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Show 422 WESTERN WILDS. Meanwhile great things had happened in Europe, which changed the political map of America. William of Orange, the Champion of Protestantism if he had not been that, we should have thought him a sullen Dutchman had fairly worn out Louis XIV, and made peace with him. But soon after, the lunatic King of Spain died, and all the other lunatics fell to cutting each other's throats about the " balance of power/' that mysterious abstraction which has caused more wholesale murder in modern Europe than all other causes com-bined. The English, Dutch and Germans would not allow the crown of Spain to be bestowed on Philip of Anjou, grandson of Louis XIV, as provided by Philip of Spain, in his so- called will. Hence another bloody war, and a general rearrangement at the treaty of Ryswick. But this left open certain questions between France and Spain ; so they went to war in 1718. The Louisiana French attacked and drove out the Spaniards as far west as Bexar. But the latter soon recovered the country. After a deal of reconnoitering, some sharp fighting, and many brave actions and romantic incidents in Texas, a sort of peace was patched up be-tween France and Spain, and the latter determined to colonize Texas regularly. Soon after, the French handed over Louisiana to the Mississippi Company, then controlled by the notorious John Law, the original " greenbacker " and great " soft money " advocate. Other schemes now occupied the two nations, and their respective colonists had time to attend to legitimate business. In 1728, Spain sent to Texas several families from the Canary Isles, then peopled by a race knoAvn above all Spaniards for rigid adherence to the Catholic Church, domestic purity, and respect for women. Another colony came, com-posed of the original Tlascalans, whom Cortez could not conquer ; they assisted grea'tly in capturing Indios bravos for conversion. But the country was in bad shape. Many dissolute soldiers had been dis-charged there. It invited wanderers and adventurers; and had a bad name as early as 1750. Apache and Comanche raids were frequent, and pirates began to hover along the coast. So in 1745, Texas con-tained no more than 1,500 whites less than in 1722. Mestizoes and " converted Indians" were more numerous. Thence to 1758 there was a dead calm. That year the Indians cap-tured San Saba Mission, and killed every one there. Thenceforward the missions declined. Meanwhile England and France got to fight-ing again ; there was, therefore, a general rectification of boundaries in America, and a new deal all around the board in Europe. France was so weakened by this contest, that in 1762 she ceded Louisiana to |