The quote that you have put up means that freedom is not brought cheaply; freeedom takes boldness, braveness, and courage. ; the person's fate does not look good if they stay. I am sorry i could not help you with citation, but if you are readying a story, which I presume than you can use the sentence before and after the quote as your citation.
Harriet Turban meant that "freedom has a price, and the price would result in either death, or life". Freedom is not as cheap as dust (as dust is found anywhere in the planet that has land). However, slavery is a problem that had plagued the US and C.S.A for years, leading to what is known as the US Civil War. The War brought freedom to the slaves, not only with funding, but also, with blood.
