The Gentleman Sett
John Brown and Owen Brown returned home after achieving all the goals they had set for their trip to Mississippi.
They had delivered a massive shock to the South and sent a clear message to the enslaved: those who overstep their bounds deserve to be sent to their graves. It was a result that left nothing more to be desired.
Owen was overflowing with enthusiasm, claiming he would spread baseball throughout the North after receiving personal training from Leo and Ben. It was certainly true that this upright, straight-laced young man was better suited for promoting baseball—a sport that put Black people at the forefront—than for the radical liberation movements favored by John Brown.
Deep down, it seemed John Brown himself preferred his son to head in that direction as well.
For my part, I had managed to reap a tidy profit from this incident, so this collaboration could be called a perfect win-win.
But the world is a place of thesis, antithesis, and synthesis; if there is someone who gains, there is naturally someone who loses.
If I, John Brown, and the slaves who escaped Duncan Skinner’s tyranny were the winners, the losers were naturally the original owner of Cedar Grove and Alexander Parer, who was managing the property.
“Aaaargh! John Brown! That bastard! What kind of grudge could he possibly have against me!”
The overseer was dead, no replacements could be found, and the slaves on the plantation were no longer trustworthy. Could one really say there was a zero-percent chance that one of them might snap and harm their overseer or master?
Naturally, suspicion poured in from all sides, and the original owner, suffering from extreme stress, begged Parer to dispose of the plantation. He simply wanted to liquidate his assets, move to the Upper South, and live without worry on a stable wheat farm.
However, no matter how low the price dropped, no buyer stepped forward to take over the plantation, which was driving Parer to the brink of madness.
“...Senator, has the culprit still not been caught?”
“Sigh... That is correct. Not only the Governor, but members of both the Senate and the House of Representatives are stepping up to urge a stricter investigation, but... we haven’t even found a trace of the culprit.”
“Too much time has passed. In fact, by now, they could have fled anywhere in the Union.”
The American landmass was vast, to say the least. If they were determined, crossing the border to escape into Canada or Mexico wouldn't be difficult. Unlike 21st-century South Korea, which was essentially an island nation, in this era of America, if you didn't catch the culprit in the early stages, it was safe to assume they were gone for good.
Not to mention, they hadn't even identified the culprit yet.
“No, but isn't it obvious that John Brown is the culprit? Just investigating John Brown's movements should be enough to put him behind bars.”
“I requested an investigation, of course, but they say John Brown was performing pastoral duties in Ohio. He was even spotted in Cincinnati a few days ago.”
As soon as the incident broke out, every passenger ship on the Mississippi River had been thoroughly inspected, so there was no way John Brown could have traveled upriver to Cincinnati. Besides, they said at least ten slaves had vanished from Cedar Grove; how could he have boarded a passenger ship with them in tow?
“Then does that mean John Brown has no connection to this incident?”
“Impossible. Even if John Brown didn't come down here himself, it is clear that he is the core of the organization called the Free Arrow.”
As expected, no one in the club, not even the government officials, suspected that John Brown had escaped using the cargo ships that planters loved so much. Moreover, the members gathered here were all large-scale planters, so they all felt a sense of camaraderie and were genuinely sympathizing with Senator Parer.
However, sympathy was one thing.
Reality was another.
“So, I was wondering... is there anyone here interested in acquiring the Cedar Grove plantation?”
“......”
“...Ahem.”
“My financial situation is unfortunately not very good at the moment.”
Not a single person stepped forward to acquire a plantation targeted by John Brown’s organization.
***
The mood of Alexander Parer, a Mississippi State Senator, had plummeted from heaven to hell overnight. He had gathered the club members and successfully stirred up public opinion for the creation of a horse racing tournament led by Natchez, Mississippi—something he had wanted for so long. In particular, the unexpected bonus was that James Sett, who was enjoying peak popularity in the South, had expressed his enthusiastic support.
Even at such a young age, he was a man overflowing with the dignity of a Southern cotton aristocrat. When such young blood personally stepped forward to lead the investment in prize money, how could the older planters just sit still? Everyone promised their sponsorship, and the club was abuzz with the expectation that the largest horse racing tournament in the Union would be held by next year.
But the good atmosphere ended right there. Parer, who had returned home late at night after drafting detailed plans, dropped his proposal for the Natchez Stakes to the floor the next day upon hearing the news of Duncan’s death.
“Immediately! Find the culprit immediately! If the slaves started a rebellion, it's an automatic death sentence, and if those Northerners are involved, indict them at once!”
“Senator, it seems the culprits have already vanished. They say it's impossible to catch their trail.”
“Senator! Mrs. Clarissa Sharp, the owner of Cedar Grove, says she wants you, as the trustee, to take responsibility and dispose of the property.”
“Senator, the Governor says that since this happened on a plantation you manage, he expects you to share detailed information...”
“Senator, there’s a call from the White House...”
It was a nightmare. Alexander Parer momentarily pondered if he had done anything to earn a grudge from John Brown. But then he realized, wasn't that insane man like a buffalo that charged at any slave owner on sight? It wouldn't be strange at all for him to hate Parer, a large-scale planter and a member of a prestigious horse racing club.
“I will definitely find evidence that that bastard was involved in this incident. And I will make him rot in prison for the rest of his life.”
“Senator, but shouldn't we dispose of the Cedar Grove plantation first? If we wait, the price will drop even further.”
“Ugh...”
In fact, Senator Parer had been managing several plantations in Mississippi, leveraging his reputation as a prominent legal scholar. The side income from this was significant enough that he couldn't afford to ignore it, making this incident particularly critical for him. To put it bluntly, if he couldn't properly dispose of Cedar Grove and the plantation went under, who would ever entrust him with management again? Furthermore, losing the favor of his fellow planters would make reelection difficult.
“I have to sell this somehow... or should I acquire it myself?”
But while he could sell it to someone else, if he, the trustee, were to buy it himself, he couldn't exactly lowball the price. He would have to buy it at nearly the full price, and buying a distressed asset like Cedar Grove, whose value had hit rock bottom, at full price made no sense.
“For now, I can try to drive down the price of the land as much as possible, but the slaves have to be sold at a high price...”
“But Senator, if people hear they are slaves from Cedar Grove, no one will want to buy them. They are already offering less than a quarter of the price...”
“Are you insane... a quarter?”
Curses spilled out, but it wasn't as if he didn't understand. Even if no one had been punished as a ringleader yet, the incident that had just occurred was clearly akin to a slave rebellion. There might even be someone hiding within the plantation who had helped murder the overseer. What kind of idiot would want to pay a high price to take slaves from such a place? Slaves who had already tasted rebellion were notoriously difficult to control, and if things went wrong, it could have a negative ripple effect on their own plantations. Most people would likely take the stance that unless they were desperately short on labor, they would rather not buy them at all.
As expected, he had sounded out people in the club who might have an interest in acquiring them, but no one showed a positive reaction. No, there were even some who seemed to be avoiding conversation with him altogether. He couldn't blame them, as he would have done the same if the roles were reversed, but that didn't make the sting any less painful.
But then, at that very moment.
“I have no choice. If no one else is willing to acquire it, I will take on the burden.”
“James Sett? Are... are you serious?”
“Yes. My heart ached when such a horrific accident occurred at a place where I was in charge of improving plantation management. Because of this, I wanted to relieve a little of the burden on your heart, Senator, as you are someone I respect.”
“Oh... Oh my. My goodness, I am so grateful.”
No matter how much people talked about moral responsibility, planters were the type of people who hated nothing more than money leaving their own wallets. Even if the price of Cedar Grove was plummeting daily, anyone would find it burdensome to acquire a plantation of that scale, which had 90 slaves working on it. Alexander Parer carefully asked this savior, who had appeared like a comet, trying not to look like he was applying too much pressure.
“What kind of acquisition price are you thinking of?”
Originally, before this incident, the fair value of Cedar Grove was at least $100,000. But now, no one would buy it even at half that price, $50,000. It was a perfectly distressed asset, targeted by Northern radicals and potentially harboring rebellious slaves. By Parer's calculation, he had hoped someone might buy it if it dropped to around $20,000. But if it came to that, he would have to compensate the original owner, Mrs. Sharp, at least $20,000 to $30,000. Naturally, even for Parer, who owned 250 slaves, coming up with that kind of money immediately was difficult. If Sett offered $30,000, Senator Parer would have been willing to shed tears of joy and kiss his cheeks.
“How about $40,000?”
“Wha... what? $40,000?”
“Yes. However, even for me, paying $40,000 at once is too much of a burden, so I would like to pay in installments. Could I pay the $7,500 for the land immediately, and the $32,500 for the slaves over 10 years?”
“10 years would mean $3,250 per year.”
A 10-year installment plan was a bit long, but even considering interest, a total of $40,000 was a much better condition than the $30,000 he had originally thought of. It wasn't as if anyone else would pay $30,000 in a lump sum anyway. Especially since James Sett, who owned the largest plantation in Natchez, had the highest credit rating of anyone, there was no fear of the money not being paid, even over 10 years. If he told Mrs. Sharp he had sold the plantation for $40,000 and gave her an extra $5,000 as a gesture of consolation, he would be praised for having done more than enough.
“Thank you so much. If it's alright with you, could we write the contract right now? Oh, of course, I'm not forcing you...”
“If it can ease your worries, Senator, I can sign the contract right here.”
Da-a-amn, James Sett. I like you!
Suppressing the impulse to hug this young man, who was the age of his son, with all his might, he instead grabbed his hands with both of his own and shook them vigorously up and down.
“Thank you, thank you. I will never forget your kindness today, so if you ever need help, come find me anytime. I will help you, even if I have to drop everything else.”
“Aren't we all fellow planters of Natchez? We must band together to overcome adversity when times are tough.”
James Sett. This man was truly the person most deserving of the title Gentleman Planter. Alexander Parer was so overcome with emotion that his nose tingled, and he hurriedly drafted the contract. James signed the documents as promised without a single complaint.
From now on, any attack on James would be considered an attack on himself. Alexander Parer, a Mississippi State Senator, simply regretted with tears in his eyes that he didn't have a daughter of marriageable age.
***
[Alexander Parer and James Sett: A Beautiful Friendship Between Mississippi’s Old Generation and the New]
[Dignity That Even Accepts Losses: This Is the Cotton King of Natchez]
Embarrassing articles, clearly written by someone’s payroll, plastered the newspapers. In truth, it wasn't an forced praise article; the majority of planters in the club were busy praising my decision to acquire the plantation for a price that was effectively double, even if it was a 10-year installment. Of course, it wasn't a losing contract to acquire a plantation that had 90 slaves for $40,000, even if 10 slaves had been removed from the original Cedar Grove. Everyone else thought Cedar Grove was a distressed asset impossible to manage, but I knew better.
“But, Master. Even so, if you had offered $30,000, wouldn't Senator Parer have accepted it while dancing for joy?”
“That’s true. But if it were $30,000, even with installment payments, 3 or 4 years would have been the limit.”
“Was the 10-year installment that important?”
“Of course.”
Did they think I was crazy enough to sign a losing contract? I paid the land price in a lump sum because it was money I had to pay anyway, but for the slave trade, which was the core of this contract, I made it so I would pay the $32,500 over 10 years.
But here’s the thing.
The Civil War is going to break out in exactly 4 years, isn't it?
If I delay the payments using the war as an excuse, slavery will eventually be abolished, and all existing slave trade contracts will become null and void. If I pay for exactly 4 years, I won't have to pay the remaining 6 years.
If I recalculate it like that, the final amount I’ll have paid will be around $20,000. And that’s even under the condition of paying over half of that over 4 years.
Oh my? I’ve unintentionally reaped a massive profit.
It can't be helped. I’m not a god; how could I have known a massive war would break out in 4 years and slavery would be abolished? So, are there any other plantations I can acquire for a bargain?