Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1819-01-02

these important affairs might suffer de-
lay, has been pleased To give me such in
sirucfiens and orders as may enable me
TO adjust with you all pending difference
es between the two gOvernmenis-and
effect The desired arrangement by means
OF dehnitlve treaty. For this purpose
His Majesty gave orders that The docu-
ments and proofs should be transmitted
10 me, which were necessary TO convince
The United States of the unquestiouable
rights of Tie crown of Spain 10 The terri
ieries and waters claimed by your govern
meni as forming AN integral par, of Loul-
sidna. have received a considerable
number oil ile said documents andproots,
and AN examination OF many others Was
taking place IN Spain, which ARE TO be
SEM me-. The result Of this enquiry es-
tablishcd what stated To youth NV notes,
Curing nay late abode at Washington, and
especially in that which addressed 10
von on The twenly-ihrd of March, at
he same period, in answer to that which
received from you OF the ,2th of the
same month, upon all The points in dis
pute. Ii exhibited The ineont:. vcrtibie
series OF facts, from The earlies, period oi
the discoveries, conquest or occupation,
ana the successive establishments OF tie
crown Of Spain, in that part of America,
10 The present day. Ii proved that Spain,
long prior 10 any otlIernation, discovered
FLORIDA: that is, all the vast and beauti
tul country extending from what is now
termed East Florida 10 The Rio Bravo, or
Rio Grande del Norie, which was then
HE boundary otithe kingdom OF Mex
IcO, OF which she was already in peace
able possession. From tie period of
the discovery of Ibis extensive re-
giOn by Ponce de Leon, in 1912, aud
the establishment Gf The first act OF pos
session IN the name OF the crown OF Spain,
repeated and regular expeditions were
formed, composed OF troops, artillery and
every thing necessary for penetrating
throughout HE whole country examining
all its positions from lie coast Of the ipte
rior and all its rivers, creeks and BAYS, redu-
cling The natives, or establishing trade and
friendship with them, aud for occupying
all such places as might appear best cal
cniated to bring and preserve under the
dominion of Spain, the said country,
throughout its whole extent. stated 10
you III my said notes, and am enabled
10 prove II by the most ample documents,
that this was the object of the expeditions
OF Vasquez de Ayllon, in 1920. and of
Panfilo de Narvaez, in 1923. The latter
ebtained from Charles lst of Spain, and
Emperor oi Germany, solemn authority
to7educe the whole country, from the bay
OF Splriiu Sanio, in East Florida, 10 The
river Palmas he arrived i'll the said re-
giOn with a respectable force, and exam
ned II from East To West. Inibi> lie had
been preceded by Francisco de Garay,
who passed through il by land, from the
buy OF Spiriiu Santo 10 Panuco. Her
nandO de Soto was soon aiieru ards APP
pointed Governor General of Florida, the
name then given 10 the whole of Ibis vast
country-he entered it with powerful
force, and repeated tile solemn acts of
taking possession oft III behalf of Spain
The afterwards examined lis extensive
limits, and founded several settlements. u
lie was succeeded in his government by
MOscoso, who continued 10 explore the
country ami extend The setilemenis....
These two first Governors General Of
Florida iraversed and examined il, as
have said, from East 10 West from tile
point or Cape Of thai Florida now called
East Florida, TO the Rio Bravo, crossing
The Mississippi, whIchwas then called the
Falisada, and all The others which empty
into il, or into the Gulf of Mexico. From
that period, Spain has uniformly continued
IN the dominion and possession of all that
country, IN which she successfully found
ed the Province of Cohaguita, The king
dom of New Leon, that OF New Mexico,
&c. also The Province of Texas, which
she has retained until the present time.
IL is an unquestionable fact, and of uni
versal noiorieiy, HAT The whole country
! am now speaking of, was known from
The beginning by thegen raj denomina ion
of Florida, aud included all the coast,
from The point OF Florida. now called
East Florida, 10 the Rio Bravo, and all
the country and The waters oil The Interior:
Of this a full aud uniform proof is afford
ed by The history ahd most respectable
documents OF those times. During the
lapse oftwo centuries, Tie whole of this
vast country was known 10 The nations OF
Europe under no other naHic. Not Only
the Spaniards. but all foreigners, laid II
down IN their maps and charts under THIS
name, aud with tIiesam limits. | might
here cite lie English traveller, Dampierrr,
and several others, who thus drnomiilaie
and lay down ibis beautiful region in their
maps and descriptions but, why should
] not now dwell on wlrai never admitted
OF a doubt or change, until The French
mau, DeIisle, through ignorance, erro-
Heous information OF partial motives, eX-
tended in his idea and map, ilie bounda-
TieS Of French Louisiana to tile Rio Bra
20! THIS error, or extravaganza, has ever
since been adopted 10y all those who have
had az interest ~ supporting the illusion,
or have carelessly or unguardedly copied
the graiuilous suggestions of that geo.
grapher. But as this Is in direct contra
diciiou TO The history Of those early times,
aud tie most unquesiiOnable documents
which establish the contrary. these Chi
mcrIcal aud absurd suggestions are EN-
Titled ionO credit whatever, although they
had becn advanced with great gravity and
| osteniaiiOS.