PRECURSOR TO THE TREATY OF LIMITS
240. ONÍS, Luis de. Memoir upon the
Negotiations Between Spain and the United States of
America, Which led to the Treaty of 1819, with a
Statistical Notice of that Country...Translated from the
Spanish, with Notes, by Tobias Watkins. Washington: E.
De Krafft, Printer, 1821. 152 pp. 8vo, new navy blue levant
morocco over dark brown cloth, spine with raised bands and
gilt lettering. Last signature with light uniform browning,
else very fine.
Rare.
Second edition in English, revised and enlarged. The first
edition was in Spanish and appeared at Madrid in 1820 (that
edition in 2 volumes is a great rarity, particularly Vol.
2). A Mexican edition, also in Spanish, came out in 1826.
In 1821 an edition in English with only Part One was
published, omitting all the documents in the appendix
except the Treaty of Limits. The present edition includes
material omitted from the Baltimore edition. Eberstadt
162:580: "Negotiations which lead to the Treaty of
1819...one of the important documents in Texas, [Louisiana
and Florida] history." American Imprints Inventory
6349. Howes O98: "Official correspondence concerning
the Floridas and the disputed western boundary of
Louisiana." Raines, p. 160. Sabin 57356. Streeter, Texas
1079c.
This volume contains the negotiations that led to the
Treaty of Limits, which established the Sabine boundary
that had been rendered invalid with the change of
sovereignty when Mexico achieved its independence. By the
Treaty of Limits, Spain ceded to the United States both
Floridas, including its claim to Alabama and Mississippi,
and the United States agreed to accept the Sabine River as
the Texas boundary. The Treaty also established Texas
definitely as part of Mexico and opened the way for
colonizing Texas through contracts with the Mexican
government. The Treaty also set the border of the Louisiana
purchase to be all the way to the Pacific Ocean, which
strengthened the United States position in regard to Oregon
and presaged the opening of the Santa Fe Trail. These
negotiations were epochal for the future of the United
States, Florida, Louisiana, and Texas.
($750-1,500)