George, I am not as qualified to speak on the subject as Sam , but I would say that we do not need to wait until 1863. I would think that Mr. Lincoln started making it clear starting in 1837 as to what his views on the subject were. Perhaps that is what made many in the South uncomfortable. However if we read his writings we can see that he did not want to end slavery in the states that already had it, he just wanted to make sure that it did not spread to the territories or any new states. He did not like it but was willing to defend the southern states rights.
Frank