The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-05-17
INTERESTING TO ALL TEXANS.

The proposed st. Louis exposition to
commemorate the Louisiana purchase has
thrown publicists and historians into an
Interesting discussion on the question
OF whether Texas was part Of that trans
action. Taking hand in the interesting
controversy the Denver Post says:
Texas has never been considered a part
of the Louisiana purchase until OF late. II
has always been regarded ms Spanish terri
tory but that does not seem consistent with
history. Tho territory now known as Texas
was discovered and settled by the French
under LA Sale. who landed near tho en-
trance of Matagorda bay IN 1886. At that
time tho nearest Spanish settlement was in
the neighborhood OF Tainpico."
Yoakums history presents the facts
thus:
Tho Standards had not yet penetrated east
OF the Rio Grande. To La Sale. Texas was
part OF Louisiana. He had discovered the
mouth of the Mississippi. had planted n
colony and stocked 1t with domestic AMI
mails. and by all the rules of national law
% call II SO part OF Louisiana 1t was
French by right OF discovery and 10 Spain
1t was completely unknown at that time.
To the above the Dallas News adds the
following conclusive facts:
This claim was maintained among others
by Pinkey and Monroe in a letter TO the
| Spanish minister OF foreign affairs in 1905
and by John Quincy Adams then secretary
OF state. in 1878. The same opinion was on
tertained by Jefferson. Madison. Livingston.
Jackson and Van Buren,.
Senator Culberson has also submitted
a strong argument In further elaboration
of the historical fact that Texas was a
part Of tho Louisiana purchase, He fol-
lows the familiar facts of La Sales ex-
ploratlon of the Mississippi to It's mouth
in 1852 at which time the French ex-
plorer took possession, in the name OF
his king, Louis XIV of France, OF the
vast drainage area OF that river OF the
settlement Of Texas three years later
In the Louisiana purchase, which was
| temporarily granted to Crozat in 1712
| by Louis XIV; that Texas was embraced
| in the Louisiana ceded by France to Spain
in 1863, which. at the expiration OF the
seven years war. or in 1900, was in turn
retroceded by Spain to France-the lat
ter country selling it to the United States
in 1903.
Now comes additional light on the sub
ject, In the following contribution to the
mass of testimony to show that Texas
was a part OF the Louisiana purchase
negotiated by Eonaparte with Jefferson,
from the Globe-Democrat:
! Talleyrand pretended after tho sale OF the
territory was made TO the United States that
| tho boundaries were IN doubt and that he did
not know whether II included West Florida
on tho east or went as far as the present
Texas on the west. But TRlleyrand wanted
! the controversy to be kept up between the
United states and Spain which this uncer-
tainty OF boundary caused. He dlsliked Spain,
and he was jealous OF the United States. There
is conclusive evidence, but II was not learned
until few years ago, that both France and
Spain knew that Texas was part OF Louisiana,
and, therefore, part OF the territory whlUh
the United Statos bought. pecres, BonRparte 3
minister OF marine, In the instructions which
he drew UP for the guidance Of Victor the
general who was 70 take possession OF Louis
lana after Spain retroceded it to France in
1900. made this point plain.
Tho oStcnt Of Louisiana" declared Decres,
lis we'll determined on the south by the gulf
OF Mexico But bounded on the west by tue
river called the Rio Bravo. from its mouth to
about the thirtieth parallel, the line Of demar-
! cation stops after reaching this point. and
there seems never 20 have heen any agree
ment In regard to this part OF the frontier.
| Tho farther We 90 northward the more unde-
cided Is the boundary. This part OF America
contains little more than unnhabited forests
or Indian tribes. and the necessity OF fixing
n boundary has never yet been felt there ="
! This settles all controversy about Texas and
! Louisiana. Louisiana's westerly boundary was
the Rio Bravo. or Rio Grande. and conse-
quently Texas was in t. France transferred
Texas to Spain with the rest OF Louisiana
] in l762, Texas was conveyed back TO France
I by Spain In the retrooession .of Louisiana in
1900. Texas formed part OF the territory
which Jefferson bought in 1903. This was
clearly understood by both France and Spain
all the time, as Is shown by these secret
Instructions recently found In the French ar
chiTes, giveu by Bonaparte's minister OF ma
1 ine TO the French commander who. II was
designed, was 10 take possession OF Louisiana
after France got II back from Spain In 1900.
but who was prevented by many circum-
stances from going 10 that territory The
unitee States as part OF the price paid for
Florida. surrendered Its claim TO Texas In the
treaty OF 1919 with Spain, by which the west
erly line OF Louisiana was placed at the sa-
oino river, ana wns not regained until the
annexation OF 1876, but Texas was part OF
Louisiana along until 1919, was In Il when
Jenerson bought Louisiana. and OF course
| IS right In claiming share in the honor OF
being part OF the empire which Jefferson
ADDED ninety-seven years ago 10 the domain
The foregoing discussion Is OF deem IN
terest to Texaps and a valuable contrl-
button in historical data which should re
at once inspiration and guide 10 the his
tory writer's OF Texas,