The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1884-08-23


| lowed by another almost as startling.
the Grand sheriff having only q few
months ago become naturalized
French subject. The reason for his so
| doing is thus described by the Sheriffa:
ssMy husband has become French
subject. His patience was worn out
with the prosecutions to which he was
subjected, and especially in having all
his proteges taken away and not al
lowed to work for us, the only ones al
lowed to stay being the slaves, and, as
my husband has freed every male and
female slave belonging to him, matters
would have gone hard with us. have
been trying to persuade my husband to
have his estates worked by Europeans,
and doubt not that shallisucceed."
The Grand Sheriff has large country
residence, in which he lives with the
Sheriffa, but he has also business
house in Tangier, close to the new and
splendidly appointed Continental Hotel,
OF which he is the ground landlord. In
this house was received by his high
ness, and heard his views as to slavery
and he slave trade He stated that the
trade was contrary to the Mohammedan
religion, and that pious Mohammedans
| took frequent opportunities OF setting
some of their slaves free. He himself
j received presents from the faithful
every year, consisting of horses, slaves,
etc., and he always set all the slaves
free. Nevertheless, they preferred TO
stay with him.
The Grand Sheriff stated it as his
opinion that the Sultan of Morocco
could, if he chose, not only put step
to the slave trade, but could easily pre-
vent the sales of slaves in the public
streets. He said that he would warmly
support any address on that subject for
warded by the British Governments and
as he was the highest spiritual authority
in the country his influence would have
more effect than any other that could
be brought to bear upon the Sultan.
The Grand Sheriff also expressed his
detestation of the system that allowed
tie prisons to be SO frightfully msman.
aged that the wretched inmates died oil
absolute starvation, and he declared
himself ready to support any effort
made by the British Government tQ
procure an alteration. He said ''they
were a disgrace to humanity" The
Grand Sheriff is man of middle age
and of noble and portly presence.
He takes great interest in European
and especially in English politics, his
wife, the Sheriffa, translat'ng many OF
the English newspapers to her husband.
[ had the honor of an interview with
the Sheriffa out of doors, according to
Mohammedan etiquette and this lady
told me that her husband thought de-
cree to stop the sales of slaves from
house to house would soon put an end
to the slave trade.
One or two 81 nder rays of light have
lately cleaned across the dark back.
ground of Moorish misrule. The first
which appeared was G relaxing of the
rigid law that forbade all mining enter
prise, or even the search for minerals,
in which the country is known to be
rich In 1879, when Sir Joseph Hooker
received firman allowing him to ex-
plore the Atlas Mountains, it was ex-
J pressly stated that he was not to exam
inc any stones or minerals few
months ago the Emperor granted con-
cession to some English capitalists to
that this may be followed by further
concession to include other minerals.
The operations have hitherto not re-
suited in anything very definite as re-
CARDS coal; but it was novel and in
teresting sight TO watch a troop of half
naked, swarthy Moors working with
untiring energy at a coal boring, per-
fectly ignorant as to what would nap
pen when the huge chisel cut through
the intervening bed of stone. | could
but wish success to the sanguine Eng
lishmen and strong-armed Moors, who
were thus literally opening up the
country. Another hopeful sign in the
regeneration of Morocco is the estab-
lishment of two weekly journals. lie
RereI du Moroc, published in French,
and At-m0ghreb Al-aksG (Anglice The
Far Vest, published in Spanish. These
two spirited little papers are ever ready
to point out and. denounce the many
abuses that come before their notice,
and they steadily expose the abomin-
J ations of the slave trade.
Another step in the onward march of
! civilization was taken by France short
time ago. By decree of the French
Government all natives under French
protection, or in any way employed I'M
der the flag of France, are compelled
to liberate all their slaves. This is a
move in the right direction. Would
that the initiative had been taken by
England, who ought to be second to
none in her efforts to raise aloft the
banner of human freedom Charles II.
Alien, in London Times.
A singular accident occurred the