The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-11-13
WAR WITH THE MOORS.
MOROCCO: IT'S PAST AND PRESENT.
PREPARATIONS OF FRANCE AND SPAIN.
S~oS~o~~o.~~|>~~S>~~r~~o>~
THE CASUS BELLi,
&c., &C., Go.

&c., &C., Go.
Morocco, the Mauritania Of the ancents, IS likely to b.
~ s moment the Of Spanish INVASION and there
Ssre slight sketch Of the country and the which
have led 10 hostes, may not be unintercstng TO our
readers.
Morocco proper Of the ancient States into which
she vast region known Barbary was divided 1t was
chiefly peeped by Moors, Numedians and Phenican CO
lunists attained great celebrity under the dominion Of
te Orthagcnians but It afterwards subject TO the
Romans, and subsequently TO that ii occupied for
1carly century by the vandals The whole Of Barbary
was fnely taken from the Romans (Byzantues) by the
Arabs IN the year es7 Nhas coast line along tho Me-
diierranean 200 miles long, and bordering tho Aanhc
nearly coo miles long. Algers forms part of the east
srn frontier and all the other sides II terminates
- tho wide expanse Of the desert. The people
who nhabit these distant regions, in proportion
hey removed from the seat of empire, shake on
sAs restraint Of sovereign authority, till at last they set
tAe pQwer Of the Sultan defiance. Some I've centuries
Ego these extensive plans which now the abode OF
tgers and hyebas, illum;ned by academies, uni
vsrtes and libraries, and the gay and fertile shores Of
Mauritania where commerce., and arts, and agriculture
lad arisen 10 the highest prosperity the nests Of
pirates who epread terror the seas, and who retire
from eir wicked labors the shameful dsbauche
those coasts to mark out s victims and to avenge
eended humanity In this extent of country nothing
b 70 be found but ignorance terror and death. This s
Che picture writer drawn of this portion of the pre-
sent empire of Morocco the basis Of the population is
formed of what called Moors consisting of the org
nal people mixed with their Arab conquerors and
vhh the tribes who have at various times poured in from
She African deserts; to these is added considerable
number Of tho Moors whose ancestors once regned in
Spain; all these being moulded nearly into by the
strict and uniform character Of the Mahomedan OBJ
scrvances.
The present Empire Of Morocco the most westerly Of
sAose countries generally known the Barbary States,
which lie between the shores Of the Mediterranean tue
north and the Sahara Great Sandy Desert the south
n b separated from Algicrs, considerable portion of
which in tho hands Of the French, by small river,
which empties itself into the Mediterranean. From this
ombouchure the northern or Mediterranean boundary
stretches along, in direction nearly due west until
reaches Cape Spartel at the entrance Of the Straits Of
Gibraltar about 200 miles. Here the western boundary
commences running along the shores of the Atlantic for
nearly GOO miles The southern boundary not properly
defined, and the jurisdiction Of the Emperor extends
sseps in that direction according to the movements of
the wandering tribes which inhabt this portion Of the
eunty
Morocco them may be considered as including parll
BlOgTam
BY Agers east by the SOUTH by the
Atlantic the west and by the Straits Of Gibraltar and
the Mediterranean the north. An interesting geo.
graphical feature this country the chain Of mountains
which traverse throughout its whole extent dividing
into nearly equal potonsone half to the north and
west the other half 10 the south and east. This is tho
great Atlas chain, whose lofty summts towering TO the
Clouds struck the poetic fancy Of the ancens and gave
rise the psychological fable of Atlas bearing the world
upon his shoulders The principal cities Of Morocco are
Morocco the capital and the residence Of tho Emperor
Fez the capital of province, larger and more popuous
than Morocco; Mogadore Tangier and Tetuan the resi-
dence Of the diplomatic agents of foreign nations These
two latter cities important from their situation
at the entrance of the Straits Of Gibraltar and
proximity to Spain. Tangier, the more important
and interesting of the two, though once rich
and populous city, is now dirty, miserable, Moor
ish town. containing about 900 inhabitants. II is just
within the OF the Straits, and about thirty five
miles obquey from Gibraltar Tradition represents
as great trading mart Of the Phencans long before
even the foundation Of Carthage and among other ev
dences Of its wealth and magni6cence, s said to have
been surrounded with walls OF brass Here the Phencan
merchants halted their excursions TO the barbarous u
ma thule of the British isles 1t later days, after Barbary
was by the Saraccns when the power of the
latter began Decline Tangier continual bone of
very frequently assaled by the latter but without
cess until the year 1471, when il fell into their power,
through panic which unaccountaby seized the Moors,
and was then taken possession of by the Portuguese.
In 1862 the Portuguese handed over to Charles H.
upon that Princes marriage with Princess Of Portugal,
as DOVER But the English only held 1t for some twenty
years. and during the whole of that time it was in con-
slant sege by the Moors The knghty deeds and
the cvarous of daring that performed before
its walls during this short tenure would furnish material
for half dozen romances Finally, the English, finding
that the cost of keeping was more than 1t was worth,
abandoned it, first demolishng its walls and forticatons,
and ruthessy and Vandalke blowing up the magnificent
MOLE the ruins Of which still visible, and which yet
affords protection to the small vessels that visit the place.
Since abandonment by the English, ngier has gatu
ally fallen more and more into decay Tho Portuguese
we're never afterwards in condition to reasser their
claim the possession OF Tangier and 80 has since
manned in the hands of the Moors Whether it still re-
mains not. which very doubtful considering that
il will the first point Of attack for the Spaniards
must wait till next advices TO- ascertain Tangier in
other hands-in the hands Of Louis Napoleon, for
instance-would become great naval and
mercal station and could be fortified in case Of
war so as completely TO neutralize the present
m portance Of Gibraltar the Engsh as the key tho
Mediterranean. Whether the astute and far seeing En-
peror the French looks ward To such an eventuay
Nv fomentng the long sumbering military ard0r Of Spain
in undertaking the expedition against Morocco remains
to be SEEN But that there strong reasons for sup
sp"ch calculations as these none can doubt "Coming
events cast their shadows before nor Will II be long
curtain rises plot
now being play ed out by Spain. Gibraltar to great
tent depends its existence upon Tanger Put Tanger
in the hands Of the French, and Gibraltar wud DC hard
ly worth the holding So much then, for the expedition
ostensbly against the Riff pirates but which IS strong
enough to subvert the whole empire of Morocco With
regard to these Rf pirates, may be saii that they are
the descendants Of those famous co corssirs m who,
once issuing in formidable force from the port
OF Saee, carried terror TO the portals Of the
most distant nations Of Christendom. Their vessels
hid wait for prizes at the very mouths OF the Thames
the Severn pursued their prey through the
stormy waters Of the Baltic. The most romantic and ter
ribe connected with the exploits Of those
pests Of the ocean, Furnished the ground work
Ola thousand ballads Of stirring interest and romantic ad
venture Their descendants made the pretext OF
nm nvasion and now, after lapse of 400 years, the de-
scendans oil those who fought for the possession
OF the Ahambra and the fair of Seville and Granada,
once more meet in deadly front the old battle ground
Of the Moorish crusades. Tetuan the province
as Iangier nnd situated contiguous but all )
equal importance nor s its acquisition much be de.
sired by the Spaniards rather by Napoeou
the movements Of the Spaniards The city OF Fez was
the very centre Of Moorish science refine.
ment II once contained half million of inhabitants had
within walls with