_Daily Advertiser_ on July 20. It was
entitled "A New Market for Manufactures," and tabulated the
results of his operations in the "shop" during the fifteen
months of its existence so far. Between March, 1862, and
March, 1863, for instance, a population of four hundred and
twelve had spent there $3047; during the months of May and
June, 1863, a population of nine hundred and thirty-three
had spent $3800; the articles bought had included a variety
of dry goods, provisions, hardware, etc., almost all of
which supplied needs entirely new to the blacks. The letter
concluded: "It may readily be seen that a considerable
demand may arise for the articles above-named and others of
kindred nature, when a population of some millions shall be
in a position to apply their earnings to the supply of their
rapidly increasing wants. Should not the manufacturing
interests of the North be awake to this?" This letter,
written for the express purpose of bringing means of
civilization to the blacks, was taken by many Northern
friends of the negro as proof that its writer's motive was
to exploit the black race for the benefit of the white. Of
course, Mr. Philbrick knew perfectly well to what
misconstruction he exposed himself when he told the public
that there was profit to be made on the old plantations. The
following letter was written in reply to a warning from C.
P. W. on this very head.

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

_Boston, Sept. 24._ I don't agree with you about avoiding publicity
for our enterprise. I hold that the pecuniary success we are likely to
meet with is the very best reason why the whole thing should be made
public, for it is the only sort of success which can make our
enterprise a permanent thing and take it off the hands of
philanthropic benevolence, which, though well enough for a spurt, can
never be relied on to civilize the four millions of darkies likely to
be on our hands. If we succeed financially, it will prove that free
labor is self-sustaining, and that the blacks are capable of becoming
a useful laboring class immediately after leaving their masters'
hands, and this fact is of vast importance. If we attempt to keep
quiet, we shall incur with much more justice the accusation of being
mere speculators than if we make the most of our success by bringing
it before the public as a political experiment, of great influence
u