The 1897 State of the Union Address was given by President William McKinley, the 25th president of the United States. It was his first State of the Union Address and was read to both houses of the 55th United States Congress. Excerpt: "A matter of genuine satisfaction is the growing feeling of fraternal regard and unification of all sections of our country, the incompleteness of which has too long delayed realization of the highest blessings of the Union. The spirit of patriotism is universal and is ever increasing in fervor."