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(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,