El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-06-13
THE vIR6INIUs AT SANTIAGO.
A Spanish Crime of Twenty-Five
Years AGO.

Since the Spanish feet has been bot
tied up in the harbor of Santiago de
Cuba frequent illusions have been
made both by public men and the
press to the historic "Virginius affair"
which, in 1870. almost caused . war
between the United States and Spain.
There WAS . tremendous excitement
aroused in this country, and it occa-
stoned . long and diplomatic cores
pondence.
The Virginius, . ship registered in
the New York custom house Septem
Dor %, 1870, ~ the property of an
American citizen, was captured on the
high seas near Jamaica, by the Span
ish man-of-wsr Tornado, on October
81, 1873. The reason given was that
she Was about to land men and arms
in Cuba, which WAS then engaged in
the Ten Years war against Spain. At
the time of its capture the Virginius
was flying the American flag. She
WAS taken to Santiago.
President Grant at once remonstrat-
ed with the Spanish government, and
through the United States minister to
Spain, General Daniel E. Sickles, de-
manded the release of the Virginius
and her crew.
Spain WAS at that time q republic,
under President CASTELAR,, and while
his government was asking for time to
obtain Information and was making
promises, tho authorities in Cuba de-
termined to take matters into their
own hands. On November Z, 1873, the
captain of the Virginius, Joseph Fry,
and thirty-six of the crew, were
shot.
The next day twelve of the most pro-
minent Of tho passengers were also
shot. Tho captain general of Cuba,
General De Rod IS, directly sanctioned
thess murders.
When the news of this action be-
came known in this country the excite
ment was intense. Meetings were
held, and the bloody work was de-
nounced.
President Grant authorized the put
ting of the navy on . war footing, di-
plomstic relations wore on the point
of severance, and war was imminent.
Meanwhile President CASTELAR, made
the excuse that his orders to stay pro-
ceedipgs were received too late to pre-
vent the crime. IT was probably be-
cause Spain was just starting on her
career IS 3 republic that President
Grant used every effort to adjust the
difficulty through diplomatic means,
and that war was averted.
Several times it seemed that hostili-
General Sickles sent for ship to take
him from Spain. AT last, however, on
Novembe %. protocol was signed
between Secretary Fish and Admiral
Polo, by which Spain agreed to sur
render the survivors of the crew and
passengers of the Virginius, toe ether
with the ship, and to salute the flag
of the United States on December %.
II, however. it should be proved In the
in'erval that the Virginius had no
right to fly the United States flag the
salute should be dispensed with,
though Spain should disclsim any To-
teution to insult the flag. Three days
before the time agreed on Secretary
Fish announced himself as satisfied
that the Virginius had no right to fly
the flag, and the salute was dispensed
with. On January % Admiral Polo
made the disclaimer agreed on.
The Virginius was delivered to the
United States navy at Bahia Honda on
December 16, with the American flag
flying. She was however, unseawOr-
thy, and, snsouutsrinR:a heavy storm