J. H. MANDEVILLE.

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(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._

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_August 26th._--I received late last night your letter of the 24th.
I really have not time to do more than