The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-06-14
THE yIRGINIUS SURRENDER.
Recalling an Incident Which Nearly
Provoked a War with Spain.
A Brilliant Newspaper 'Beat," and How 1t
Was Engineered Conduct
Of the Naughty Castilian.
for the Indianapolis Journal.

AS / have stated in previous paper, the
American public were never fully acquainted
with the true circumstances attending the sur
render of the privateer Virginius to the Amer
ican government by the Spanish authorities In
Cuba toward the end of November, 1873 fopu-
lar feeling through the country ran SO high
against Spain at that time, IN consequence OF
the general belief that gross and deliberate in
suit had been offered to the American flag, and
that American citizens had been shot down in
Cuba without even the mockery Of trial, while
the Spanish government kept up a pretense of
official negotiation in the premises that had
the real facts in the case been known the efforts
Of the authorities at Washington for peace
full settlement OF the difficulty without loss of
American prestige in the eyes of the world
must have gone to naught, and war between
the two countries have been precpitated Some,
at least, of the New York special correspondents
who were on the ground WERE to my per-
sonal knowledge, fully posted as to the wanton
Insult offered to the United States in the man
ner in which the yirginius was tardily surren-
dered as nominal act of reparation to our gov
eminent; but it was deemed to be in the interest
of public policy at the time not to publish facts
which now appear in print for the first time,
and which illustrate admirably the pluck and
enterprise of New York newspaper CORE
spondent, Mr.. William Ell. Sullivan, then rep
resentative of the Tribune, and now the part
ner in successful commercial and financial
news agency in Wall street. of which State
Senator John j. Herman is the head.
For the information of those of my readers
who may not be familiar with the details Of the
Virginius affair, which is to-day quoted as one of
the presidents for the Interpretation of our
international laws, it may be stated that the
vessel sailed from the port of New York in the
early part of October. 1873, nominally bound
for Kingston Jamaica AS the events proved,
she had really been fitted up as a privateer by
the Cuban iunta in New York. and had on board
nine American citizens one of whom was
General Ryan, noted Cuban sympathizer and
fiibuster, whose picturesque figure was as famil-
lar as the clock on st Paul's Church to metro
politan newspaperdom of those days. Besides
the Americans there were several British sub
jeets on board, nearly all of whom were Irish
men by birth. She was freghted with arms
and ammunition for the Cuban insurgents, but
she carried the United States flag, and was
regularly registered at the New York custom
house by an American citizen.
On the night of the 31st of October, 1873, a
Spanish war steamer, on the lookout for the
Virginius, from information received through
Spanish agents in New York, sighted the
priyateer, and gave chase. The Virginius was
easily captured by the fast Spanish cruiser.
She had already been foied in an attempt to
land the Ryan party on the Cuban coast, and
whan overtaken by the Spaniard she was making
the best of her way TO the neutral waters of the
island of Jamaica The official announcement
of the capture was not made in Havana until
the morning of Nov. 8, when the news was
flashed to New York. 1t did not create much Of
sensation at first, no one believing that
preston Sahg that the i Insult isnst to the
American flag would be explained away or
atoue0 for in due time. But, hot foot after the
on the high seas. flying the stars and stripes and
making for a neutral port, came the news that
on the 4th of November four of the persons cap
tured on board of her were executed, after sum-
mary and informal process, one of whom was an
old New Yorker, General Ryan; that on the 7th
of November thirty-seven more were shot, amid
the jeering and hooting of crowd of Spaniards,
and that on the Sth sixteen more paid the death
penalty the Spaniards yelling in derision as the
last Of the nine American prisoners received his
death wound.
Then popular resentment against this inhu-
man cruelty and duplicity blazed out all over the
United States, and the fact that among the vic
TINS Of the Spanish atrocty were the innocent
sailors, and even the cabin boys of the Virgin
ius, excited the righteous indignation of the
whole world. 1t was generally believed in this
country that the Spanish government could not
explain its action in the premises, and war was
papers at once made ready to be represented by
special correspondents at the theater of hostil-
tiles. The first step was taken by our govern
ment while popular opinion was at fever heat
It was the opportune sinking of barge loaded
down with coal just in front of the dry dock at
the Brooklyn navy yard, in which a fine Span
ish frigate was undergoing repairs, effectualy
looking her in. The Atlantic feet was
ordered to rendezvous at Key West, and almost
every vessel had a correspondent on board Mr.
Gerald Mckenny was on the Juniata; Mr.. Ed
ward Fox was on the Powhatan, which, by the
way, almost foundered in gale just outside the
Delaware breakwater; Mr. Cowarden was on the
Osspee; Mr Carl KratZ was on the flagship the
Franklin, and Messrs. William III. Stephens and
Michael j. Doyle were at Key West, awaiting
developments. Havana was just then the hot
test spot in the world for Americans and there
were Mr. William FL. Sullivan the representa-
tive of the New York Tribune and Mr. Henry
v. O'Connor the ''speciap of the New York
Herald, who had been sent down to assist the
resident correspondent of that paper, Mr.. Price,
the American consul at Havana, and now the
United States consul at Bordeaux. France
Early in the negotiations with Spain. looking
to the proper reparation for the supposed insult
to flag and the violation of Article vi of our
treaty of 1875 with that power, an incident &C.
CURED at hey west winch gave MT. SULLIVAN
the opportunity he afterward seized of getting a
magnificent beat On all bis brother journalists
at the front and of inscribiag his name the
American newspaper roll Of honor AS result
of the demand of Hamilton Fish, then Secretary
Of State. the Spaniar6s on the 10Th of Novem-
Der stipulated to formally surrender the Vir-
ginus and the survivors of the expedition 1Q2
out Of the 155 who had shipped originally, and
to salute the stars and stripes on the 25th
of December. 1t was agreed, however that
q hafo ha T.
isfactoriy that the Virginus had no right to car
ry the United States flag the salute would be
dispensed with and only disclaimer of any in
tention to insult the American flag should be in
sisted upon. No date was fixed for the sur
render Of the privateer, and the correspondents
were at their wits end to get at the design of
the Spanards in this respect. This went far to-
wards modifying public sentiment in the United
States. where the details of the heroic death OF
General Ryan, who was believed to be a. good
daal &c etaoE riasa than sQlliar