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.