John Bull ought to know what our insidious neighbours are about, though singing to our Government ‘Lullaby, lullaby,’ whilst preparing the mine which will explode when it suits their purpose to make themselves masters of the Straits and Southern coast of the Mediterranean from Spartel to Tripoli!
You will have seen in the papers that Ordega returned in an ironclad and demanded that the fort should salute the French flag with twenty-one guns before his landing, and that the acting Minister for Foreign Affairs and all the authorities should come down to the pier to meet him. ‘To hear is to obey,’ with the heavy guns of the ‘Redoutable’ pointed at this wretched town; and all asked for was conceded.
Yesterday a squadron of eight ships (!) arrived here; they remain, I am told, at the disposition of Ordega.
P.S.—Just as I closed my letter the French squadron left, and I got a note to say some arrangement has been made about protection to the Sheríf, and that the question of frontier is deferred. It will come on, however, before long.
For the time the danger, as the following letter shows, was averted:—
I said to a colleague the other day that man was prone to attribute to the machinations of the devil anything that was adverse, whereas the poor devil is the victim of his traducers; thus, I said, it is with me. Whatever goes wrong in Morocco is attributed to that bête noire—Drummond Hay.
I know not whether you have seen another clever letter of ‘One who Knows’ in the Standard of 30th ult.
With reference to the last paragraph, I have to say that a great change has come over Ordega since the hurried departure of the French squadron (ordered by telegraph). He has altered his tone with the Moorish Government and the local authorities, and has told the Sheríf he cannot support the tribes who seek for his protection against the authority of the Sultan. The question of rectifying the frontier has also been abandoned, and the most solemn assurances are given to Italy, Spain, and England that France will not disturb the status quo, unless a state of anarchy takes place in Morocco compelling her to interfere. That is, however, the question. Insurrection has been prevented, and the Sultan has given orders for the chastisement of the disaffected tribes. This system of ‘eating up’ rebels, which you can remember in the time of the old Sultan, renders of course the Sovereign most unpopular with his unfortunate subjects.
With reference to the calumnious article in the Gaulois to which he had called Lord Granville’s attention, he writes from London on October 18, 1884:—
I have just received a courteous private letter from Lord Granville, saying he had delayed replying to my letter as he has been in communication with Waddington; he asks to see me on Monday.