Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-08-11
REVOLT AGAINST OPPRESSION.
The Angheras Resisted the Moorish Troop
and Defeated Them.


and Defeated Them.
The Moorish soldiers Jared very badly in
their engagements with the rebels yesterday.
one hundred of their number being either killed
or badly wounded. The Angheras, OH the other
hand. suffered but few casualties.
Two thousand of the sultan's troops made
two attacks upon the rebellious Angherite
tribesmen. and were each time driven back in
great disorder. Orders were finally given for
the troops to retreat, and the force, in a badly
disorganized condition. made their way to the
camp at Tangier. Considerable excitement
prevailed in the city, as it was feared that the
tribesmen in the first flush of their victory
might attempt an attack upon the city.
The district inhabited by the Angheras, q
race of independent character, has long been
oppressed by governors who gather, or attempt
to gather, taxes with relentless hand. During
the English occupation of Tangier, from 1862
to 1854, none of the surrounding tribes gave
more trouble to the British than did these
Angheras, and since that time the injus:ices
which they have suffered have frequently led
them TO give equal trouble to their own govern
ment. Their home. among the fertile hills on
the peninsula at the western end of the Med
iterranean, among the heights surrounding
Jebel Moosa, is a country difficult of access at
any time. on account of the frequent steep
ness Of the bride path which serves for roads,
but in the bands of hostile people il be-
comes quite impregnable to anything save a
well-organized force.
The rocks with which it Is studded the thick
bushes which cover considerable tracts and the
base of almost every hill afford the best Of am
bushes, and many passes could be held by a
small force against thousands compelled to ap-
proach through the extremely narrow defile.
No scope is here Afforded for the cavalry
maneuvers of the Arabs and the Moorish soldiers
can make scarcely any Roadway even under the
most favorable circumstances against anything
like organized resistance. But these people
never combined for any length of time. This
is their greatest weakness. The sultan's ad-
visers. being intimately acquainted with the
intertribal feuds and jealousies of every clan,
stir up dissensien by promises of assistance to
the most loyal.
Often, in this way. number Of small tribes
temporarily combined with reinforcements
from the sultan to pay of old scores, which
they could not have otherwise done, by a sue
cessful attack on the biggest bullies Of their
neighborhood. Would these tribes but aid the
Angheras instead Of fighting them. they would
be able unitediy TO resist the imperial army and
claim what terms they like. What is at present
happening Is this: The people Of Anghera,
thoroughly loyal to the sultan as their spiritual
chief or ruler ordained by God are simply de-
handing their rights AS loyal subjects. The
disturbances, when stripped Of all sensational
exaggerations, are nothing more than one of
those local Instructions against tyrannical and
extortionate authorities which have long been
frequent in the neighborhood of Tangier. and
there is no reason to suppose that this insurrec-
ton will have more important consequences
than its numerous predecessors, unless France
or Spain should think fit to use it as q pretext
for intervention.