The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1885-03-13

some OF their slaves flce. de himself
received presents from the faithful
every year, consisting of horses. slaves
etc, and he always set all the slave.
free. Nevertheless. they preferred te
stay with him.
The Grand Sheriff stated it as his
opinion that the Sultan of Morocco
could, if he chose, not only put a STOP
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 Brit sh Government; 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
detestat:on of the system that allowed
prisons to be so frightfully misman-
aged that the wretched inmates died of
absolute starvation, and he declared
himself ready TO support any effort
made by the British Government to
procure an alteration. He said ..they
were . disgrace to humanity" The
Grand Sheriff is man of middle age
and of noble and portly presence.
He takes q 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 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-
pressly stated that he was not to exam
inc any stones or minerals. A few
months ago the Emperor granted con-
cession to some English capitalists to
search for coal, and it is hoped
that this may be. followed by a further
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
sight TO watch q troop of half
naked. swarthy Moo:s working with
energy 1t coal boring. per.
fectiy ignorant as to what would nap
pen when the huge chisel cut through
The intervening bed of stone. l could
but wish success to the sanguine Eng
lishmen and strong-armed Moors. who
we're thus literally opening up the
country. Another hopeful sign in the
of Morocco is the estab-
ishment Of two weekly journals. lie
RereI de- M0rOc, published in French,
Ind 44l-noghre5 1l-aksa (Anglice The
Far FesD, published in Spanish. These
wo spirited little papers are ever rca "
% point out and denounce the many
lbuses that come before their notice.
md they steadily expose the abomin-
'tions Of the slave trade.
Another step in the onward march OF
utilization was taken by France short
ime ago. By decree of the French
Government all natives under French
protection, or il any way employed nm
Ter the dag OF France, are compelled
o liberate all their slaves. This is .
move in the right direction. Would
hat the initiative had been taken by
England. who ought to be SO eond to
zone in her efforts to raise aloft the
amer Of human Charles Fl.
lLten. in L0ndO1 Times.