Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1840-02-06
THE ALGER1NE AND FRENCH WAR

The organization of powerful Arab army,
under the Shiek Abdel kadir, and the re-
peated and successful attacks on the French
outposts, have created great sensation in
France and generally throughout the whole
army. The question is, what is to be done?
How is this outbreak to be punished and
put down! The wandering Arabs are pow
erful, and no doubt supported on the one side
by Morocco, and the other by Tunis. If an
army is routed to-day, another is formed to-
morrow; they are like our Seminoles, indom-
liable In their hostility, crafty in their plans,
and bold IN their attacks; only, unlike our
Semlnoles, they have no everglades or i'm
penetrable forests; they have to keep the
plain-to hold on to the desert
What, then, is to be done? Will France
abandon its conquests in Africa? Will the
citizen King surrender Algiers, captured, as
1t was, under the Bourbons? BY no means
His honor, his safety, his very crown forbid
1t. No matter how Improbable the conquest
may turn out, once conquered, to be kept as a
French province, it cannot be given up
The Barbary corsairs have received many Sc
we're lessons from the Christian powers in
their time, but it was a mere bombardment,
fiogging, payment of the expenses, and
new treaty, and here the matter ended /; but
when France, with powerful army and ma
Wy, attacked and captured Algiers, Bona, and
the principal towns in the kingdom, it was
to be retained as French Colony, and no
objection made by the European powers
to France conquering, if possible, the neigh
boring provinces. Algiers was to receive the
surplus population of France; it was fine
grain country commercial and rnanufactu-
ring establishments were formed, and AL
giers at this day looks like town in France.
The country cannot be given up. What fol-
lows France will send an army to Africa
which will drive the Arabs beyond Mount
Atlas and which will hereafter be the boundary
line. Morocco will be punished for its in
reference, and Tunis, in all probability, will
be annexed to Algiers. This will require
great army, great outlays-but the great ma
ton can do it. Instead of Is 900 men. now
dispersed over the kingdom, making treaties
with Emirs to-day to be broken tomorrow,
and having whole sacks of Frenchmen's
heads sent into camp, after the barbarous
fashion OF those people, old Soult will be on
the spot with 100000 men, something after
the fashion which France formerly exhibited
IN carrying on her wars TO heavy batterinp
trains, 1nortars, and howitzers, but light in
iantry, cavalry and sharp shooters. such as
were with Napoleon in Egypt. The same
| people are to be met, the same sands of the
desert traversed. Algiers is near to France;
no difficulty In transporting troops-no diff
flculty In raising and paying for them.-
France is tired of peace, and this war will
create no breach on the Continent, and at the
same time keep up the esprit mi1taire. Vol
unteers and conscripts will flock to the tri-
eolored standards soldiers will continue to
shout GALLONS enfan de la Patrie l'' and over
they VIII go with light heart, and thin pair
OF breeches, as usual, sure that if in Al
giers they have plenty of fighting with Mes
sleurs ie Jurc, they will have, at the same
time, good brown bread and cheese, vim
rouge, grapes, and a dance at night on the
green sward that skirts the desert; and what
is OF some importance in these times of infer
nal machines, Louis Philippe, contributing,
as he really does to the glory of France, will
be safe from the assassin's gun, or treachery
from within. Abdel kadir was rash to break
the treaty. France required only the sea-
board and part of the interior; the Arabs
could have found profitable market for their
wheat, barley, wool, goat skins, camels hair.
ostrich feathers, mules, tallow, dromedaries.
ivory, olive oil, wax, and gold dust, and now
they VIII get plenty of hard blows, and no
trade at all; and what is worse, they will be
finally driven across the mountains TO the
southern coast Of Africa. From Cape Spar