Observations on the Present State of the Affairs of the River Plate

The independence of Uruguay becomes a question of trade and diplomatic responsibility in Thomas Baines's political pamphlet. Writing in 1845, he calls for England and France to intervene in the conflict between Buenos Ayres and Uruguay. His argument connects the defence of Monte Video with access to the River Plate and the interests of merchants, especially those trading through Liverpool.

Baines explains the regional balance involving Brazil, the Argentine Confederation and Uruguay, using earlier blockades and export figures to show the stakes for overseas commerce. Letters from the British minister, J. H. Mandeville, bring diplomatic exchanges into the discussion, covering an armistice, anticipated naval support and relations with Uruguay's government. Readers can examine both a forceful case for intervention and the documents used to support it. The pamphlet reveals how one advocate tied a country's independence to commercial policy and the responsibilities of powerful governments.