The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 6, July 1902 - April, 1903 Page: 99
401 p. : ill. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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The Southwest Boundary of Texas.
mouth of the Aransas and follow it up to its source; and from
there, it ought to continue in a straight line, until it meets with the
river Medina, where it is joined to the San Antonio; following
then by the eastern margin of the same Medina as far as its source,
it ought to terminate in the boundaries of Chihuahua."
A point to note with reference to the above boundary, is that the
information upon which it is based is obtained from the authorities
of the State. At that time it was well known that Texas was anx-
ious for separate statehood, and no Mexican authorities would be
likely to extend her limits more widely than was absolutely neces-
sary. Still it is well to observe that the boundary, as reported by
Almonte, does not differ materially from that laid down in the
royal cedula of 1805 and in other sources quoted.
During this period the attention of foreign writers is turned
toward Texas, and a few make mention of its boundaries. Arthur
Bertrand speaks of the Nueces as forming a part of the western
boundary of Texas and of separating it from Coahuila. A French
writer reviewing Mary Austin Holley's Observations quotes from
that author the fact that Texas is bounded "on the west, by the
river Nueces, which separates it from Tamaulipas and from Coa-
huila."' These excerpts, as well as the report of Almonte, seem
to indicate that the Medina was gradually losing, at least in the
popular mind, its distinction as the boundary line between Texas
and Coahuila. The Nueces was beginning to serve as the north-
east limit for both Tamaulipas and Coahuila. Later, in their con-
tention with the American government, the Mexican authorities
claimed only to this river.
From this time on the march of events is rapid. The early days
of 1836 behold the declaration of independence by the Texans, the
massacres of the Alamo and of Goliad, and the battle of San Ja-
cinto. The Texan settlers had exercised the Anglo-Saxon privilege
of revolting, and with an unusual measure of success. The victori-
ous leaders took advantage of the presence of so important a cap-
1Docum entos Para la Historia de Meico, 4th series, V 22. When one
remembers that, at that time, Chihuahua extended far to the east of the
Rio Grande, there is nothing peculiar in the terminus of the above bound-
ary.
2Bulletin de la Soci6t de Geographie, vol. 8, Paris, 1827. Printed in
Documentos para la Historia de Mewico, 1st series, vol. I.
'Ibid., 1833, in Docunlentos, etc., 2nd series, vol. VI.
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Texas State Historical Association. The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 6, July 1902 - April, 1903, periodical, 1903; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101028/m1/103/: accessed May 5, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.