Tibeats refused to treat the slave with the same respect as Ford. Chaos ensued on the plantation and Northup's life was in danger after an altercation with Tibeats. In fact, Ford knew that Northup was no ordinary man, so before Tibeates could get what he wanted, he traded Northup in hopes of saving his life. “There can be human masters, as there certainly are inhuman ones; there may be well-dressed, well-fed, and happy slaves, just as there are surely half-clad, half-starved, and miserable people; nevertheless, the institution that tolerates so much wrong and inhumanity that I have witnessed is cruel, unjust and barbaric. Men can write fiction describing the modest life as it is or as it is not - they can dwell with owlish gravity on the bliss of ignorance - talk casually from chairs of pleasures of slave life; but let them work with him in the fields, sleep with him in the hut, feed on pods with him; let them see him flogged, hunted down, trampled, and they will come back with another story in their mouths. Let them know the heart of the poor slave, learn his secret thoughts, thoughts which he dares not express before the white man; let them sit beside him during the silent watches of the night - converse with him in confidence,