The Sun.
London, England, 1847-04-09 00:00:00

THE RIVER PLATE.
The British Packet, of the 9th of January, received
in town on Wednesday, gives as follows the first por-
tion of the message of General Rosas :
MESSAGII TO TILE TWENTY-TOURTII LEGISLATURE.
"To the Honourable Representatives of the Pro-
vince,—l greet you with feelings of the highest com-
placency. In the midst of the rejoicings of the
country and of its national honour, you commence
your august session under the most prosperous
auspices. I congratulate myself upon this happy,
event, which crowns my most ardent wishes and re-
wards your noble sacrifices and those of the nation at
large.
" The abuse of force l'as not prevailed over the
decision and just rights of the Republic. Memorable
and noble events are interwoven with her brilliant
honour. The rude and unjust attacks of her ag-
gressors have been defeated by magnanimous reso-
lutions and the moral opinion of the world. The
position of the country is lofty and noble. Her
valour corresponds with her high virtue and immortal
celebrity. American sympathies have worthily
prho-e
nounced themselves in favour of her cause, d
obtains the just suffrages of the nations of bFthawntonrlstdse.
The Argentine Confederation, by adhering to the
persevering persevering moderation of the Government,
hanced the
strengthened still more her rights aßn
nobleness of her national charhacatbeire.
ny your wisdom
The Om-
you have achieved this irnperis gl ry.
nipotent has enlightened your deliberations, and re-
wards your noble virtues. The Confederation, free
and victorious, is safe from national dishonour by the
invincible firmness of her patrotism.. Her armies
fresh and glorious triumphs. The
have achieved
Confederate Governments and people ardently defend
dignity and independence, by the tran-
the national
quit and decided co-operation of their will, their he-
oic valour, and their armies. The enormity and
sandal
of an infamous treason overwhelms the ruth-
less Unitarians. I present to you, respectfully, the
homage of my prot.und acknowledgment ; and I
congratulate you with unmingled satisfaction. In
such happy and honourable results I recognise the
visible protection of the Almighty, and offer to Him
the tribute of my most humble and fervent gratitude.
"Assembled by the will and confidence of the peo-
ple you are going to deliberate on the public affairs. I
humbly submit the acts of my administration to your
sovereign decision.
" DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS.

" The Government solicitously cultivates the re-.
• litions of the Confederation with friendly states.
Those which it loyally maintained with the Govern-
ments of Great Britain and France still continue un-
interrupted. The latter have, with a tendency to the
re-establishment of peace, signified a change in their
policy. The Government has reciprocated it with
estimation.
" In my last messages I informed you of the at-
tacks made on the independence and honour of the
Confederation by Commodore Jobu B. Purvis, in
tommand oflier Britannic Majesty's naval forces, and
that his supercession by Sir Thomas Sabine Pasley
did-not alter so deplorable a situation.
" Subsequently the Government of her Britannic
Majesty confided the command of the River Plate
station to Rear-Admiral inglefield. The latter has
exceeded the injustice of his predecessors and aggra-
vated still more the offences offered to the Confe-
deration.

" I regret to say that the answer given by her
Britannic Majesty's Government to the remonstrance
made by the Argentine Minister at the Court of
London, in conformity with the orders of the Govern-
ment, of which I informed you in my previous mes•
sage, has not been agreeable either to the principles
of the law of nations, or to the stipulations of the
treaty existing between the Confederation and Great
Britain. The Argentine Minister demanded his
passport, and sustained the rights and honour of the
republic uninjured and untarnished.
"In that state of things, the hope which the Go-
vernment had been inspired with from the official
'lecFarations, the magnanimity and rectitude of her
Majesty, and the honour of the British people were
realised. Owing to this gratifying motive, the Ar-
gentine Minister suspended his departure from the
Court of London.
" It has been satisfactory to the Government to
evince to her Britannic Majesty its constant disposi-
tion to re-establish the relations of both countries on
their former footing of cordial friendship, without
detracting from the national independence and honour.
" The Government of her Majesty set at liberty
various Argentine prisoners, and that of the republic
has made a suitable return for that act of benevolent
moderation.
" The Government perseveres in sustaining the
perfect rights of sovereignty of the Confederation
over the Falkland Islands.
" Repeated attacks against the sovereign rights of
the republic, committed on the Patagonian coasts
and on the Huano islands, by merchant vessels under
the flag of friendly nations, particularly that of Great
Britain, have seriously called the attention of Go-
vernment. It devotes to this important subject that
preferent attention which it merits, in order to pre-
serve and maintain the prerogatives of the national
sovereignty and independence.
" It is with concern the Government informs you
that in the answer given by that of his Majesty the
King of the French to the remonstrance made by the
Argentine Minister to the Court of Paris, in com-
pliance with the orders of Government, of which I
informed you in my previous message, the laws of
international justice have net been regarded, nor the
persevering loyalty reciprocated with which the Go-
vernment of the Confederation preserves the relations
of peace and friendship re-established by the Confe-
deration of 1840.
"The Argentine Minister demanded his passports,
and upheld the dignity and independence of the Con-
federation. The high rectitude of his Majesty the
King of the French, in which the Government so
justly confided, subsequently presented to the Argen-
tine Minister gratifying motives for delaying his
departure from the Court of Paris.
"It has been pleasing to the Government to respond
with the most benevolent friendship—the rights and
honour of the nation saved—to the just and benevo-
lent spirit manifested by the Government of his
Majesty the Xing of the French.
" Rear-Admiral Leine' Commander-in-Chief of
the naval forces of his Majesty in the River Plate,
has continued uninterruptedly a series of unjustifiable
attacks against the dignity and independence of the Re-
public, with which he has aggravated still more his
former offences
"The Government has been solicitous to remove
every motive of complication with those of France
and Great Britain. At the time when the confede-
rate army, under the command of General Jose de
Urquiza, entered victoriously into the province of
Corrientes, the Government made a protest to the
Ministers of Great Britain and France against any
acts of the Anglo-French naval forces, tending to co-
operate with the ruthless Unitarians, or in any
manner to aid them. And it declared t them that,
in such case of assault on the part of those Ministers,
it would necessarily make just and adequate reprisals.
"An unheard-of and outrageous event occurred in
the port of Ensenada. Several merchant vessels which
were loading there, where they entered' when it was
not blockaded by any Anglo French naval forces,
were burnt and plundered. This deed, which is re-
probated by the public law of nations, committed to
the disparagement of the elevation of the Govern-
ments of his Majesty the King of the French and of
her Britannic Majesty, in the presence of their
Ministers Plenipotentiary, imperiously obliged the
Government to make a pretest to the Ministers
against so great an abuse of force and all its conse-
quences. It adopted measures with a view to avoid
its repetition, and, in order to curb the actors, it &-
eared that they rendered themselves liable to the con
•
dign puuishment which the law of nalons prescribed
in such extreme cases. The Ministers, in their answer
were led away bye lamentable and irreconcilable spirit
of inhumanity against the Republic. Denying the
justice of the protest of the Government, they declared
they- would not receive any fresh communication
which should not have the pac;6cation of the Plata
for its object, with the previous clause of the evacua-
tion of the Oriental territory by the Argentine
auxiliary divisions. And they indiscreetly descended
so far as to accept a distorted fact trumped up by the
mendacious press of Monte Video in regard to the
death of an English officer, a mate, occasioned in the
port of Atalaya, by his own unjustifiable attack and
imprudent proceeding.
" By these means, which are prescribed by civiliza-
tion and humanity, they protracted irelefinitely the
war and the unjust aggressions of the Anglo-French
naval forces, at the same time that the Minister of
Foreign Affairs of her Britannic Majesty was havin
at the court of London important and friendly ex lag
P-
nations with the Argentine Minister. In the course
of these, he declared to the latter that the Govern-
ment of her Britannic Majesty felt disposed to termi-
nate amicably, in a manner satisfactory and honour-
able to both countries, the existing differences, taking
as a basis the minutes which the Argentine Govern-
ment had confidently transmitted to Viscount de
Mareuil, Chargé d'Affaires of France, in consequence
of a private and confidential invitation from the latter,
and which were rejected by the Ministers of Great
Britain and France in Monte Video.
"At that very time several conferences were taking*
place between the Minister of Foreign Affairs of his
Majesty the King of the French and the Argentine
Minister in Paris. The Government is sorry to an
nounce to you, that although courteous and benevo-
lent, the explanations of his Majesty's Minister were
not so explicit as those given by her Britannic
Ma-
jesty's Minister to the Argentine Minister in London.
" It was about that period that the ringleader Ri-
vera returned again to figure amongst the degraded
op pressers of the unfortunate city of Monte Video.
The b°°'i
scenes which were there enacted on the
rival iof ' ala t odious criminal have scandalised the
Id. A44l°-
French naval forces have afforded
wor