I do not understand that because I do not want a negro woman for a slave I must necessarily want her for a wife. My understanding is that I can just let her alone.

Summary

This quote suggests that wanting a person as a slave does not automatically imply wanting them as a spouse. The speaker rejects the notion that their interests in possessing a person as property should extend to pursuing romantic or marital relationships with them. The quote implies that the speaker's perspective reiterates the belief in maintaining a distance and non-involvement with those who are enslaved, suggesting a separation between ownership and personal relationships.