Observations on the Present State of the Affairs of the River Plate

If I were to ask the British naval officer on this station to land his men and garrison Monte Video, or prevent any power blockading the port, (which in my opinion, you may rely upon it, will never be done by General Rosas), he would laugh at me, unless I could show that I had positive orders from my Government to require it of him.

To make a declaration to this effect to General Rosas, without having the means of carrying it into execution, would be only exposing myself to ridicule, and my future communications to this Government as unworthy of belief.

And as it is unnecessary, unless you require it, that I should put these reasons, for not acceding to what you demand, in an official note, I have answered it word for word, as the Comte de Lurde has informed me he has done, by simply acknowledging the receipt of it, thus privately stating to you my reasons for so doing.

Believe me, my dear M. de Vidal, always and faithfully,

    Your sincere Friend,
    J. H. MANDEVILLE.

(PRIVATE.)

    Buenos Ayres, August 25th, 1842.

My M. de Vidal, – I have to thank you for your letter of the 15th instant, and for the information you gave me in it with regard to Ellauri's proceedings in London, and to the assurances made to him by Lord Aberdeen of his determination to put an end to the war. His, M. Ellauri's project of a treaty rather surprises me, considering that he was unauthorized by you to propose it, but I suppose Republican Ministers take upon themselves a little more in their negotiations than we Ministers of Monarchs, at all events I hope that they will send me an outline of it from the Foreign Office, as I am very anxious to see what M. Ellauri would have liked to have had.

You may rely upon it, my dear M. de Vidal, that in spite of all your opposers and enemies may say, your confidence in the mediation has not been vain and groundless: Count de Lurde and I are determined to uphold the respectability of the mediation, but we must wait until it be rejected before other measures can be taken.

Yesterday the mediation was formally proposed by M. de Lurde, and by me to Don Felipe de Arana on the part of our respective Sovereigns, and supported by arguments which seemed to make an impression on the Minister. He, of course, could give neither answer nor opinion upon the proposal, and I do not think it very likely that we shall obtain one before the departure of the packet which is fixed for the day after to-morrow.

The picture you give me of the state of your armies in Entre Rios, leaves you little to apprehend. – A private letter from a friend of mine in the Foreign Office says, "By the accounts from Monte Video, we expect to receive by the next packet a demand from the Buenos Ayrean Government to defend it from the troops of General Rivera."

Be assured, my dear M. de Vidal, that I will leave no opportunity neglected to write to you whenever I have any thing to communicate worth your knowing, and that I am always,

    Your sincere and faithful Friend,
    J. H. MANDEVILLE.

To his Excellency M. de Vidal, &c. &c. &c.

August 26th.– I received late last night your letter of the 24th. I really have not time to do more than thank you for it by this opportunity.

    J. H. M.

(PRIVATE.)

    Buenos Ayres, October 19th, 1842.

My dear M. de Vidal, – I received by the last packet a letter from Mr. Hood, a part of which I will communicate to you, as I think it right that you should be literally and truly informed of what is going at the Foreign Office, in London, between Lord Aberdeen and M. Ellauri, on the subject of negociation, with respect to a treaty of commerce.

Mr. Hood says "I am employed modifying the treaty and talking Ellauri into acquiescence to our views. Yesterday, (August 2nd), we had an interview with Lord Canning, and during it I heard that he said he would not hesitate to sign the treaty as now prepared. If it should come to a bargain, I think it may be very likely that the Foreign Office may wish me to take it out to get ratified."

Now, my dear friend, tell me, if you can, how is it possible for M. Ellauri to sign and conclude a treaty, or even to say that he will, unless he has full powers to do so? I am confident that he has neither one nor the other, because you told me he has not, but still it is so very extraordinary his whole conduct that I should like if possible to have it explained.

I had a discourse the other day with a gentleman on the right of the Government of the Republic of Uruguay and this country, to expel any foreigner from their territory, at their pleasure. I know that it is never done but under very grave circumstances; but what I contended for was, the power and the right they possess to do so.

I suppose you have not written to me lately because I did not answer your letter of the 20th ult., but if you have no other, it does not resemble you. Always, my dear M. de Vidal,

    Sincerely yours,
    J. H. MANDEVILLE.

(PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL.)

    Buenos Ayres, October 20th, 1842.

My dear M. de Vidal, – I have not before acknowledged the receipt of your letter of the 20th of last month, for until now I have had nothing to communicate to you that was worth the trouble of taking your time to read.

I am greatly pained by the sad termination of Count de Lurde's and my most strenuous efforts, as far as argument and persuasion could go, to induce the Buenos Ayrean Government to listen to the dictates of sound policy as well as of humanity and accept the mediation of Great Britain and France to put an end to the war. It will grievously disappoint the great expectations of her Majesty's Government, but for which disappointment from my previous dispatches they will be, in a great measure, prepared.

I have set Messrs. Ball and Diehl to work to copy the answer, that no time may be lost in communicating it to you, and I shall send down the Cockatrice with it the moment it is done.

Believe me, my dear M. de Vidal,

    Always your sincere faithful Friend,
    J. H. MANDEVILLE.

To his Excellency D. Antonino de Vidal, &c. &c.

P.S. – Although I transmit this document to you officially, as I feel it my duty to do, I would rather that it be not published until we have the resolution of the Sala. In Europe, these papers are never published until some time after they have been delivered, which we consider as by far the best mode of conduct.

    J. H. M.
    Buenos Ayres, October 26th, 1842

My dear M. de Vidal, – Neither you nor I were, nor could be surprised at the wretchedness of our negociation, or rather of M. de Lurde's and my attempt to make this Government accept the mediation of Great Britain and France, to put an end to the war, and I am happy to think that when I was last at Monte Video, I prepared her Majesty's Government for this result.

I feel the greatest pleasure to find that my unceasing efforts to obtain the acceptance by the Buenos Ayrean Government of our joint mediation have satisfied you. I can conscientiously say that I have done every thing in my power to make it succeed.

Of course I never meant but that the note should be immediately communicated to the Government, all I requested, and in which I was sure your own discernment and good feelings would make you concur in, was, that it should not be published until it has come out here.

I observe, in all your letters, you write mediation for mediators, as applicable to my expressions.

"My words in one of my preceding letters were, that your reliance on the mediators should not be vain or unfounded." This you have seen and can rely upon. I never hoped or gave you reason to hope that the mediation would be successful, but the results, according to my opinion and belief, (I am no prophet to predict), will not be vain nor illusory. The feelings of the British Government (and as you tell me Lord Aberdeen has himself said) towards the Banda Oriental will be very different since the conclusion of a treaty between it and great Britain to what they were before.

Believe me, my dear M. de Vidal,

    Always your sincere and faithful Friend,
    J. H. MANDEVILLE.

To his Excellency M. de Vidal, &c. &c. &c.

    Buenos Ayres, November 28th, 1842.

Sir, – I have the honour to transmit to your Excellency a copy of the note from the Buenos Ayrean Minister for Foreign Affairs, transmitting to me the resolution of the Chamber upon the correspondence between me and the French Minister on one part, and M. Arana on the other, upon the subject of the mediation which was transmitted to the Chamber for its consideration, and a decree which it has issued.

Thus, notwithstanding all my efforts, the Buenos Ayrean Government still continues to refuse her Majesty's mediation, and persist in a war not justified by any national object.

I have the honour to be with the highest consideration, Sir,

    Your Excellency's most obedient humble Servant,
    J. H. MANDEVILLE.