you lo go to war, do not listen lo them, but let them know that you intend lo bt> peaceable, agreeable to their great father's advice, General Gaines. I would like to know of you if any people have been persuading you lo go lo war, and also if Manuel Flores, or other persons, have been amongst you, and trying to persuade you to go to war. B. The first and second chiefs being present, the first chief replied as follows: We wish lo live in peace with the whites, and do not want to go to war; we wish you lo tell our great chief, General Gaines, we do not wish to go lo war. We respect him, and will follow his advice, and look up to him as our father. We, and all my nation, try to work and do as well for our families as we can, and wish lo be peaceable with all the "whites." We have never fought against the "whites," nor ever had any disposition to do so. We are obliged Lo go to the prairies lo kill buffaloes occasionally to support our families. I wish it to be made known to our great father, that the whiskey-sellers make us miserable by coming among us; by their trading among us they make us very poor. We do not wish lo fight for the Texian or Mexican armies, but be peaceable. What the while people have told you concerning our going lo war or commilling any depredations whatever on the whites is false. Some Indians visited us some time ago from Texas, and invited me lo their country, bul I declined going. I believe they wanted me lo go lo war in their country. My conscience would reproach me very much lo leave my own country, where we were all raised together, to fight against people who never injured us. All of our children have been raised in this country with thf' Americans, and we consider ourseln~s their brothers and best friends, and we lik,~ them vr.ry much. You asked me if :\'lanuel Flores has been amongst us persuading our nation to go lo war: he has not. I met him in the prairies some Lime ago, and he asked m1~to use my influence with the nation, and p1~rsuadc them lo go lo Tf:xas. J told him I would not go.
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