his most private dealings with black people, he encountered situations where paternalism would have been, for many whites, the only response imaginable. Phillips was, after all, well known throughout the North for his wealth and his willingness to befriend the oppressed. Obscure blacks facing desperate circumstances therefore turned to him for money and often sought his direct intervention. Invariably, he responded with great compassion and generosity, remaining sensitive to his supplicants’ feelings as well as to their needs.
