to say a few words on the present disastrous position
of the affairs of that Republic.

For the last two years, the city of Monte Video has been besieged by an
army composed almost entirely of Buenos Ayrean troops, commanded by
General Manuel Oribe, the expatriated President of Uruguay, who claims
to be the legal President of the Republic, and whose avowed object is to
overturn the present Government, and to seize on supreme power for
himself, and blockaded by sea by a Buenos Ayrean squadron, commanded by
William Brown, a British subject in the pay of General Rosas. If the
army of General Oribe was composed of Monte Videans, England could have
nothing to say in this matter, as his success would be merely the
substitution of the chief of one native party for another; but this is
not the case. Oribe has neither army, fleet, nor treasures of his own,
and owes every thing to General Rosas as absolutely as if he was a
Buenos Ayrean citizen. To allow him, therefore, to get and to retain
possession of Monte Video, would be to establish the authority of Buenos
Ayres on the east bank of the river as effectually as on the west, and
this I have already shown would be most injurious to the interests of
England, of Brazil, and the other adjoining States, as well as to Monte
Video itself, and to the upper States of the Argentine confederation.

Whatever might be the wishes of General Oribe, it is evident that he
would have no chance of retaining power any longer than he made himself
agreeable to General Rosas. In the city he has a considerable number of
supporters amongst the shopkeepers and a few amongst the merchants, but
in the country, the landed proprietors and gauchos or peasantry are all
opposed to him, and are enrolled in the armies of General Rivera, or his
lieutenants. When President, he was besieged and deposed by this class,
against which the mere townsmen can effect nothing. If he got possession
of the city, he would not be able to raise such a native force as would
sustain him. He must, therefore, retain the Buenos Ayrean army in his
pay, or he could not stir a mile from the walls without being attacked
by the army of Rivera. Hence he would continue in a state of dependence
on General Rosas for many years, if indeed he ever became entirely
independent of him. Thus, it will be seen, that this is not a struggle
to decide whether Oribe or Rivera shall be chief of the Republic, but
whether the Republic shall remain independ