftice, in everything Where government shows itself, are held by Spadiards, No native of the island, unless he exhibits a degree of loyalty to Spain that makes his honesty questionable, can hold any position of trust or emolument, You have heard the old saying that CUBA 18 A MOTHER TO THE SPANIARDS and a stepmother to her own children. Shut out from the slightest recognition by the government of the island, subject to that fearful order of sus- picion that assumes innocence to be guilt and punishes it wit death or incarceration worse than death, is it any wonder that the Cubans conspire’ Do you suppose the 10-Saxon race would tolerate such a position long? Tue Cubans are meek, They have much Ww complain of, This island belongs to them. Spaniards have no more Tight here than Americans, THBY ARE CAKPET-BAGGERS first and last, and who that knows the infamous governments lifted over the heads 0! native South- erners by the pauper adventurers of New Engtand will question the reasonableness of tnese Cubans torebel? Yet Cuba has never won genuine sym. pathy from the States. There is no getting over the fact that MANY OF THE NATIVES ARE A MISERABLE SET. Had they made anytuing like a determined and united effort they could have swept Spanish power Out of this isiand long ago; but some of them will insist on going to New York and exhibiting their diminutive patent leather covered feet, their per- fumed biack hair and ali that nonsense, ‘there are some noble spirits among them, apd the qmet heroism they have shown and the sense of utter sell-abnegation entitle them to rank with the greatest oe ap 1p history who have struggled to acquire il ry ir. Ralph Keeler, whose loss is now the talk of the American colony here, was & young man of ex- cellent merit and of some distinction in newspaper circles. He contribu'ed to Hai "3 Magazine, and he took an engagement irom the Tribune to come down here and write up the situation. He landed in this city about the end of November AND PROUEEDED TO SANTIAGO DB CUBA. He was in the company of a person who sald he represented the 7imes, and who, with an American passport in his pocket, thought it incumbent to abuse America and Americans, and who toox hia ges gut of this island at the frat ex- 100 OF er. The next thing we heard was that a steamer arrived at Manzanillo from Santiago de Cuba carry- ing the effects of Mr. Keeler, but without the gentleman himself, His baggage was handed over to the American Vice Consul at Manzanillo, who telegraphed to Consul General Hal] of tbe MR. HALL HAS BEEN INSTITUTING INQUIRIES eyer since in all directions, but no trace of Mr. Keeler can be found. Ditferent theories have been advanced to explain his disappearance, One is that be might have taken @ sudden fancy to go to the interior of the island, an- other that after sending his on board he fell ill and was carried ot, ‘fhe first conjecture was that he missed the steamer; that he sent his baggage on and went ashore ior some purpose, and the vessel sailed away without him; but this will not answer, as time enough has elapsed to hear from nim and no word has coine, He was EE pte! Man of about 27, with a quiet, easy style and a genial iacetiousness that made him extremely popular with all his ac- quaintances. He was a native, | believe, of Massa- chusetts, and was gpg working his way pp to an honorable position im the field beth of art and literature. There is agreat sorrow felt for him here by the 1ew who had the pleasure of his ac- quaintance. CUBA AND HER REVOLUTION. ——— The Havana Prize Court Claims the Virginius—The Report About Spanish Claims Unconfirmed—News from the Mambis—Many Wounded and Sick in the Towns—Manzanillo and Puerto Principe Threatened=The Italian @pers, Lucca and La Murska in Disiavor. HAVANA, Dee, 27, 1873, The Diario de la Marina still devotes much ot its valuable time and space towards elucidating the question of the Virginius, reciting, recounting and repeating the facts, &c., in its knowledge to prove that beyond doubt the Virginius was a pirate, and was legally captured and condemned as suc. An article styled “IN HAVANA AND IN NEW YORK” states that yesterday (Wednesday), the 24th, the Prize Court of this province (the ever faithful) was convened, and, after having with the greatest scrupulousness examined the matter in every detail which referred to the capture of the Vir- ginius, has declared that SHE WAS A LEGAL PRIZE; 4 decision which mnst necessarily be artived at, in accordance with the laws. This decision, deciares the Diario, could not have been more just, and neeas no commentary; but attention is called to the fact that having summoned by edicts, for the pace of 20 days, the owner of this vessel, or the pergon considering himael{ euch, neither Mr. Pat- Jes800 Dor no one else presented bimself to claim is property. Tm, sccuramg to the Marto, is ant other proof that the Virginius was completely Wanting in all the mdispensabie conditions sary to allow her to carry the American flag. Says the Diario :—Almost at the same time that this decision was arrived at the following tele gram was received from New York:—‘The investi« gations to discover the real character of the Virq wimus are tobe made in this city. The govern« ment finds ttself unable to prosecute Patterson, ag the bona he gave when he took out the register of the vessel has expired. Had the government known this previously it would have prosecuted Patterson for pejury.’’? These last two para graphs of this tel are, to the understand! of the tO, qponat, and, above all, gives it reason to suspect that ifthe governmen was orant Of anything, international) very important, was because it no eat incentive to ascertain closed its eyes a0d ears voluntari the whole matter. Ar to the pi o8 ba are pretended to be made in New York to discove! the real character of the Virgtnius, ali may be mad@ that are considered necessary, but the first pro- ceeding, poe the Diario, “ig to return the vesse D. “The government of the United States showed itself very exucting where It supposed that Spain had insultea its fag, and demanded peremp~ tory reparations, 1¢ is but just that now, CONVINCED THAT SPAIN HAS COMMIRTED NO OF4 PENCE against {t, but was in the exercise of her full Tights of seif-preseryation, the government of United States should basten to disavow the n little haste and even offence of its very prectpitat roceeding. ‘The report that Spanisi claims bi Been presented bas not been condrmed, wich ip w source of deep regret to us.’ THB INSURRECTION NEWS. For all the information concerning the rebellion; published by the island press or the government one would imagine that such a thing ‘was Dot, but private and reliable Inormation trom Puer Principe, Manzanilla, Bayamo and other interior towns bear testimony that the “rebs” still cond tinue active ° AND SEIZE EVERY OPPORTUNITY to assail their enemies, Large numbers of wounded and stek, in the most deplorable condi- tion, jately arrived in this city, also give proof of the state Of affairs In the interior. The insurgen: in considerable force, have been hovertug aro! Puerto Principe, and have done consider: damage to what is styled by the Spantards “cultivated zone’’—smail farms in cloge proxumit; to the city, guarded so as to allow the farmers carry on the production of vegetables, fruits, dc, but of late even these have been abandon Puerto Principe, as well as near. Nuevitas, San Cruz and Manzanillo, which latter city is als again threatened by tye insurgents, and num families have abanduned the place and removed, Clentuegos. . ‘The late encounters, so disastrous to tno Bpetty jards of La Sacra, and the defeat of the col o Lieutenant Colouei Vilches, already eee to lettersy the Hunatp ae Previous telegrams ave been confirm The Fanad of Puerto Princrpe of the 20th inst. pace in the usual “impartial” manner, that om the lth VARIOUS MOUNTED PARTIES OF INSURGENTS came close up to the city, destroying everything they found in the “cultivated zone” and ham- stringing a large number of cattle. ‘The largest of these bands, composed of about 100 men, cama close upon tHe fort Punta Diamante, but retreated after the tort firmg four grenades at them. im~ mediately after a column composed of intantry and cavalry left Puerto Principe im pursuit of them. The tnsurgenss in their retreat fel upon & small force of guardia civil, but according to the Fanal were vigorously repulsed, the small column having one killed and another wounded. Half an hour siterwards the jorces who left Puerto Prine cipe encountered and engaged the insurgents near. Guanamaquilia, Aster a struggle of 10 minute; the insurgents retreated, leaving two horses ille and two horses abandoned. Our column, relates the Fanal, had a lieutenant and one soldier wounded and two horses killed. The Italian opera is now in 1ull blast, Lucca and Murska are the bright particular stars. These peo~ ple of Havana pretend toa bigh order o! musical criticism, and they think both Lucca and Muréka fall short of the correct standard o/ singing. They are paying W! they deem a nigh price of admis- sion ($4 for orchestra stalls), and they think THEY SHOULD HEAR THE SEBAPHIM OF HEAVEN in retarn for their miserable garlic soaked shine paner currency of the Spanish Bank of Havana. oor Lucca, in reply to an inquiry of your, correspondent the other night, a8 to how she ked Havana, said, with & sigh, “An give me New York. Americans have been: Iny kindest friends, ‘These people are miserly in their applause and unappreciative.” Sweet warbler of the Danube! you are doing your best to Please them, and never did an audience of the Grand Opera House heur any better effort than you Ppt made for these ungrateiul critics of the ‘acon, -REPUBLICAN SPAIN. A Republic Without Republicans. “By the way,” said a leading Cuban to a HeRALD representative recently, “let me.draw ,the atten- tion of your great American journal to some sta- tistics which I find written op the back of an en- velope that brought me a letter enclosed from London, Here it is.” ‘The gentleman produced the letter cover, upon which the following imteresting facts were writ- ten:— contains an ate population of 15,673,070 0} these 11,857.31 gan melther read por write ice cat r ¢ 422 justices of the who ot read or write, 711,119 aldermen and 12,479 indi- iduals, members of town councils, who are unable to sign their own names. Long live Spain |~with honor. “Now,” said the gentleman, “what can you do with an ignorant nation like that? Spain can pever bea republic until the masses of her people become educated. Education is the first essential of republicanism, The present government of Spain is an anomaly. It isa bybrid abortion that 1s neither one thing nor the other. Oasteiar is, or was, arepublican. While in the opposition he was, strongly pledged to the abolition of slavery, yet since his advent to office neither he nor his sup- porters have taken the first step in the direction of ematicipation. The abolition of slavery in Porto Rice and the law of Moret, providing for gradual emancipation in Cuba, are not the work of Caste- lar’s administration, but the ofsprings of the monarchy, reigned over by Prince Amadeus of Savoy. pubitcanism, therefore, thus far, owes. nothing to Castelar but unredeemed prom! couched, it is true, in the eloguent lan- aage of @ great orator. The returm to fladria of Marsnal Serrano, Admiral Topete and other well known rampant champions of Don Alfonso, together with many other signifi- cant ere of the times in Spain, clearly point out. the jact that the present so-called republic is only @, thing of chance, ephemeral as the coutingensy: Ridge it ea eeaiel and ig Aen Caste! oa is: + the figure-head—perhaps ous. one—oF the Monarchy Been Ngatn to see the gut, in Gld Iberia, under the son of ex-Queen Isabel ABOUT THE VIRGINIUS QUESTION, *@ don’t understand,” said an eminent Tnpan, “the ele n of iho Orb SR png He at, more or d elapsed carson tne owner of thre irginine, pene says since Pat Jured hiffiselr In sweart that he was the owner Of the vessel, therefore nited States could not prosecute him, byt Would: fall back and sue the parties who furnished the money to buy the ship, and who were the real owners. If, after two ears, Patterson, who is said to have per- jured himself, ceases to be amenable, a uf can the government prosecute pose wh ‘on! crime consists in having named that gentleman their agent? A thing which they might, accordin; to law, do. General Quesada had a perfect right to charter the Virginius—whith he is said to have done—and take her, loaded with arms and ammuy, nition—which it is admitted he did—and al wards employ her in the service of Power, under General Guzman Blanco. there Was no act committed against the inter-- national or neutrality laws. le fact that the: Virginius committed during her long absence in South America no act contrary to the law of na- tions or of the United States’ is ampiy proved by ber being protected in Aspinwall by the American man-oi-war Kansas; and also that, in all her trips 10 and tro in South and Centra: Ameri- can waters, her satling papers were in jeael order, properly certified at the different American con- sulates where she touched. If she was not entitied to this protection and acknowledgement of her right to bear the flag, then what must be thought of the bungling, neglectful, if not ignorant or cul- pable, way in which the several Consuls, the com- mander of the Kansas, even the government itself, treated the vessel in every port, she called at, until captured on the high seas without the shadow of right THE TEXAS PACIFIO, RAILROAD, — Meeting of Stockholders—Resolution ta Push on the Construction. PRILADELPHIA, Dec. 31, 1873, An adjourned special meeting of thestockholders. of the California and Texas Raiiroad Construction, Company was held to-day. A plan which was pre- pared some weeks ago by the directors was sub- mitted for the approval of the meeting, After a brief discussion the foilowing resolution waa: unanimously adopted :— Resolved, That the plan proposed by the directors fof obtaining an extonsion of its, indebtedness, and Using money due trow stockholders to complete the partly fine ished vortions of the Texas and Pacile ‘Railway be) and the same is hereby approved by. thts meeting, the: stockholders here present and represented pie ime. selves to the best of their ability and recommend all er other shareholders to pay the ainounts due ontheir origi hal subscription to the capital stock of the company. A MERCANTILE HOUSE BOBBED. Sr. Louis, Dec. 31, 1878. ‘The branoh house in this city of Friedmann &, Lauterjung, 01 New York, was-robbed last DIRAS OF about L500 wortat Sng outtent.