The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 1, July 1897 - April, 1898 Page: 12

12 Texas Historical Association Quarterly.
policy, on the part of Spain, of taking possession of what had, then,
become known as Texas.
The establishment of missions, presidios and settlements was
then undertaken on a scale sufficient to insure Spanish dominion
over the entire territory of Texas.
In the establishment of these settlements, due regard was had to
the rights of France to Louisiana, by fixing the most easterly Span-
ish settlement at Adaes, about twenty miles west of the most west-
erly French settlement at Natchitoches. As that settlement was on
the east bank of the Red river, the Spanish authorities located
Adaes near the junction of several small streams which united and
formed a tributary of Red river, and thus laid the foundation for a
claim to all the Red river watershed on the west and south, and
subsequently asserted their claim to the main stream of that river.
Shortly after these occurrences, a war broke out between the two
nations, and French troops took advantage of the opportunity to
invade Texas and drive the Spaniards west of Trinity river. The
latter soon re-established their settlements, strengthening that at
Adaes so as to be prepared for any further encroachments by the
French. A peace was shortly afterwards declared, but the French
declined to entirely give up the territory, and insisted upon having
the Rio Grande as the western boundary of their claim, basing their
right upon the discovery and attempted settlement on Matagorda
bay by La Salle in 1685. Since the conquest of Cortez in 1521,
Spain's dominion on the coast had not extended farther north than
the Panuco river, and the French contended that as the Rio Grande
was the middle distance between that river and Matagorda bay, the
boundary of France properly extended to that river. No serious ef-
fort, however, was made to maintain that claim. Matters remained
in status quo between Natchitoches and Adaes until 1735, when the
French moved their settlement from the east to the west side of
Red river, several miles nearer Adaes. This action met with little
opposition beyond a protest from the Spanish commandant at
Adaes.
The opposing claims stood thus, each nation successfully resist-
ing the further advance of the other, until 1762, when Louisiana
was ceded to Spain by France. As this cession mentioned nothing
as to the boundary between Louisiana and Texas, it remained un-
settled until 1819. In 1800, Louisiana was retroceded to France,