ative of Henry Clay. He was educated at Centre College, Danville,
Kentucky, and at Yale, where he graduated in 1832. Influenced to some
extent by William Lloyd Garrison, he became an advocate of the abolition
of slavery, and on his return to his native state, at the risk of social
and political ostracism, he gave utterance to his belief. He studied
law, but instead of practising devoted himself to a political career. In
1835, 1837 and 1840 he was elected as a Whig to the Kentucky
legislature, where he advocated a system of gradual emancipation, and
secured the establishment of a public school system, and a much-needed
reform in the jury system. In 1841 he was defeated on account of his
abolition views. In 1844 he delivered campaign speeches for Henry Clay
throughout the North. In 1845 he established, at Lexington, Kentucky, an
anti-slavery publication known as _The True American_, but in the same
year his office and press were wrecked by a mob, and he removed the
publication office to Cincinnati, Ohio. During this and the earlier
period of his career his zeal and hot temper involved him in numerous
personal encounters and several duels, in all of which he bore himself
with a reckless bravery. In the Mexican War he served as a captain of a
Kentucky company of militia, and was taken prisoner, while
reconnoitring, during General Scott's advance on the City of Mexico. He
left the Whig party in 1850, and as an anti-slavery candidate for
governor of Kentucky polled 5000 votes. In 1856 he joined the Republican
party, and wielded considerable influence as a Southern representative
in its councils. In 1860 he was a leading candidate for the
vice-presidential nomination. In 1861 he was sent by President Lincoln
as minister to Russia; in 1862 he returned to America to accept a
commission as major-general of volunteers, but in March 1863 was
reappointed to his former post at St Petersburg, where he remained until
1869. Disapproving of the Republican policy of reconstruction, he left
the party, and in 1872 was one of the organizers of the
Liberal-Republican revolt, and was largely instrumental in securing the
nomination of Horace Greeley for the presidency. In the political
campaigns of 1876 and 1880 he supported the Democratic candidate, but
rejoined the Republican party in the campaign of 1884. He died at
Whitehall, Kentucky, on the 22nd of July 1903.

See his autobiography, _The Life, Memoirs, Writings, and Speeches of
Cassiu