The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 85, July 1981 - April, 1982 Page: 302
497 p. : ill. (some col.), maps, ports. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Southzuestern Historical Quarterly
29, 1845, Texas was accepted as one of the United States. The reasons
for the prince's departure were of a financial nature. Meusebach, who
was named as his successor on February 24, 1845, arrived in New
Braunfels in April, 1845, after the prince had already left. The com-
plete disorder of the financial situation compelled Meusebach to set
out immediately in pursuit of the prince. What is more, Meusebach
found Prince Solms in Galveston, being held on a writ of attachment
by several of the Society's anxious creditors. Meusebach had to pur-
chase the prince's release with the Society's funds, which he had
brought with him for the immigrants' support and sustenance.'l
The prince did not have enough money to supply all the original
needs of the settlers, let alone the new demands that were brought to
him daily. These conditions were enough to drive him from the colo-
ny. Moreover, the immigrants' troubles seemed to increase every day.
Consequently, it was the financial distress of the colony that the prince
was fleeing when he left Texas so abruptly.
Incidentally, the fact that New Braunfels supported annexation by
the Union, as did all of Texas, can be explained by the uncertainty of
the Republic's relationship with Mexico. Mexico had never recognized
the new Republic and was, in fact, preparing for a war to reclaim the
territory. All efforts by Texas to persuade France and England to in-
tercede for recognition [of the Republic] by the Mexican government
had failed. If there were a war, it would last for years, for Mexico was
a powerful enemy. If Mexico invaded Texas after such lengthy prepa-
rations, the western portions of the Republic would probably be lost
without any effective resistance. The French colonists under Castro
and the Society's German colonists would have to withstand the brunt
of this first attack until the Republic could summon a strong army of
volunteers from the United States.52
5lMeusebach did not arrive in Callshafen (later Indianola) until May 8. The next day
he set out on horseback with Ludwig Wilke, the local agent of the Society, to ride the
165 miles to the new settlement. Meusebach arrived in New Braunfels a few days after
the departure of the prince, probably around May 20o. King, John O. Meusebach, 52-54.
MA, 11. (von Rosenberg's note)
52Von Rosenberg apparently did not realize that representatives of England and, to
some extent, France had exerted considerable diplomatic pressure to induce Mexico to
recognize the independence of Texas, and that British diplomats had secured the desired
treaty in May, 1845. Also, Anson Jones, unlike his predecessors in the presidency, was
opposed to annexation and stalled the annexation activities in hopes that the decrease in
danger from Mexico resulting from a treaty with that country might undercut the an-
nexation moves. News of the U.S. government's approval of annexation reached Texas
in April, 1845. Charles Bankhead, British minister to Mexico, negotiated and secured
the "Document containing a full acceptance on the part of the President of this Republick302
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 85, July 1981 - April, 1982, periodical, 1981/1982; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101208/m1/348/: accessed May 3, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.