april february 21st governor kentucky serving early civil war personally adhered states rights position including right state union confederate cause adopted position neutrality war held refusing calls aid union confederate governments special elections held june captured kentucky congressional seats obtained thirds houses state legislature despite strict adherence policy neutrality legislature trust routinely unable provide effective leadership hostile legislature agreed resign governor provided choose successor lieutenant governor died office refused allow speaker senate succeed governor accordingly resigned elected choice speaker resigned robinson ascended governorship elected speaker senate war encouraged acceptance union victory passage thirteenth amendment died february kentucky named honor early life born april kentucky son jane father immigrant county ireland mother daughter prominent pioneer early kentucky early education obtained common schools graduated kentucky earned law degree lexington kentucky afterward moved jackson mississippi began legal career served reading clerk mississippi state senate returned kentucky illness continued legal practice appointed police judge governor april married granddaughter kentucky fifth governor couple children survived infancy active democratic_party serving presidential delegate served term kentucky senate declined party nomination seat democratic nominee lieutenant governor running ticket defeated know candidate governor kentucky elected governor kentucky vote taking office august supported states rights institution slavery believed right states union hoped avoid outcome reaching agreement southern northern states end wrote circular letter governors slave states december detailing plan save union plan unite slave states set minimum concessions north accept alternative war concessions included constitutional amendment state law interfered enforcement fugitive slave act passage amendments fugitive slave act ensuring state return fugitive slave slave return compensate owner slave passage law requiring indicted grand jury escape slave passage amendment constitution slavery current future territories south degrees north latitude passage amendment constitution states right mississippi_river provide protection southern states oppressive slavery legislation slave state governors refused plan endorsed authored fellow january called state legislature special session asked convention determine kentucky course civil war majority legislature feared vote convention kentucky union consequently refused convention response president abraham_lincoln troops april declared telegram send man dollar wicked purpose sister encouraged lincoln confederate secretary war pope walker requested kentucky troops southern cause week later similarly refused called special session legislature legislators refused convention determine state course war instead approved resolution neutrality proclaimed position later month sent letter confederate president asking recognize honor kentucky neutrality august sent identical letter president lincoln pledged majority people state uphold state federal legislature trust state special elections june candidates swept kentucky congressional districts obtained thirds houses general_assembly routinely early september federal confederate troops entered kentucky declared sides equally guilty violating kentucky neutrality demanded sides withdraw resolution calling immediate withdrawal union confederate forces defeated legislature instead legislature passed resolution ordering confederate troops state vetoed resolution veto issued order withdraw november self constituted convention southern met kentucky order form provisional confederate government state despite southern sympathies denounced actions convention legislature continued clash remainder found agreement legislation bill allow common schools continue sessions interrupted outbreak hostilities found particularly bill citizenship fought aided confederacy march veto bill opposed military rule brigadier general believed violating civil rights states rights advocates advocate calls legislature resignation begun early september august declared willingness resign condition allowed choose successor lieutenant governor died office speaker senate line governorship refused accept successor resigned speaker senate elevated choice speaker resigned governor august robinson assumed office governor remainder term later life death war returned legal practice engaged agricultural pursuits series land speculation ventures near chicago illinois wealthy encouraged fellow accept results war advocated civil rights blacks urged passage thirteenth amendment act public service represented kentucky house representatives died home february buried spring hill cemetery monument erected cemetery honor kentucky created named honor
Beriah Magoffin