La Salle's Colony in Texas, 1684-1689
Spanish representative at the English court with an invasion of America before the close of 1684. 5 The ill-kept peace between France and Spain negotiated in 1678 came to an end in October, 1683, when the king of Spain was forced to declare war as a protest against the aggressive policy of Louis XIV in Flanders. The renewal of hostilities naturally increased the fears of the Council of the Indies with regard to French ·designs on the Spanish dominions overseas. That these fears were not unfounded is proved by the three proposals of Penalosa of January 18, 1682, January, 1684, and February of the same year. In the former he offered to establish a colony at the mouth of the Rio Bravo, pointing out that from this strategic position the French could advance upon the rich and productive mines of Nueva Vizcaya whenever hostilities warranted it. In the second and third, drawn up after the outbreak of war, he proposed to march straight to Panuco, with a group of filibusters from Santo Domingo, and conquer the entire northern portion of New Spain. It was the king of England, who communicated the latter plans to Ronquillo, the Spanish envoy in London, with a request that Spain should adopt measures immediately to prevent the execution of the design. But before any definite action was taken, peace was again restored by the humiliating truce of Ratisbon, signed on August 15, 1684. 6 La Salle's ,proposals. It was at this critical moment, just as hostilities broke out in October, 1683, that Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, appeared upon the scene. He had just returned to France from Canada, after having succeeded in navigating the Mississippi River to its mouth. This, together with all the territory drained by its tributaries, he had formally claimed for the king of France on April 9, 1682. The event had been the culmination of six years of persistent effort on the part of the great explorer of the Mississippi. The pride with which he said, "I, in virtue of the commission of His Majesty, which I hold in my hand, and which may be seen by all whom it may concern, have taken, and 5 Consultas of the Council of the Indies, May 8, 1681, to August 9, 1684, A . G. /. , /11di/ere11te General (Dunn Transcripts) . The full text has been printed in Fernandez Duro, Diego de Peiialosa, 50-53. 6 The proposals of Peiialosa are published in French in l\Iargry, Decouvertes et Etablissements des Franc;ais, III, 44-55 ; a Spanish translation was published by Fer- nandez Duro, op. cit., 94-105; and an English translation was published in Shea, Tire Expedition of Dfl11 Diego Dio11isio de Peiia/osa . .. The proposals and the danger they represented to Spanish interests were di!ICussed by the Council of the Indies and the /1111/a d.: Gu.-rra on August 9, 1684. A. G. !., /,uti,jerente Gmeral, 147-5-28.
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