but to reduce the human element of daily pre-Emancipation black-white relations to "owner and property" is a reduction to the absurd.

The only one attempting this reduction, Guy, appears to be yourself.

Most Southerners, by the way, couldn't afford to buy or maintain even one slave.

Obviously. Your point being??? The entire economy and society of the South was based on and existed because of slavery. A person needn't own property in slaves to be part of, or benefit from, the system.

Regards,

Greg