Abraham Lincoln

On this day in 1862, Abraham Lincoln gave his State Of the Union Address. 

"Lincoln used the address to present a moderate message concerning his policy towards slavery. Just10 weeks before, he had issued his Emancipation Proclamation, which declared that slaves in territories still in rebellion as of January 1, 1863, would be free. The measure was not welcomed by everyone in the North–it met with considerable resistance from conservative Democrats who did not want to fight a war to free slaves."

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/lincolns-state-of-the-union-address

http://www.infoplease.com/t/hist/state-of-the-union/74.html