Lewis Tappan: “We might as well talk of poor men owning herds of cattle and studs of…”

On the record

We might as well talk of poor men owning herds of cattle and studs of horses, as gangs of negroes.

Said by

Lewis Tappan

Source

This analogy illustrates the absurdity of expecting poor individuals to own slaves, similar to owning expensive livestock.

More from Lewis Tappan

Unite then, we beseech you, with one heart and one mind, for the legal, constitutional abolition of slavery.

Now is the time, fellow-citizens, to assail the foe.

The institution which oppresses you is suffering from the decrepitude of age, and is the scorn and loathing of the world.

By abolishing slavery you will become the architects of your own fortune, and of your country's greatness.

Lewis Tappan: “We might as well talk of poor men owning herds of cattle and studs of horses, as gangs of negroes.”