May 1 Tuesday – Sam began a letter from Hartford to Karl & Hattie (“Josie”) Gerhardt, that he finished May 3. Sam questioned Josie about her remark that Charles Ethan Porter had “gone to the dogs,” a remark he said for which “she gave no details.” Porter, a Negro, was to be forgiven sins more than a white person, he said, which says a lot about Sam’s evolution on race matters:

At the same time I must remember, and you must also remember, that on every sin which a colored man commits, the just white man must make a considerable discount, because of the colored man’s antecedents. The heirs of slavery cannot with any sort of justice, be required to be as clear and straight and upright as the heirs of ancient freedom, and besides, whenever a colored man commits an unright action, upon his head is the guilt of only about one tenth of it, and upon your heads and mine and the rest of the white race lies fairly and justly the other nine tenths of the guilt. So, when you have told me all there is to tell about Porter, I shall doubtless judge his case charitably enough [MTP].

Sam also wrote a short reminder to Charles Webster to write his Aunt Ella Lampton. “WHAT DID YOU SAY TO HER?” [MTP].

Sam also wrote to Jenny Sharples, thanking her for an embroidered handkerchief sent.

“I shall not degraded this handkerchief to common uses; I shall take it out only on occasions that be worthy of it; it shall be kept sacred to tears of sorrow shed for lost friends, & tears of joy shed for the destruction of enemies. And for one other occasion—to wave you a welcome when you come to America!” [MTP].