But  it  was  not  successful  and  the  war  contin
ued  for  ten  years.  The  American  people  were
deeply  interested  in  the  progress  of  the  war,
and  our  Government  offered  to  put  an  end  to
the  strife  by  purchasing  the  island ;  but  Spain
refused  to  sell  it.  In  1873  an  event  occurred


THE   SPANISH   WAR  355

that  led  the  Americans  to  take  a  more  vital
interest  in  the  matter.  The  Virginius,  an
American  merchant  vessel,  was  captured  by
the  Spanish  man-of-war  Tornado  on  the  high
seas  near  Jamaica,  the  ground  being  that  she
intended  furnishing  men  and  munitions  for  the
Cuban  insurgents.  The  captain  and  a  num
ber  of  the  crew  were  shot.  A  war  feeling  in
the  United  States  soon  rose ;  but  the  Spanish
authorities  were  prompt  to  make  ample  repa
ration,  and  the  matter  was  dropped.  The
rebellion  continued,  and  Spain,  after  spending
millions  of  dollars  and  finding  herself  wholly
unable  to  suppress  it,  promised  the  Cubans
the  reforms  for  which  they  had  fought.  The
insurgents  accepted  the  offer  and  laid  down
their  arms ;  but  scarcely  had  they  done  this
when  Spain  violated  every  promise  and  re
sumed  the  government  of  the  island  with  the
same  tyrannical  hand  as  before.
