Spain is about to open upon Morocco the great guns
of war. General O'Donnell has been appointed the Commander-in-chief. France has voluntarily furnished her neighbour with military stores and other aid ; the British Government presents no ob- stacle, and Spain is free to do what she can with the Moor. We are still without any very complete or explicit account of the dis- pute. There is complaint of bad faith on both sides, of trespasses, of breach of treaty on both sides. If we might be free to guess, we should suppose that the Spaniards have not very faithfully ob- served the treaty, either in regard to bounds or buildings,—that they have wandered upon Moorish land, and given to their for- tifications a strength not contemplated. But, on the other side, we may surmise that the Moors have only made pretexts of these infractions of set rule, in order to make predatory attacks upon the Christians, prompted alike by the piratical love of adven- turous plunder, and by the old spirit of Mahometanism which is reawakened against the modern policy of Constantinople. Lord John Russell, it is said, has notified to the Moorish Government that he cannot undertake to uphold it against its prosecutor. The Spaniards are animated by the love of glory, and by the hope of obtaining 13,000,0001. sterling, said to lie in the Moorish Em- peror's treasury. Likewise they intend to take possession of an increased range of territory, comprising ten miles of sea-coast and Ape's Hill,—a sort of Gibraltar on the other side of the Straits, only not quite so well formed by nature for a powerful strong- hold. Although Lord John Russell does not appear to have thought it necessary to interpose between Morocco and the indig- nation of Spain, he has indubitably taken such measures as are necessary to secure British interests ; particularly with regard to the establishment of any position which could close the portals of the Mediterranean to British commerce, or against any change of regime which could bar the access of Gibraltar to her provision- stores in Tangiers.
The process of disintegration which continues in the Turkish empire is shown in the fact that, while the Ministers of the Sul- tan are executing justice upon leaders in the late conspiracy at Constantinople, a new conspiracy has broken out in Aleppo, most probably animated by the same spirit which has been at work in Constantinople and Morocco. At the same time, too, the Turks are drawing upon themselves by their provocations renewed at- tacks from Montenegro.
