Today, the Sabine River separates Louisiana from Texas, but it once served as the border between the US and Spain, then between the US and Mexico, and then between the US and Texas. In a span of just 28 years, Texas changed hands three times and each time, the United States kept the border "mouth of the river Sabine, in the sea, continuing north, along the western bank of that river, to the 32d degree of latitude; thence, by a line due north, to the degree of latitude where it strikes the Rio Roxo of Nachitoches, or Red River"
The border was first defined in 1818 when John Quincy Adams John Quincy Adams signed and Luis de Onís of Spain signed the Adams-Onis Treaty and the U.S. obtained the territory of Florida. The Sabine River now defined the Southwestern border with Spain. The treaty was ratified in 1821, but in that same year, Mexico had declared Independence from Spain making Mexico are neighbor across the Sabine. Mexico wanted to begin a boundary survey to solidify their claims along the Sabine, but the United States challenged the original terms of the Adams-Onís looking for opportunities to push the border further west. Despite offers from both John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson to purchase Texas, the United States and Mexico signed the Treaty of Limits again confirming the Sabine River north to the Red River as the official border. This upset many in the US who were intent on obtaining new territories including Texas, New Mexico, Upper California and parts of Lower California. Nevertheless, the treaty was ratified and went into full force on April 5, 1832. Just four years later, Texas declared their independence. Texas was not only a sovereign nation, but a nation filled with many Americans who wanted to bring Texas into the United States as a slave state. Texas made a formal proposition to be annexed into the United States, but President Van Buren refused because he believed it would provoke war with Mexico. On April 28, 1838, Texas and the United States signed the Convention of Limits agreeing to the original Adams-Onís Treaty boundary making the Republic of Texas our new neighbor to the west.
In his 1838, State of the Union address, Martin Van Buren only briefly mentioned the Texas-American Boundary Convention and the Convention of Limits that was signed. Looking back, the fight for Texas' independence, the annexation of Texas and the Mexican American war were huge events in American history, but in 1838, discussion of these events was probably not politically beneficial to Martin Van Buren. Afterall, it was Texas America wanted, not a border between two countries.
"A convention for marking that part of the boundary between the United States and the Republic of Texas which extends from the mouth of the Sabine to the Red River was concluded and signed at this city on the 25th of April last. It has since been ratified by both Governments, and seasonable measures will be taken to carry it into effect on the part of the United States.
The application of that Republic for admission into this Union, made in August, 1837, and which was declined for reasons already made known to you, has been formally withdrawn, as will appear from the accompanying copy of the note of the minister plenipotentiary of Texas, which was presented to the Secretary of State on the occasion of the exchange of the ratifications of the convention above mentioned."
Mexico had not yet recognized Texas as an independent nation and claimed that this new treaty violated the Treaty of Limits, but the treaty remained in effect until 1845 when Texas was annexed into the United States. The Sabine River now was nothing more than a border between two friendly states. Ultimately, the war with Mexico would be fought over a border, but at the Rio Grande not the Sabine.
References
"Second Annual Message." Second Annual Message | The American Presidency Project, 3 Dec. 1838, https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/second-annual-message-4
http://www.emersonkent.com/historic_documents/adams_onis_treaty_1819_transcript_english.htm
https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/1b903547c88947cea8e1327d873028a3
https://www.stateoftheunionhistory.com/2018/10/1829-andrew-jackson-recalling-joel.html
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