An example of a battle between economics and morals

I am going to go way back, very far back into the past. Into the Antebellum period in the United States. Revolutionary efforts to free the Slaves have slowly and steadily increased. What was the problem that prevented that the slaves be freed outright? That is money. Though each slave lost their lives in bondage, and did not even have the right to govern their breath. There was much opposition to their freedom, in the south especially. Due to the simple fact that their labor force would be depleted. Which meant money lost, and less money acquired from then on . This conflict between what is right and economics affected the whole process and the length of time it took for the slaves to be freed. Of course that is not the only reason, race was another substantial factor. But economics had a say in the matter.