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receive our pay from those Indians who have had the identical property which we owe for?

Will the malicious and dishonest <u>knave</u> who slanders us by <u>secret</u> letters or through the newspapers, <u>explain</u> this also? or is it enough for his purpose to sell only half the story, and that half, as <u>false as hell</u>?

I have laboured hard all my life and am now making every exertion, in the face of strong & powerfull competition in this business to obtain our just dues, so we can pay our debts & quit this much abused & persecuted business.

It is not the Indian, but the trader (who takes valuable supplies into their country) who stands most in need of aid & protection.

These tribes have for seven years past had here in the West, all the benefit resulting from this violent strife & competition between Mssrs P. Chouteau [& Co.?] and our firm. They have had our goods for cost, & often less. They have rec<sup>d</sup> always the very highest cent their furs & skins were worth, and not infrequently 50 per ct more than we sold them for afterwards. They have had our property at times when they were suffering for it & when the U.S. owed them nothing & gave them nothing. They make us wait years & years for company <u>without</u> Interest.

This then tells the story, and will explain why you see no one makes money in this trade. 

Many of these emigrated tribes are <u>soured</u> and feel very unkind (secretely, towards the Government,