453.  Election of 1872.—­In fact, this condition of the public service made many persons doubtful of the wisdom of reelecting President Grant.  There was not the slightest doubt as to Grant’s personal honesty.  There were grave doubts as to his judgment in making appointments.  Reconstruction, too, did not seem to be restoring peace and prosperity to the South.  For these reasons many voters left the Republican party.  They called themselves Liberal Republicans and nominated Horace Greeley for President.  He had been one of the most outspoken opponents of slavery.  The Democrats could find no better candidate, so they, too, nominated Greeley.  But many Democrats could not bring themselves to vote for him.  They left their party for the moment and nominated a third candidate.  The result of all this confusion was the reelection of Grant.  But the Democrats elected a majority of the House of Representatives.

[Illustration:  THE HEART OF MODERN CHICAGO.]

[Sidenote:  Rebellion in Cuba, 1867.]

[Sidenote:  Spanish cruelty.]

[Sidenote:  The Virginius affair.]

[Sidenote:  Spanish promises end rebellion, 1877.]

454.  The Cuban Rebellion, 1867-77.—­When the other Spanish-American colonies won their independence (p. 223), Cuba remained true to Spain.  But by 1867 the Cubans could no longer bear the hardships of Spanish rule.  They rebelled and for ten years fought for freedom.  The Spaniards burned whole villages because they thought the inhabitants favored the rebels.  They even threatened to kill all Cuban men found away from their homes.  This cruelty aroused the sympathy of the Americans.  Expeditions sailed from the United States to help the Cubans, although the government did everything it could to prevent their departure.  One of these vessels carrying aid to the Cubans was named the Virginius.  The Spaniards captured her, carried her to Santiago, and killed forty-six of her crew.  There came near being a war with Spain over this affair.  But the Spaniards apologized and saluted the American flag.  In 1877 President Grant made up his mind that the war had lasted long enough.  He adopted a severe tone toward Spain.  The Spanish government made terms with the rebels, and the rebellion came to an end.

[Sidenote:  The Credit Mobilier.]

[Sidenote:  The Whiskey Ring.]

455.  Scandals in Political Life.—­In 1872 the House of Representatives made a searching inquiry into the charges of bribery in connection with the building of the Pacific railroads.  Oakes Ames of Massachusetts was the head of a company called the “Credit Mobilier.”  This company had been formed to build the Union Pacific Railway.  Fearing that Congress would pass laws that might hurt the enterprise, Ames gave stock in the company to members of Congress.  But nothing definite could be proved against any members, and the matter dropped.  Soon after the beginning of Grant’s second term, many evil things came to light.  One of these was the Whiskey Ring, which defrauded the government of large sums of money with the aid of the government officials.  Grant wished to have a thorough investigation, and said, “Let no guilty man escape.”  The worst case of all, perhaps, was that of W. W. Belknap, Secretary of War.  But he escaped punishment by resigning.