When we recollect, however, that the envoys to Marocco for the last century, have been men almost w ho lly qnacquainted w ith the manners, customs, and religious prejudices o f the people, and ignorant o f their language, we shall cease to be surprised that our connection with that empire has been so limited, and impeded b y mutual misunderstanding o f each others sentiments, originating, but too often, in deficiency and inaccuracy o f interpreters. W h a t expectations can be indulged o f terminating successfully négociations with a prince, in conversing with whom some ignorant illiterate interpreter, genera lly a Jew, and a devoted subject o f the Emperor, must be made the confidential servant o f the p ar ty treating? besides, e v e ry one acquainted with the nature o f the government, and politica l principles of. the Court o f Marocco, is well aware, that, even supposing it possible to procure a Jew, capable o f interpreting accurately the English into Arabic, and v ic e versa, yet there are many expressions necessary for an E n vo y to use to the Emperor, which no Jew in the country would dare to utter in the imperial presence on pain o f losing his head : the general ga rrulity o f these people, moreover, is such, that they are perhaps unworthy o f being entrusted with any secret wherein the hiterest o f a nation is concerned. O f this the Emperor himself is convinced, as was also his father, who frequently, during his reign, expressed his regret to Mr. A . Layton, that no English consul could be found, capable o f holding direct intercourse w ith him. T he weakness and instability o f our treaties are generally in proportion to the weakness and inaccuracy o f the interpreter, their force and meaning being often frittered away b y the misplacing ol a word through his indecision or fear; and possessing, probably, but a slight knowledge o f the style o f writing, he is obliged to ha ve the treaty read b y a Moor, and explained according to his own manner, in the vu lga r Arabic, or Moorish language, which alone is sufficient, without any additional cause, to do away the force and intent o f any document, possessing that energy o f expression for which the Arabic language is so remarkable. Suppose we were negociating a peace with France, what would be the probable result i f there w ere no person attached to our embassy but a French subject, who understood the French and English languages sufficiently to conv e y the aggregate only, but not the precise sense o f the stipulations? we should certainly have but little expectation o f success under such circumstances, and should probably be worse off than i f no treaty had been concluded, so easy would i t be to give a turn to any clause, the force and point o f which was not distinctly ascertained. This has been literally our case with Marocco: treaties h a v e been made without being understood, or even translated, till many months after the conclusion o f th em ; how then can we. expect to acquire influence or consideration at a court, where a man who does not speak the A rab ic is considered as an illiterate barbarian (ajemmie m’dollem), and is treated accordingly ? T h e Emperor has frequently expressed a wish to communicate with our Sovereign, but the publicity to which his sentiments must be exposed in the present routine o f British diplomacy, deters him from it, and restricts or diminishes the intercourse between the two countries.* * In a conversation with the Minister at Marocco for European affairs, his Excellency asked me if, in the event of his master’s writing to his Majesty, the latter would be able to get the letter interpreted ; I answered in the affirmative, and a very polite and friendly letter was afterwards written, which requested an answer; but it remained here in the Secretary of State’s office, without any atten
27f 39
To see the actual publication please follow the link above