Wasn’t me who made that psychotic rant!
Lee had a problem. He had to free all the slaves named in his father in law’s will. He had to pay off his father in law’s debts. He had to give the property, unintailed to his children. By creating mostly white female slaves, not named in the will, and selling them at the highest rates, to the brothels, he could accomplish all those things. Doing that was legal, and in accordance with the honor of such a gentlemen. In asserting that he did what was necessary, I do not impugn his honor, but rather the morals of the society which held such behavior to be honorable.
Not despicable. Not untrue. Just an illustration how differently we see honor now, thanks to the abolition movement. Raping slaves was well within the rights of slave owners or even employees. Selling female slaves to serve in brothels was common, and the prices paid were very high if they were mostly white. Lee had to pay off his father in law’s debts, and had to free the slaves named in his father in law’s will. And he did it. Where did the money come from? From working slaves before they were given their freedom. From selling slaves that were not named in his father in law’s will, and getting a very good price, depite the glut on the market. Lee’s slave Nancy was given her freedom in Lee’s will, along with her 4 sons. He filed his will in a western county, to hide it from his neighbors. His daughters by Nancy are not mentioned in the will. They helped him supplement his army pay while he lived in Texas.