The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 17, July 1913 - April, 1914 Page: 180
454 p. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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The Southwestern Historical Quarterly
ter motive would probably have little weight, for American com-
merce was too, thoroughly exposed to French confiscation. If they
should tempt French. cupidity in the case -of the Floridas, they
might later have to employ the same means in settling the western
boundary. So he thought it wou]d be safer to continue the negotia-
tion and attempt single-handed to extort from Spain some state-
ment on this important subject.
The Spanish authorities had hardly begun to assemble their vast
documentary stores relating to the Texas-Louisiana boundary, so
Cevallos probably had little definite knowledge to guide him in the
hastily prepared memoir that he submitted. He reviewed the
rights of Spain, based upon the early entra.das in Texas, and
claimed that the pretensions of the United States were founded
upon irresponsible French voyages and explorations, and the grant
of Louis XIV to, Crozat. This grant had never been acknowledged
by Spain. After this general review of their respective claims he
expressed his idea of the extent of Texas, the crucial area in deter-
mining the western limits of Louisiana. In this he closely follows
the dictum of Talleyrand. The advanced settlements of each nation
were Natchitoches and Adaes; therefore the dividing line between
Louisiana and Texas should run southward to the gulf, between
these two places, following the watershed that separated the Cal-
casieu and the Mermentou. To the north, beyond the Red River,
the boundary was wholly uncertain and commissioners should be
appointed by each nation to present their respective claims and
effect a final settlement. Spain had already appointed her com-
missioners, who were at New Orleans awaiting similar action by
the United States.
Monroe was disappointed both in the character and content of
the memoir that he had finally wrung from the reluctant Cevallos.
The brief historical review of Spanish claims to Texas had left him
more firmly convinced than ever of the strength, if not the justice,
of the American claim to the same region. On the other hand, he
had expected from Cevallos some definite propositions that might
form the basis for a treaty and he was uncertain whether to de-
mand such or answer the other's arguments. His definite move,
however, was to ask for the recall of Casa Yrujo, and he did this
with the greater pleasure, for he thought that the Spanish min-
ister, by emphasizing the peaceful dispositions of the American peo-180
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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/m1/184/: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.