Our Catlzolic Heritage in Texas
territory under dispute, nor would they make any innovations. They were present merely to prevent the invasion of Spanish territory before the permanent boundary was settled by diplomatic negotiation. 107 Determined to provoke an incident, General Wilkinson, upon his arrival in Natchitoches-three and a half months after he had been ordered to proceed to the frontier with all pos- sible haste--addressed a harsh remonstrance, not to Lieutenant Colonel Herrera, but to the bellicose Governor Cordero. He dramatically began by declaring that "peace or war hangs in the balance." He then stated that the territory under dispute must not be occupied until the question was settled by the representatives of the respective Governments. In a grandiose manner he continued, "pending negotiations .. . nothing shall be attempted against his Catholic Majesty's subjects, or territories, by the troops under my command; unless his officers should attempt, as they have already done, to innovate the status quo . . . by occ11pying new ground, or erecting new posts." He then launched into a discussion of the history of the boundary between the two provinces and concluded by saying that Mr. Laussat, the French commissioner who had turned Louisiana over to the United States, had asserted that its western limits extended to the Rio del Norte (the Rio Grande). But the United States had modestly claimed only as far as the Sabine River. He, therefore, demanded the immediate withdrawal of all Spanish forces to the west bank of said river. He explained that he had been commanded by the President of the United States to extend jurisdiction to the Sabine River, for the territory east of this river was "fully within the limits of the country surrendered by France to the United States." Any attempt to disturb the present state of affairs would be considered an actual invasion of American territorial rights. He closed his long epistle with an impas- sioned plea, "Retire, then, Sir, I conjure you, the troops of your com- mand ... and spare the effusion of human blood." 108 Wilkinson's 1'ltimatttm. Cordero replied promptly, regretting his inability to decide the ques- tion. The decision could be reached only by the commandant general, to whom he had forwarded the general's communication by special mes- 101sa1cedo to Governor Claiborne, September 18, 1806. Nacogdodies Arcliives, X, pp. 146-156. 1oawilkinson to Cordero, September 24, 1806. State Papers and Publick Docu- wu,sts, II, 172-17 5. The copy in the Bexar Archives is dated September 23.
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