Slowly adding to my WIP I came across this from a  letter to the Gerhardts
(whom he sponsored to art training in Paris for a few  years), which speaks
to
Sam's convictions about blacks and responsibilities  toward them in 1883,
and
fits into our recent threads on racism and Sam Clemens'  attitudes about
race.

After referring to a comment that Hattie (Josephine)  Gerhardt had made
about
Charles Ethan Porter going "to the dogs," Sam observed  that no details had
been offered and said this about how to judge colored  persons:

(The MTP transcript of letter is all caps, as the  original was typed)

1 and 3 May 1883 - Hartford

...
"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 hi shead 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].
---
This in 1883 would be just about right.  I  wonder, though, today, how many
whites would ascribe to a 9/10ths "guilt" in  such cases? What fraction, if
any, would you hold, assuming you're white?

Sam sent Porter to Europe with a letter of  recommendation (Nov 7, 1881);
I've looked for further proof of financial  assistance, but have not yet
found
it.  Sam & Livy, as in the case of  the Gerhardts, likely paid his passage
and
perhaps some further support.  Porter's artwork may be seen online. He died
in
1923 after surviving on  door-to-door sales of his artwork.