Buenos Aires chafed under certain customs restrictions on her exports to the rest of the nation, and in 1859, under the leadership of Mitre, Buenos Aires attacked the confederation of provinces established by the congress at Santa Fé. As in 1820, Cepeda again marked the defeat of Buenos Aires at the hands of the federalists, although Mitre managed to save the army of Buenos Aires. With the mediation of Paraguay, a peace was patched up between the warring elements. Buenos Aires became a member of the Confederation, and her customs houses were put in the control of the federal government, and in 1860, Derqui succeeded Urquiza as president. In the meanwhile, troubles in the province of San Luis led to friction once more between Buenos Aires and the federalists. The rupture became open when Buenos Aires sent deputies elected according to local law and not according to the Constitution, and sent them to the congress convened by Derqui. Buenos Aires was declared in state of siege, and at Pavón, in 1861, Mitre led the forces of the capital to victory. The many wars had tired the nation, and all the provinces willingly gave Mitre the power to convoke a congress to settle all differences. This congress met on the 2d of May, 1862, and it was agreed that the city of Buenos Aires should be the seat of the federal government, as well as of the province of Buenos Aires itself. The election of Mitre to the presidency marked the beginning of a period of prosperity and solidarity for the country. BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES =López y Planes= (=Vicente=), an Argentine poet, was born in Buenos Aires in 1784. He served as a volunteer during the English invasions and wrote a rhymed chronicle of the events of that stirring period. In 1810 he was attached to the Army of the North as secretary to its general, Ortiz de Ocampo, and took an active part in all the great movements of the Revolutionary Era. At the foundation of the University of Buenos Aires, he became the organizer and director of classical studies. He was the founder of the Bureau of Statistics and President of the Republic in 1827. Until 1852 he was the president of the Supreme Court. After the battle of Caseros, General Urquiza intrusted to him the organization of a provisional government, and he became governor of the province of Buenos Aires. Though he is best known as the author of the Argentine National Hymn, he is hardly less to be remembered for the many services he rendered his country in various official capacities from the time of the founding of the Republic to his death in 1856.