180 REVOLUTION AT BUENOS AVRES. 



ly looking at an old passport : and at length I was 

 not a little pleased to find myself within the city. 

 This revolution was supported by scarcely any 

 pretext of grievances : but in a state which, in the 

 course of nine months (from February to October, 

 1820), underwent fifteen changes in its government 

 — each governor, according to the constitution, be- 

 ing elected for three years — it would be very un- 

 reasonable to ask for pretexts. In this case, a par- 

 ty of men — who, being attached to Rosas, were 

 disgusted with the governor Balcarce — to the num- 

 ber of seventy, left the city, and with the cry of 

 Rosas the whole country took arms. The city was 

 then blockaded — no provisions, cattle, or horses 

 were allowed to enter ; besides this, there was only 

 a little skirmishing, and a few men daily killed. 

 The outside party well knew that by stopping the 

 supply of meat they would certainly be victorious. 

 General Rosas could not have known of this rising ; 

 but it appears to be quite consonant with the jilans 

 of his party. A year ago he was elected governor, 

 but he refused it, unless the Sala would also confer 

 on him extraordinary powers. This was refused, 

 and since then his party have shown that no other 

 governor can keep his place. The warfare on both 

 sides was avowedly protracted till it was possible 

 to hear from Rosas. A note arrived a few days 

 after I left Buenos Ayres, which stated that the 

 General disapproved of peace having been broken, 

 but that he thought the outside party had justice 

 on their side. On the bare reception of this, the 

 Governor, ministers, and part of the militaiy, to the 

 number of some hundreds, fled from the city. The 

 rebels entered, elected a new governor, and were 

 paid for their services to the number of 5500 men. 

 From these proceedings, it was clear that Rosas 

 ultimately would become the dictator : to the term 



