"On what rightful principle may a State, being not more than one-fiftieth part of the nation, in g(s)oil and population, break up the nation and then coerce a proportionably larger sub-division of itself, in the most arbitrary way?"

"One-fiftieth"? Is this a typo in the original, or presiense? Asking questions my foot! Old Abe was setting the stage for his actions two months hence, IMHO. Stan