Political Quotes

Charles Sumner: “In your cruel arithmetic he is only a “cipher,” without the protection which the slave sometimes found in the…”

On the record
In your cruel arithmetic he is only a “cipher,” without the protection which the slave sometimes found in the self-interest of the master; or rather let me say he is only a “cipher” where rights are concerned, but a numeral counted by millions where taxes are to be paid.
Said by
Charles Sumner
Massachusetts

Editor's note · Context

In this passage, Sumner discusses the economic exploitation of freedmen, contrasting their value in taxation with their lack of rights.

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