The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-01-12
N respectfully, yours,
JOHN ii. CLARK,
L. S. Commissioner.


Extract from "Trcaty of limits be-
tween the United States of America
and the United Mexican States"
concluded and signed, February %.
1919, and confirmed April 3, 1882:
"Article 1.-THE boundary line
between two countries, west of the
Mississippi, shall begin on the Gulf
of Mexico, at the mouth of the
river Sabine, in the sea, continuing
north along the western bank of
that river to the SD degree of lati-
tude; thence by a line due
north, to the degree of lati-
tude where it strikes the Rio Roxo
or Nachitoches, or Red River; then,
following the course of the Rio
Roxo westward, to the degree of
longitude 100, west from London
and % from Washington, then cross
ing the said Red River, and
running thence, by a line due
north, to the Arkansas; thence
following the course of the southern
bank of the Arkansas to its source, in
latitude AZ north and thence, by that
parallel of latitude, to the South Sea.
The whole being, as laid down in
Melish's map of the United States,
published at Philadelphia, improved
to the first of January 1918. But if
the source of the Arkansas River
shall be found to fall north or south
of latitude AZ. then the line shall run
from the said source, due south or
north, as the case may be, till it
meets the said parallel of latitude
AZ; and thence, along the said par
allel, to the South Sea. All the
islands in the Sabine, and the said
Red and Arkansas rivers, through
out the course thus described, to be-
long to the United States, but the
use of the waters, and navigation of
the Sabine to the sea, and of the
said rivers RoXO and Arkansas,
throughout the extent of said boun-
dary on their respective banks, shall
be common to the respective lnhabit-
ants of both nations.
The following,letter, of a recent
date, will add much light to the
preceding:
BROWNSVILLE, TEX Nov. %, 81.
Col. John M. Swisher, Austin, Texas:
MY DEAR COLONEL Your favor
of the seventeenth instant, with en-
closed circular, is received, and i'll
reply thereto l have to state that on
the 9th of April, 1860, 1 was ap-
pointed by the governor of Texas,
Gen. Sam Houston, as commissioner
representing the state of Texas in
the boundary survey, which had
commenced in the year 1858. That,
on April 28, 1860, Governor Houston
issued written instructions as to the
course 1 should pursue in regard to
the disputed point as to which of
| the forks of Red river was the
main Rio Roxo. These instructions
are positive that l should insist
on the north fork, as being the
main Rio Roxo, as called for in Me-
lish's map referred to in the treaty,
and that l should claim it as the
boundary of Texas. The governor
also mentioned the fact that Capt.
Marcy treated the north fork as
Red RIVER. and the south fork as the
Ke-che-ah-qui-ho-no. or Prairie-dog-
town-river, in his survey in 1852
On June 9, 1860, on arriving at the
point where the one-hundredth me-
ridian intersects the Canadian river,
about seven miles west of Ante
lope Hills, l addressed a note to
the United States commissioner, in
forming him that should at once
take up the one-hundredth meridian
at that point and trace it southwark
to its intersection with the north OF
main prong of Red River and that
would mark such point as the south
e stern limit of the 'Panhandleo oi
Texas, in which l invited his CO
operation.
On the next day 1 received the re
ply of the United States commits
sioner stating that during the last
year the one hundreth meridian wa