ts of Kentucky pledged their allegiance
to their respective newly formed southern conventions. On the other
hand the Presbyterians of the State maintained a policy that was
distinctively their own, separate and apart from any acts of their
national organization. They were the only religious body in Kentucky
to issue officially a constructive plan for the betterment of social
and economic conditions under slavery. When it came to the advocacy of
even gradual emancipation they were careful to state that the plan was
only published for the benefit of the slaveholding members of their
own religious body. The Presbyterians went further in their
interference with the institution of slavery in the State than any
other religious body, but even they were not willing to try to extend
their home missionary field beyond their own membership. On the whole,
the churches in Kentucky merely followed the dictates of public
opinion on the subject of slavery, trying to pursue a policy of
neutrality as long as possible and then when it was no longer
feasible, most of them sided with the slaveholding group. The northern
section of none of these religious bodies, however, was driven out of
the State. There were a good many of the so-called "northern" churches
which remained loyal to the old national organizations.

The summary of the actions of the three principal religious bodies of
the State shows that there was a growing sentiment against the
institution of slavery. Kentucky being a slaveholding State, the
significance of this attitude was very important. While it may be true
that the majority sentiment even among the churches was not in favor
of the elimination of slavery the very fact that even a minority were
coming to the front unmolested by violence and threats and favoring
the gradual elimination of the established institution revealed the
general trend of public opinion among the people of Kentucky. These
measures were taken entirely upon their own initiative and were not
prompted by an outside anti-slavery influence.

Any discussion of the evolution of public opinion in Kentucky on the
subject of emancipation and of slavery in general would be incomplete
without describing the attitude of Henry Clay toward the institution
in Kentucky. During almost the entire period of slavery in Kentucky he
was the foremost citizen of the State and one of the principal
slaveholders. From those two viewpoints alone anything that he had to
say on