Lincoln did not care about abolishing slavery until it could be used as political fodder to help him conquer the soveriegn Confederate States of America. The EP actually freed no one and it explicitly exempted slaves owned by Unionist in occupied territory. Lincoln was indeed a cynical hypocrite, but he was also a brilliant politician and as Edward said, the first Progressive president to use his powers illegally to bend the will of American citizens, both Union and Confederate. Today, most Americans do not understand Lincoln's motives or behavior and most Americans truly believe he is a hero, one of the the best (or the best) POTUS of all time. However, it seems that States' Rights is becoming a popular issue again...