which
their labor and proved capacity have given them." To these
three accusations Mr. Philbrick made reply in two letters.
First, as to the auction-sales, he agreed "that the good
faith of the Government should have been kept in regard to
the promised homesteads, however we may differ in opinion as
to the expediency of making the promise at this time."
Second, as to his scale of wages, he maintained that, on his
plantations, "whenever the amount of work done in a day
approaches the standard of a day's work in the North, the
wages also approach the limit of Northern wages, under
similar conditions."[161] Third, as to his alleged promise
to sell his land to negroes at cost, he said, "I am not
aware that I have ever committed myself to any definite
plans for disposing of this land; for I have not been able
to digest or mature any plan satisfactory to myself."[162]

There is nothing vital in these two letters of Mr.
Philbrick's which is new to the reader of these pages. They
are based on his firm belief that it was no kindness to the
negro to make discriminations in his favor.

Mr. Philbrick's message to his superintendents about the
increased pay demanded by 'Siah and Pompey, and his advice
to W. C. G. in the matter of corn planted between the rows
of cotton were as follows:

E. S. P. TO W. C. G.

_Boston, May 18._ I have already written expressing my assent to the
rise of wages at any time when you shall all agree, and also write C.
P. W. to-day that I should at any time assent to any change in the
management, sustained by the unanimous approval of the corps upon the
spot, without waiting to hear from me. You can avail yourself of the
change to get rid of the corn in cotton-fields. I hope you will not
pull it up yourself. I think such a step would lose more in dignity
than you would gain in consistency of purpose. We must expect these
people will take any undue advantage of us they think they can do with
impunity, but I think such cases can be more readily reached through
their pocket nerves than their moral sensibilities. Moreover, it is
always better to do nothing in which we should not be sustained by the
authorities, whose tender sympathies are not always judicious, as you
know. I would not allow a hill of corn in the cotton-field, _i. e._, I
would not pay the extra price till it is pulled up.

The next letter sh