The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 10, July 1906 - April, 1907 Page: 17
ix, 354 p. : ill. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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The Louisiana-Texas Frontier.
occupied by the Ram6n-Saint Denis expedition. 'To this situation,
which involved not merely overthrowing the former French preten-
sions to the country as far as the Rio Grande and New Mexico,
but even presenting a Spanish outpost under the very eyes of the
garrison at Natchitoches, the Frerch court tacitly consented by
issuing orders to maintain the status quo. 'This in a measure may
be regarded as a negative acceptance of the territorial claims of
each, so far as supported by actual settlement.1 The Spanish of-
ficers from the force of Aguayo who had visited the French gar-
rison at Natchitoches had been received with greatest courtesy.2
Although then without definite instructions, the French local com-
mander had promised to observe the peace, while the Spaniards
claimed that the reoccupation of Adaes would not involve a breach
of national faith. Thus the frontier situation rested for a decade
and a half.
The predominant motive for acquiescence in this Spanish occu-
pation was a commercial one. This motive was frankly avowed in
a memoir upon Louisiana prepared by La 1Harpe, probably about
1723.3 The greatest value of the provinces, in his estimation, was
the opportunity they offered for clandestine trade with the neigh-
boring Spanish provinces of "Lastekas," New Mexico, and Nuevo
Leon. It is worthy of note that this frontier officer, who. four years
previously had made so vigorous a defense of the uncertain claim
of his nation to the Rio Grande and to New Mexico, now recog-
nized the new province of Spanish Texas as reaching to the vicinity
of the Red River, near the point established by himself.
Unfortunately, we have no Spanish documents that afford with
equal clearness contemporary reasons for the acquiescence in French
occupation of Louisiana. From writers of a later period4 we may
summarize the following statements. After the War of the Spanish
Succession Spain abandoned its previous hostile attitude toward
France. This was especially apparent in the policy of Philip V, who
adopted a course little in keeping with national honor. It was this
1Historia XLIII, Opusculo I, Par. 65.
2Morfi, Memorias para la Historia de Tdjas, Lib. VI 69. MS., Lenox
Library.
'French, Hist. Coll. La., III 112-115.
4Historia XLIII, Opi soulo I, par. 63-67; Documentos para la Historia
de Mexico, First Series, Vol. XII, Correspondencia entre la Legacion Ex-
traordinaria de Mexico, etc., p. vi.
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Texas State Historical Association. The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 10, July 1906 - April, 1907, periodical, 1907; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101040/m1/25/: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.