Roman slave status varied widely depending upon what point in time you are discussing, and in the days of the republic (pre Julius Ceasar) up until the 6th century A.D, when the Pandects of Justinian were codified, the law of the land was that the paterfamilias exercised potestas over every person in his household. Potestas is synonymous with imperium, which includes the power to command life and death.
I'm not appologizing for anything that I haven't done and IMO anyone who purports to do so is a fool. Only the doer of the deed may offer an appology that bears any kind of meaning, and that's only if the appology is accepted. On the other hand, this is greaat stuff because the leaders get to distract us with meaningless gestures. It' very much like the Roman government putting on a series of gladatorial games. All for show.
The Japanese were dealt with illegally. They were denied due process. Plus, the people who were eligible, at least intially, were the actual interees. Now, let's compare and contrast. First, slavery, while morally reprehensible, was not illegal. You have no basis to sue for being treated in a legal fashion. Second, if you can produce one person still living (prior lives don't count) who was legally held in slavery in the U.S. prior to the cessation of the Civil War in 1865 then I have no problem with the government writing them a sympathy check on my behalf just for the sake of perceived consistency.
