The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 41, July 1937 - April, 1938 Page: 203
383 p. : maps ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Almonte's Inspection of Texas in 1884
the people and gave him a degree of authority in correcting
boundary disputes adverse to Mexico, as well as the belief that
Mexico was indifferent in regard to her frontier. One American
faction actually contended that the Neches instead of the Sabine
was the true boundary, basing its amazing argument on the tra-
dition that the Neches had been called the Sabine in earlier days
because the sabine [cypress] trees abounded on its banks, whereas
none of those trees were to be found on the banks of the Sabine in
1834. Therefore, the Neches was the true Sabine I Another faction,
however, opposed this attitude because it endangered land titles
held under Mexico. 11
The dissatisfaction with the treaty boundary between the two
republics which Almonte had encountered in Natchitoches was
even more noticeable in Nacogdoches upon his arrival there on
April 27, 1834. More credence was daily being given to the
rumor that new negotiations were to be entered into, in which
case the pretensions of the United States would be advanced to
the Neches River. This fear of possible territorial encroachment
led Almonte to recommend that a weekly mail service be estab-
lished between Nacogdoches and the Sabine, to connect with that
already being operated by the United States between the Sabine
and Natchitoches. Commercial as well as political gains would
result, but the greatest advantage of all would be the facility
with which authentic news could be transmitted, thus counter-
acting the erroneous reports that were constantly being circulated
among the lower classes by political malcontents.12
A more cheerful aspect of the situation was encountered where
it was least expected. Almonte was astonished at the state of
abandonment in which he found the frontier and considered it
surprising that land speculators had not realized their project of
separation from Mexico. After the enforced withdrawal of Colonel
Piedras in January, 1832, following the Velasco episode, Colonel
Pedro Elias Bean was the sole person with military authority
remaining in Nacogdoches, and "only his good offices and pres-
tige . . . conserved order in this part of our territory in which
a soldier has not been seen for almost two years." That was
11Almonte to Secretary of Foreign Relations, April 13, 1834, ibid., No. 11.
12Almonte to Secretary of Foreign Relations, May 4, 1834, ibid., No. 16;
same to the same, May 20, 1834, ibid., No. 21.203
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 41, July 1937 - April, 1938, periodical, 1938; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101103/m1/225/: accessed April 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.