JOHN M. HARLAN IN KENTUCKY, 1855-1877 THE STORY OF Hm ...

1940] John M. Harlan in Kentucky 21the Democracy on a platform rooted largely in the issues ofslavery and political corruption. Although Barlan won theFranklin County judgeship in 1858,1• he did not allow sentimentsof judicial disinterest to interfere with vigorous participation inthe new Whig drive. Indeed in the Opposition convention in1859 he held a position of recognized leadership as delegate fromthe Ashland district.,, And one of the major upsets of that conventionwas the passing over of many oldtimers to give the nominationfor Congress in the Clay district to the dynamic, twentysix-year-oldcounty judge. Some Democratic papers hinted thatthe veterans felt so certain of defeat that they did not wish torisk their reputations on the new slate, but the fact is that manywere antagonized by the elevation of Harlan to the candidacy.,,Speedily, however, the antagonism melted away as it became clearthat the youngster was waging one of the most brilliant campaignsthat the state had ever witnessed.Old men from the Ashland district compared Harlan withthe young Henry Clayt' and even his opponents were compelledto admit that he "is clever personally and in point of talent respeetable.",•As before, the newly organized Whigs strove tosurpass the Democracy in championing slavery, but little nowremains of the anti-immigrant doctrines of the American platform.Indeed Harlan and his associates are now vigorouslydefending the rights of naturalized Americans included in armydrafts by their home governments while journeying abroad,,0 andvigorous effort is being released to capture the immigrant vote.But Harlan's opponents quickly retort, "The naturalized citizenswill remember his inflammatory tirades against their politicalrights and when, as an agent of the Frankfort Clique, he traverseda portion of the state in advocating the proscriptive heresies ofthe Know-Nothing order.",,Though, as I have said, Harlan deserted the anti-foreigndoctrines of Know-Nothingism, the orthodox religious vein in hischaracter already described succeeds in finding expression now asbefore. This tune the attack is leveled against the Mormonsand their practices in what appears to be his own personal onettFrankfort Tri-Weekly Yeoman, June 2, 1859.n Loulstdlle Weeldy Journal, February 23, 1850.Js Ibid., June 1, 1859.•4 Ibid.I, Frankfort Tri-Weekly Yeoman, May 21 1859.•| ' . .Loms•lle Dady Journal, July 28, 1859.zl Frankfort Tri-Weekly Yeaman, May 24, 1859.