"Have you ever found any logical reason why mutual promises are sufficient consideration for one another (like the two lean horses of a Calcutta hack who can only just stand together)? I have not"
- Frederick Pollock
About this Quote
This quote by Frederick Pollock is a rhetorical question that is asking if there is any rational reason that mutual promises suffice consideration for one another. He is referring to the two lean horses of a Calcutta hack, which are 2 horses that are so weak that they can hardly stand together. Pollock is suggesting that shared pledges are not enough to make an agreement legitimate, as it is not a strong adequate consideration. He is likewise suggesting that he has actually not discovered any logical reason that shared guarantees suffice factor to consider for one another. This quote is a reminder that contracts need to be based upon something of value, not just a pledge, in order for them to be legally binding.
"Give these Indians little farms, survey them, let them put fences around them, let them have their own horses, cows, sheep, things that they can call their own, and it will do away with tribal Indians"
