... could artificially inflate the power of the Democratic Party. The three-fifths clause of the Constitution allowed five slaves to account for three persons for purposes of determining the number of congressional seats in each state which seemed, in Lincoln's opinion, unfair to the states to the North. In his famous speech at Peoria, Illinois, he states: "But in ascertaining the number of the people, for ... to increase than to abate it evils. They believe that the Congress of the United States has no power, under the constitution, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the diffe...

• Word Count: 2007
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: Graduate