New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-12-09
THE LATIN CONFEDERATION.

From an Occasional Correspondent.
PARIS, Nov. "a, 1859.
II is well known that one of the " Napoleonic
ideas" which is now struggling to become realized
by hook or by crook is the alliance of the various
nations of the Latin tongue underline protecorate of
France. Whether the sudden alliance between Spain
and France, and observation-disclosures though apparent
ly disconnected warlke operations against Morocco,
have their sole origin in this Napoleonic idea or
whether there is something deeper than this at the
bottom, remains TO be seen The circumstances
are certainly curious while the French press by COM
mand of the Government again raised the old out
cry against ''perfdous Albion"-the Spaniards all of
a sudden begin 20 declare that the presence of the
English at Gibralter is blot upon their national
honor France organizes an expeditonary army
to invade Morocco without declaration of war,
under the pretext of chastisng some Kabyle tribes
for their inroads upon Algerian territory and Spain
on pretext more or less futile, decleres war against
Morocco, and fits out an expedition against the
MoOrs at Agesiras; and to make the mbr0gliO
complete, Palmerston sets little John Russell to
work to demand explanations from Spain as 10 the
meaning of all this, and to order the Spaniards not
to make c0nquests in Africa, by which the free
gatiOn of the Straits OF Gibraltar might be endan-
gered II nything points 10 deeper scheme in all
this than is yet clearly disnguishabe, it is this re
diculOus interference of the PalmerstOn Cabinet in
the matter. Figure TO yourselves Spain endanger-
ing the free navigation of the Straits while England
holds Gibraltar, and is the first naval power of the
world But the phrase is quite sufficient to gall the
British public, and John Bull, who as we all know
swallows his camels by the score like 80 many oys-
tiers, will not allow the poor Spanard the least tiny
little gnat on the southern side of the Mediter-
ranear.
Whatever the intrigue may be, of which this war
is the prologue, il appears are to have, in Spain
ard Morocco the amusing spectacle OF " holy
war;" The MoOrs are, Of course the hereditary
enemies of the Spaniards. Once in possession of
the whole of the lberian peninsula with the excep-
ton of those few Asturian and Galican valleys, from
which Pelago commenced the construction of the
Spanish monarchy, the MoOrs were but gradually
driven back, and it took nearly eight centuries to
expel them completely from the country. They
retired again into Africa but up TO the present day
many of them preserve the keys of the houses once
owned in Spain by their ancestors, and with these
keys they preserve their claim % hem and the land
ON which they were built. No wonder that the
hatred OF the Spaniards against them has never
gone to sleep. During the times Of her greatness,
Spain sent many expeditions into Africa, and held
numerous points on the Moorish coast; and now,
sooner does Spain begin to recover, in some de-
gree, from the degradation and decay of the last
centuries than she il, without any exertion or pre-
text, dashed into perfect frenzy of enthusiasm for
the invasion of Africa. Grandees raise battalions
Of volunteers at their own expense Municipalities
subscribe funds the Queen sends sacred banners to
her troops and decOrates her generals with amuets
and relics, and even the holy bishops offer money
for the holy var. The glorious times Of the Cid
CampeadOr seem 10 have revived, and ROlands
horn, which he blew ill it cracked at Roncesyalles
is to resOund in the ears Of the MONKEYS of the
" Apes bill, opposite Gibraltar. Ii will be war to
The knife evidently, as far as the Spanards are
concerned.
On the other hand, the MO0rs are no less bent
upon their holy war. Every Moor in Morocco be-
eves in the old prophecy of the holy Marabuts, that
one day the Christians will come in great numbers
across the water and fight for the conquest of
hoghrebi, the land of the West. Then will be
hgiitlng such as never was seen before, the Wadi.
sebu Will be red with blood aud the course of the
Nuuyah viii be stopped by dams of corpses When
that grim day will come and who will be the victor
nobody knows; but it is the duty Of every true be-
never TO be prepared for the struggle, and thus,it
happens that every Moor has in his house a long
gun and small barrel of powder. But while the
hOoTs OF the towns in dread of that fearful day
the kabyles of the hills and the Bedouins of the
plains are looking forward to il with rejoicing for
Then the rich towns OF the shore and of the inte
nor Will be theirs, and the riches Of the Jews and
the Franks viii be given up to them for plumber
And when they fight agaiDst the Guours there ia DO