Frederick Douglass believed that slavery did just as much harm to those in charge as it did to the slaves. In a system where the slaves underwent beatings, constant verbal abuse and were left in the overbearing shadow of ignorance, Douglass's statement is certainly a strong one. Douglass's statement is a strong one because at first there does not appear to be much support for it. However, when the slave owner's lack of reason and control is looked at a case can begin in favor of Douglass. The Southern slave owner's lack of reason and control cause them to fall short in economics, politics, interactions with non-slave owners and interactions between other slave owners. When all of that is looked at one can see that Douglass's statement has very strong support.
             In Douglass's novel My Bondage and My Freedom he states:
             The slaveholder, as well as the slave, is the victim of the slave system. A man's
             character greatly takes its hue and shape from the form and color of things about him. Under the whole heavens there is no relation more unfavorable to the development of honorable character, than that sustained by the slaveholder to the slave (80).
             The system of slavery allows those in charge to act without reason and without remorse for their actions, as seen in Mr. Plummer's case. Mr. Plummer beat one of his slaves and she went to old master for protection where she was threatened again and turned away. This kind of treatment as Douglass states is "a part of the system, rather than part of the man" (83). Whatever it was that the slave did to be beaten probably didn't deserve that kind of beating; few actions call for such violence. Still though, Mr. Plummer felt he had to beat her severely for her actions. He beat her savagely and without remorse or recourse for his actions, he acted uncontrollably much like an animal. One of the goals of slavery is to kee...