All this happened in 1869, and for almost a year Arango had been living under Spanish protection. Suddenly, in April, 1870, the Spanish authorities caused the report to be circulated that Arango had surrendered himself to them, bringing with him a large force of Cubans, who had declared their allegiance to Spain, and the Spanish Government in Cuba cited this as an indication of the weakness of the patriots, and as an augury of their approaching dissolution and of the ultimate triumph of Spain. As a matter of fact, Arango had always been a trouble maker and a potential traitor; he had been characterized by one Cuban officer as a "poor, despised, worthless creature," and it is needless to say that the whole story was false from beginning to end. However, Arango issued a grandiloquent statement, in which he explained his supposed action, and urged the Cuban revolutionists to lay down their arms and follow his example. His open letter to Cuban patriots is to be recalled as one of the curiosities of treason. It ran as follows: "Cubans!" "When Carlos Manuel de Cespedes thought of raising the cry of Independence and expected the other cities of the Island to second him, he received as a reply, from the jurisdiction of Holguin and Puerto Principe, _that they would not support him_; and the Cinco Villas and other towns maintained an attitude of expectancy. Notwithstanding this, Cespedes said that he had no need of the _reminder_ and that he _would pronounce_ on the 14th of October as he did in fact but somewhat in advance of that date. Having so many reasons, as I have, to know the country as well as the character and tendencies of its inhabitants; and also what Spain would do and what was to be _expected of the people_ on the Island; knowing moreover the policy of the United States and the effects as well as the consequences that must follow a revolution especially when it was an _extemporaneous outburst_; and being convinced besides that owing to the heterogeneous nature of our population and to the little _enlightenment_ of the masses, _nothing but extermination_ could be expected for Cuba, I took part in framing the reply given to Cespedes by Puerto Principe, stating that _since he took pains to carry out so wicked an idea, he should not be seconded by us_; and _we made him responsible_ before posterity for the evils which he was about to bring on Cuba.