The manhood of the slave is conceded. It is admitted in the fact that Southern statute books are covered with enactments, forbidding, under severe fines and penalties, the teaching of the slave to read and write. When you can point to any such laws in reference to the beasts of the field, then I may consent to argue the manhood of the slave. -- Continuing to employ logos, Douglass points out that slaves are moral, intellectual and responsible. If that were not the case, there would be no need to prohibit teaching them to read and write. If they had no intellect, they would not be capable of such skills. He goes on to point out that no similar restrictions exist for animals. Given that case, slaves must be men; responsible to and punishable by the law.