The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 17, July 1913 - April, 1914 Page: 177
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The LouisianawTexas Frontier
from their standpoint, and thought that the Spaniards should give
an immediate answer to each proposition advanced. Instead Ceval-
los discussed the Mobile Act, paid his respects to those who were
responsible for the furore over suspending the deposit at New Or-
leans, and applied to West Florida the Spanish interpretation of the
confusing three clauses in the Treaty of San Idlefonso. In protest-
ing against this delay, Monroe and his colleague formally re-
quested Cevallos to give them a definite statement in regard to the
boundaries of Louisiana and a possible neutral zone, and they both
sent long letters detailing their lack of success to their home gov-
ernment and to the American minister in Paris. At the same time
Monroe showed his distrust of Armstrong by writing to. his friend
Skipwith, and charging him to watch the situation it the French
court, but to keep the other from knowing of his action. To both
he directed requests for maps and papers to be used in discussing
the western boundary. He had expected to obtain them in Madrid
but had not found anything of value. In his letters to Armstrong
he vacillated between an independent policy that should cause
European nations to respect the UTnited States and a willingness
to gain French support by some minor concessions in regard to
commercial claims and the western boundary. He intimated that
the administration was willing to prolong the period during which
the territory between the Colorado and the Bravo was to remain
neutral, or even to make the Colorado the permanent boundary.
These terms, however, were not to. be divulged to the French author-
ities, unless it was absolutely necessary, and they must not be per-
mitted to dictate. Manifestly he could hope to gain nothing from
such a one-sided offer, but his uncertain course and his failure to
break off the negotiation at one or two critical points did as little
to strengthen his cause in either place.24
In his interview with Godoy on February 16, Monroe asked if
Spain would cede the Floridas. The other replied in the affirma-
tive, provided there should be an equivalent cession west of the
Mississippi, but he did not wish to assume the responsibility of
arranging for this. Godoy suggested that river as an excellent nat-
ural boundary, but Monroe insisted upon the Colorado. The other
thought this came too near their Mexican settlements and believed
""Letters to and from Monroe," February 10, February 15, March 1,
1805. MSS., Lenox Branch, N. Y. Public Library; Spanish Despatches,
VIII; Am. State Papers, For. Rel., II, 641-644.177
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 17, July 1913 - April, 1914, periodical, 1914; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101061/m1/181/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.