The independent., 1907-01-24

LOIlOOH llIlCS. just do th1 WiioiS
Morocco question has lately become
centralized in events at Tangier, SO
the Tangier question has during the
last few days become essentially a
question Of Raisuli. What will be the
end of the famous brgand? In a
weeks time the Shefeefian troops will
have arrived, and we may know, but
today all is speculation. Will he re-
main at Zinat and fight; will he fly
to the mountains; will he attempt to
compromise with the sultan; will he
meanwhile carry off another European
from Tangier? Every one has his own
reply. but no one knows THE spider
is weaving its web round the fly"
said a Moor to the writer today but
the fly is strong. and the spider,
though large, feeble. The fly may
break the web and throttle the spider :"
1t is possible, but not likely The pres
ence of the coming troops will deter
Raisuli's followers from being too
courageous. They are towards, these
mountain Moors, and their villages
burn very easily, and the sultan's
troops have horses and the country Is
open Raisuli it is true, states that he
will show fight, but he cannot show
fight IL his people desert him, and he
trusts no one.
The situation is certainly one OF
great interest, and is perhaps, too, q
little sad, for Raisuli, after all, has
his good qualities, and there are many
who would willingly see him escape the
fate that must be in store for him IL
he falls into the sultan's clutches. He
may possibly deserve to die. tortured
in dungeon, for he has tortured and
killed others in his time, but one can
~ In
the case. After ALL he has been very
little more than a robber and very
little crueler. than any other Moorish
official, but he has had this misfor-
tune-that his scene of action has lain
in the proximity of town where there
are many Europeans. Anywhere else in
Morocco he would have been consid-
cred strong and successful governor,
but the temptations which contact with
Europeans held out to him have been
his ruin. For him treaties have never
existed, and do not exist today, AMI
twice he has saved his life probably,
and certinly his liberty, by acts OF
brigandage. But Mr.. Perdicaris forgave
him long ago, and personally the
writer bears him no grudge for three
weeks of captivity. After all, If the
sultan or his vizier had ever possessed
half of Raisuli's vitality, Raisuli him.
self would never have existed His
period Of governorship has not been
entirely bad. He has opened up the
trade routes and been able to guaran-
tee certain security in his jurisdic-
tion. He has acted according To his
lights. and IL his lights have been of
an exasperating nature Ii Ii no reason
he should be tortured TO death. To
fall fighting would be a better end
but all Is speculation at present
Mulai Ahmed ben Mohammed er-
Ralsuli Is a man of about forty years
OF age. He Is by birth sprung from
one OF the most arstocratic families
In Morocco and IN Shereef. or csrect
descendant OF the prophet, through
MUlai Idris, who founded the Ma
homcdian empire OF Morocco and was
thv Inst sovereign OF tho Idrisite dv-
nasty The children Of Mulal IdrlS were
established In various parts of the
country, and IL ls from Mulal Adde'S
Salan. whose tomb in the Renl Arros
tribe u place OF great Sanctlty. that
the famous brigand Is directly de-
scended, his family, and he himself
St'll holding share In the lands. the
rights and the privileges which were
enjoyed by their renowned ancestor A
branch Of the family settled In Tetuan.
where fine mosque forms a mauso-
lcusu fer bis more recent ancestors and
it vpupr sN o. place of pllgrimaws,
Possibly Il Was this holy ancestry
that turned Raixuli from the paths az
NtftuW fns nfts.p hANtnkp taas.txs.M4 -.