The San Francisco call., 1898-02-23

ment over the QeStruCtlOn or the Maine and the death of more than half of her brave crew recalls to my mind most vividly certain events which took place on the Atlantic shore a quarter of a centuE.r ago.
 To most of the young men of the present reference to ''the Virginius affair" means very little. It was, as events proved merely an incident in ous history, and has been given very little space in the printed records of our past. To the American men, young and old, however, who were alive in 1873, that incident" meant much, and for a time it seemed as if the country, just recovering as 1t was from the effects of an internecine war, was to be forced by her excited and rfghteously angered people into sudden and retributive conflict with the same kingdom against which our hearts are now up in arms.
 The story can be briefly told: The Cuban insurrection, begun October 10. 1868, by 12S men under the leadership of Charles M. de Cespedes, had endured for just five years of varying fortunes for the opposing forces, when the steamer Virginius, regularly docu- mented American vessel under com mand of Captain Frey of New Orleans, was captured by the Spaniards just outside Jamaica in neutral waters and the 1S3 men who comprised her officers, crew and passengers were made pris- oners of war. Of these unfortunates fifty-three were executed, or rather, butchered, almost immediately in the Io shot down by detachment of soldiers, and their still palpitating bodies trampled on by cavalry and run over by military wagons, after which their heads were hacked off and carried through the town on spikes.
 Such revoltingly cruel acts were in themselves sufficient to arouse the in dignation of a civilized country, but when it was known that 35 of the vic tims-some of them beardless boys whose love of adventure alone had lur- ed them from home-were bona fide citizens of the United States, tidal wave of outraged feeling swept over the entire land. Though every section of the country was reused by the news of the dreadful tragedy the real storm center was the city of New York. The headquarters of the Cuban junta were there, which insured direct and con- stant communication with the unhap- py island, and the fact that a number of the butchered men were former resi- dents of New York and Brooklyn made the horror of the affair felt there with special keenness.
 When the news first came it seemed as if every man in the vicinity of New York harbor went wild. Business of all kinds was neglected and the streets were full of excited men in groups and crowds, talking together, reading the bulletins, or listening to the impromp- tu speakers reviewing the situation and urging the remedy. And the only remedy that was suggested during those days of furious and unreasoning indignation was war. That we could whip Spain with one hand tied be- hind us" was the universal opinion publicly and loudly expressed. Print ing House Square was packed with people feverishly waiting for addi- tional details from Cuba and news from Washington, and the vicinity of the Herald office, then situated at the corner of Broadway and Ann street was so densely crowded that 1t was al- most impossible for the omnibuses to make their way up and down.
 Anonymous posters and handbills speedily made their appearance sum- moning all citizens to a mass meeting at Cooper Institute, and on the night appointed that immense hall was damned and at least a score of "over- flow meetings" were held elsewhere. half dozen being organized in the im- mediate vicinity of the hall. To facili- tate matters all foreigners in attend ance were segregated and asked to go to different localities, where they were addressed by orators speaking their special language, and messengers were constantly sent from the main body in the institute to these meetings to keep them informed of all that took place there
 The outcome of this immense gather ing was message to the President from the citizens of New York and vii cinity offering to furnish both men and money to begin and carry on an ag gressive campaign against Spain on sea and shore. and asking only the Govern ment's sanction.
 As soon as this message was sent preparations for war began in earnest among us. Recruiting offices were opened in various parts of the city and provisional enlistment was general. All classes were represented in the enroll ment lists, war veterans, professional and business men, and mechanics and laborers. All were eager to help wipe out the insult offered to their country and avenge the undeserved deaths suffered by their countrymen.
 l was young fellow then, with wide acquaintance in the sister cities. It took me just two days to raise