That's a fair question. Yes, I do believe in the sanctities of private property. What constituted "private property" is open to debate, but the irrefutable fact was that, whether we in the dawn of the 21st century like it or not, in the middle of the 19th century, in the United States, human beings in a state of bondage were considered private property.
Perhaps I worded my question poorly. I am aware that slaves were considered property in 1857.
Do you believe, in a country that proclaims that all men are endowed by their Creator with a right to liberty, that anyone has a right to hold another in slavery? By “right” I mean the term in its truest sense, moral not legal.
I’m not asking whether some at the time believed in such a right, as it’s obvious they did. I’m asking whether you believe they were right to believe so.