Of course it wasn't just about money, as fear of reprisal was obviously a concern. But the entire reason slavery existed wasn't fear of black people -- it was

Of course it wasn't just about money, as fear of reprisal was obviously a concern. But the entire reason slavery existed wasn't fear of black people -- it was to use them to generate wealth, and not just for the slave owners; slavery propped up the economy of southern states. If the slaves had vanished overnight via a magic trick, it would have affect the economy of country as a whole, and cratered it in the south. You are dismissing the primary reason for the perpetuation of US slavery by repeatedly pointing to one factor that was a byproduct of slavery.