I observe also a peculiar dislike of all _intermediate_ control: they always wish to pass by the company officer, and deal with me personally for everything.

General Saxton notices the same thing with the people on the plantations as regards himself.

I suppose this proceeds partly from the old habit of appealing to the master against the overseer.

Kind words would cost the master nothing, and he could easily put off any non-fulfilment upon the overseer.

Moreover, the negroes have acquired such constitutional distrust of white people, that it is perhaps as much as they can do to trust more than one person at a tune.