Persecution of Jews in Morocco.

145 blissful future. But the necessity of energy and action in any good or holy cause soon roused him from such moments of depression. We read in his Diary on October 21st:-" Before I was dressed this morning, I received a packet, marked private, The writer says: My dear Sir,-I am unwilling to bring you up to town in order that you may read this duplicate. I therefore send it you to Ramsgate.' The papers which accompaned this were from the warm and generous efforts of Her Majesty's Government on behalf of the two unfortunate Jews now in prison at Saffi. But the situation of the poor men appeared to me so dangerous that I determined to go at once to London to get the Board of Deputies to take some active steps to secure their release from prison."

of Tangiers, and told of

These dispatches refer to an unfortunate occurrence at Saffi, in Morocco, concerning which the Jews of Gibraltar and Tangiers had addressed Sir Moses and the Board of Deputies of the British Jews.

A Spaniard in Saffi, in the service of the Spanish ViceConsul, had died suddenly, and suspicions of his having been poisoned were aroused in the mind of the Vice-Consul, who insisted upon the Moorish authorities investigating the case, and inflicting punishment on the guilty person. No steps

were taken to ascertain whether there were any facts to prove that the death of the Spaniard was due to violence; but, according to the custom in Morocco, those parties upon whom it was sought to fix suspicion were examined under severe torture, and the application of the bastinado. A Jewish lad, about fourteen years of age, who resided in the family of the deceased, was the first person so examined (the Jews being the most unprotected portion of the population). After persisting for a long time in the assertion of his innocence, he at length yielded to the protracted agony, and declared that poison had been administered. Again, under the influence of torture, ten or eleven other persons, whose names were suggested to him, were denounced by the lad as participators in the crime.

Most of these were arrested, but one of them only was submitted to examination under torture. Though this measure was pushed to a tearful extremity, no confessions of guilt could be

wrung from him. The lad also, when released from torture, uniformly asserted his innocence.

However, as he had confessed his guilt, and the man had been denounced, both were condemned to death, doubtless to prove the readiness of the Morocco Government to comply with the demands of its recent conqueror.

The lad was accordingly executed at Saffi, the execution naturally producing great dismay amongst the Jewish population; but the man was conveyed in a Spanish vessel to Tangiers, to be executed there. Nothing is known of the reason which led to the adoption of this course, but it seems probable that it was taken in order that the knowledge of the circumstance might spread more rapidly and extensively through the Moorish dominion. This public execution could not fail to impress the people with a striking idea of the strength of the Spanish influence at the Court of the Sultan.

The alarm felt by the Israelites at Tangiers was extreme, and as has already been said, was forthwith communicated to Gibraltar.

Nine or ten individuals lay at Saffi, menaced with a fate similar to that of their two brethren.

Sir Moses immediately sent a telegram to the President and Secretary of the Board of Deputies of the British Jews, appointing a meeting with them in London. At the time mentioned, these gentlemen came to him, and he read them the dispatches he had received. It was then agreed to call a meeting of Deputies for the earliest day possible. A letter was also drawn up for the Foreign Office.

On the following Tuesday, a meeting of the Board of Deputies was held, and Sir Moses was invited to proceed to Saffi, an offer which he readily accepted.

November 12th.-He went to the Foreign Office for his letters of introduction, and also called at the Mansion House to see the Lord Mayor and several of the Aldermen, who took a great interest in his Mission.

November 14th.-Prayers were offered up for him in all the Synagogues in London and the country.

November 16th.-We find Sir Moses at Dover, accompanied by Mr Haim Guedalla, Mr Sampson Samuel, the Secretary and

Leaves England on a Mission to Saffi.

147

Solicitor of the Board of Deputies, and Dr Hodgkin, proceeding to the Lord Warden Hotel, with the intention of remaining there over night, in order to be ready to leave the next morning for Calais. Many friends being anxious to express their good wishes, they came in the evening to see him, and remained till a late hour. Even then he did not retire, but continued writing and making arrangements, until he was entreated by his physician to take some rest.

CHAPTER XVIII.

1863.

THE MISSION TO MOROCCO-TANGIER-LIBERATION OF TWO PRISONERS-DEPUTATION OF MOORS-SIR MOSES SUCCESSFULLY INTERCEDES FOR THEM-DEATH OF SIR MOSES' SISTER, MRS GOLDSMID OPPRESSIVE REGULATIONS RESPECTING THE JEWS IN MOROCCO-FAVOURABLE EDICT OF THE SULTAN.

I

SHALL now give the reader a resumé of the Mission of Morocco, using for the more important episodes Sir Moses' own words as contained in his letters to the President of the Board of Deputies.

"You will recollect," he writes to that gentleman, "that we left Dover on Tuesday morning, the 17th ult., and reached Madrid within six days of our departure from London. I mention this in order that the Board may understand that, to the best of our ability, we used every effort to proceed with all possible celerity towards the hoped-for accomplishment of the objects of the Mission. Considering that some important matters calculated to lead to a prosperous issue might receive attention at Madrid, I deemed it expedient with this view to make some stay in that city. I waited on his Excellency, Sir J. F. Crampton, our Ambassador at the Court of Madrid, on Thursday, the 26th ult., and experienced from him a most kind and friendly welcome. On the same day, his Excellency introduced me to the Marquis of Miraflores, the Prime Minister of Spain, who gave me the encouraging assurance that I need be under no apprehension of any further steps being taken for the present against the unfortunate prisoners at Saffi, the proceedings against whom, he stated most emphatically, had not been influenced by any prejudice or illwill, on account of their religious persuasion; and the Marquis consented to solicit Her Majesty the Queen of Spain to grant me the honour of a private audience; he also, at my request, promised to give me a letter of introduction to Don Francisco Merry y Colon, the Spanish Minister at Tangier.

"On Monday, the 28th ult., in the afternoon, I had the honour (upon the introduction of his Excellency Sir J. F. Crampton) to be presented to Her Majesty, and to the King Consort, at a private audience. I have reported to you, in a former letter, how gracious a reception was accorded to me, but I may add that I shall never cease to bear in mind the gratification I experienced on that interesting occasion. I was received by their Majesties with the utmost courtesy and kindness, and was joyfully impressed with the assurances of the King Consort of their respect for all religions.

"During my stay at Madrid, I had the advantage of introductions to his

The Mission to Morocco.

149

Grace the Duke of Tetuan, General Prim, several of the foreign ambassadors, and other distinguished persons, by several of whom I was favoured with letters of introduction for Tangier.

"Having, under the blessing of God, succeeded in effecting, at Madrid, the objects contemplated, I left that city with my companions very early the following morning (Tuesday, Dec. 1), en route for Seville, as I was desirous of handing to Don Antonio Merry (the Russian and Prussian Consul at Seville, and the father of the Spanish Minister at Tangier) a letter of introduction. We travelled by railway to Santa Cruz de Mudela. On Wednesday, the 2nd December, we left Santa Cruz, and proceeded by diligence to Andujar, at which place we arrived the same evening. I was too exhausted to proceed further that night, although my fellow travellers, Dr Hodgkin and Mr Guedalla, in their kind anxiety to secure for me a fitting resting-place at Cordova, continued their journey till midnight by the same diligence, so that they might make the necessary arrangements.

"We arrived at Seville on Sunday, the 6th inst. The following day I delivered to Don Antonio Merry the letter of introduction to him with which I had been favoured, and he very kindly gave me a letter to his son, Don Francisco Merry y Colon, the Spanish Minister at Tangier.

"On Tuesday, the 8th inst., we left Seville by railway, and reached Cadiz late the same night, where, after some delay, Í ascertained that a French steam frigate, the Gorgone, under the command of Captain Celliér de Starnor, was lying off the port, and would proceed the same night direct to Tangier.

“I lost no time in transmitting a request to Captain Starnor to allow me and my companions to embark in his beautiful ship. This request was at once most_politely acceded to, and we were gladdened at 5 A.M. the next morning, Friday, the 11th inst., with the tidings that we had anchored off Tangier.

"We found, on our arrival at Tangier, that, owing to the care and kindness of Mr Moses Pariente, the President, Mr Moses Nahon, Vice-President, and the other members of the Executive Committee of the Hebrew Congregation here, an excellent house had been prepared for our reception; and we were greeted with a most enthusiastic welcome by these respected gentlemen, and by the whole Jewish population. And here I may be permitted to say, before reverting to the more immediate purport of my Report, that I cannot sufficiently express my grateful appreciation of the demonstrations of regard, and evidences of good-will and kind-heartedness we were daily experiencing during my stay here, nor omit rendering a just tribute of praise to the intellectual and educational advancement distinguishing the gentlemen of our faith, and their families, resident at Tangier, with whom I have had the good fortune to be placed in contact since my arrival.

Here also I have had the gratification to receive deputations from our co-religionists of Gibraltar, Tetuan, Alcassar, Larache, Arzila, and Mequinez. I have also received addresses from the Jews of Fez, Azemor, and Mogador.

"On Sunday, the 13th inst., I had the pleasure to wait on Sir John Hay Drummond Hay, K.C. B., the British Minister, and of conversing with him, and also Consul-General Reade, on the subject of the Mission. On the same day (accompanied by Mr Samuel), I placed in the hands of Don Francisco Merry y Colon, the Spanish Minister, the letter given to me by his father, also the letter of introduction entrusted to me at Madrid, by the Marquis of Miraflores, and several other letters, which I had obtained at Madrid.

"I am happy to say that I was most courteously received by the Spanish Minister, who gave me his willing consent for the immediate release of the