Every effort was made by the Spaniards to remove Mr. Hay from the scene of action. His conduct was the subject of violent attacks by the Spanish Minister, Señor Castelar, and by the Madrid press. It was also commented on in a letter in the Times from the Special Correspondent of that paper. These attacks were brought before the House of Commons, where Mr. Hay’s conduct was defended by Lord John Russell and Mr. Liddell.
‘From Mr. Hay’s long residence in Morocco,’ said Lord John, ‘and his kindness to all who hold any intercourse with him, he has gained to a great degree the respect of the people of that country, not only of the Foreign Minister of the Emperor of Morocco, who was formerly a merchant, but of the wild tribes of natives who so frequently made incursions into the Spanish settlements. Having this influence, I believe that he, according to instructions from Her Majesty’s Government, endeavoured to prevent the breaking out of war between Spain and Morocco. He endeavoured to prevent this war, till he was told by the Moorish Minister that, whatever advice might be given, Morocco could make no further concessions. Mr. Drummond Hay did exert himself to the utmost, and used the influence he had so justly acquired to prevent the outbreak of hostilities. Since that time, it being the policy of Her Majesty’s Government to be neutral in the war, his conduct has been in strict conformity with his instructions. The hon. member has read a report from the correspondent of The Times newspaper—a very respectable gentleman, I believe; but he is in the Spanish camp, and can hear nothing but what he is told by Spaniards. They have stated various matters which the correspondent repeats, but he says that he knows nothing of them, and has no proof of them whatever. I have not heard from Mr. Drummond Hay since he had an opportunity of seeing these statements in the newspaper, but I have not a doubt they are, one and all, entirely false. I do not believe that Mr. Drummond Hay has felt it his duty to take any part in the war. The Spanish Minister did on one occasion state to Mr. Buchanan that complaints had been made of the partiality of Mr. Drummond Hay; but he gave no instance of such partiality, nor any proof of it whatever. We are aware that the Spanish Government in this war has obtained the aid of British merchants, and that the Spanish army has been supplied with British stores and provisions. Any complaints, therefore, of a violation of neutrality might more justly be made by the Government of Morocco than by the Government of Spain. I believe that the conduct of Mr. Drummond Hay has been entirely free from blame. I do not wish to say which party in this war is right; but I cannot sympathise with the enthusiasm of the hon. gentleman in regard to it. I do not think because one party is Christian and the other Mohammedan, we ought to give the former all our sympathy, without knowing the causes of the quarrel.
Throughout the whole crisis Mr. Hay’s efforts to protect property were unremitting, and an instance of his success is here given in his own words.
When the rupture of relations between Spain and Morocco took place, and Spanish subjects at Tangier were required by their Government to leave Morocco, the ‘Padre Superior’ of the Roman Catholic Mission paid me a visit, and informed me he had received orders from the Spanish Minister to embark, with all the members of his Mission, in a vessel sent to convey them to Spain. He added: ‘We are ordered off in such haste that we have no time to pack and convey to Spain the sacred pictures, crucifixes, and other religious emblems adorning the chapel.’
(At that time the only chapel was that adjoining the Spanish Legation.)
‘All the Foreign Representatives,’ he continued, ‘the Consular Officers, as well as all foreign subjects, both Christians and Jews, have begun to depart, and I hear that no one of them, with the exception of yourself and the gentlemen attached to the British Consulate, intends to remain in the country, fearing that the Mohammedan population may, when the war commences, massacre the Christians and Jews and pillage their dwellings.’
I replied that it was my intention to remain at my post, and that, as I had never acted unjustly or unkindly towards the Mohammedans, I had no grounds for supposing that they would seek to injure me; though, in pursuance of instructions received from my Government, my family would remain at Gibraltar.
The Padre Superior then said that the object of his visit was to ask me a great favour—that I would prevent, as far as lay in my power, the chapel from being broken into and pillaged.
‘After all,’ he said, ‘though we may entertain different views regarding the forms of the Christian religion, somos hermanos (we are brothers).’
I told the Padre it would afford me sincere satisfaction to be of service to him; that I should let the Moorish authorities—and also my native friends in the town—know that the Roman Catholic Chapel was a house of God, and that it would be taken under my special protection.