The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-28
GENERAL GRANTS PLAN.
What He Proposed to Do at the Time
of the Virginius Affair.

New York Letter in Philadelphia Press.
All of the authorities upon international
law and some of the military men have
spoken of the Virginius affair, believing
that the situation then was far more crit
ical than it is now or perhaps than it is
likely to become. Public Indignation was at
a fiercer heat then than is the case to-day.
There was no question as to the fact.
Spain had taken vessel which was flying
the American flag, and had, with charac-
teristic Spanish cruelty, executed some of
those whom it found upon that vessel, and
would probably have executed all had not
the commander of British war ship
threatened. in the name of humanity, to
lombard the Cuban town into whose har-
Dor the Virginius was brought unless the
atrocities ceased. Spain claimed the right
in self-defense to take this vessel as it was
carrying a filihustering expedition. Our
governments claim was that, with the
ception of pirate ship, the American flag
gave full protection to vessel upon the
high seas.
We were nearer war then than we have
ever been excepting upon the eve of the
actual outbreak of hostilities General
Grant who was then President had quick
ly formulated his plans of operations. 1t
was magnificent in its conception. Few
knew of it then, and it had been almost
forgotten until the Maine disaster brought
it to the recollection of some of those who
ere active in affairs at thatstime. General
Grant did not propose, as many presumed
would be the case, to make an attack upon
Cuba or to await the advance of the Span
iards upon the United States.
He proposed to organize an army of $4,000
men. He had them; trained veterans of the
civil war, who would have responded in
stantly to the call for volunteers 1t was
his purpose to send them by the swiftest
ships he could obtain to the nearest Spanish
port, debark them there and march almost
at double quick to Madrid and capture
the capital of SPAIN and he had a general
upon whom he had perfect reliance for the
perfect success of that expedition, Phil
Sheridan.
The resources OF diplomacy however,
were sufficient to avert the calamity of war.
Our government yielded as much as this,
that if 1t were established that the Vir-
gnius, being on an unlawful expedition, had
no right to fly the American flag, then an
apology would not be demanded of Spain
nor damages. That point was yielded.
Spain did not apologize but she delivered
up the Virginius to our government and
thus with little yielding on both sides the
complication was ended.
But there were no disputes as to the re-
sponsibiity of Spain for the capture of the
Virginius that it was an act Of the
Spanish government itself.
In the present case there is dispute, or
rather there is uncertainty or complete
ignorance, as to the nature of the causes
of the disaster, and even after they are dis
covered there may still be doubts as to the
responsibility. For that reason it is re-
garded that the Maine disaster is less likely
TO create complications which can only be
ended by war than was the cause OF the
VirginiuS capture.