He was zealous in the performance of public duty, radical in all his convictions, patriotic in every thought, an unrelenting foe to all forms of corruption.

He was specially distinguished for independence of party restraint in his modes of thought and action.

Perhaps in the history of the Senate no man ever left so brilliant a reputation from so short a service.

His precedence was due to his personal character, to his strong connections, to his well-tempered judgment, and especially to a certain attractiveness of manner which was felt by all who came in contact with him.

He was chosen Speaker because of his activity in the anti-slavery struggles of the House, and because of his aptitude for the duties of the chair.

He had the reputation of being somewhat unscrupulous as to political methods, somewhat careless in personal conduct, somewhat lax in personal morals; but to the one great object of his life, the destruction of slavery and the elevation of…

From the pursuit of that object nothing could deflect him.

Upon no phase of it would he listen to compromise.

Any man who was truly anti-slavery was his friend.

Whoever espoused the cause and proved faithless in never so small a degree, became his enemy, inevitably and irreconcilably.

A brilliant talker, he did not relish idle and aimless conversation.

When his sharp sallies would set the entire House in an uproar, he was as impassive, his visage as solemn, as if he were pronouncing a funeral oration.

A man of high principle, of strong faith, of zeal, enthusiasm, and eloquence, he could always command the attention of the House.

He loved his country and his whole country, and every effort of his waning strength was put forth in behalf of the Union.

It was his influence, more than that of any other man, which saved his State from the vortex of Rebellion.

But for his strong hold upon the sympathy and pride of Kentucky, the malign influence of Breckinridge might have forced the State into the Confederacy.

The people themselves, and not their servants, can safely reverse their own deliberate decision.

If the Union were to be saved, it must be saved by the united loyalty and the unflinching resolution of the people.

The repulse of the National arms, with the consequent loss of prestige, necessarily emboldened the enemies of the Union, who, by playing upon the prejudices and fears of the slave-holders, might succeed in seducing them from their…

The Disunionists of the Southern States are traitors to their country, and must be, and will be, subdued.

The public mind had been absorbed with the one thought of restoring the Union promptly and completely, and had not even contemplated interference with slavery as an instrumentality to that end.

Many wise and far-seeing men were convinced from the first that the Rebellion would result in the destruction of slavery, but for various reasons deemed it inexpedient to make a premature declaration of their belief.

Indeed, the wisest of them saw that a premature declaration would probably prove a hinderance and not a help to the conclusion they most desired.

It was soon discovered, however, that if the National Government did not interfere with slavery, slavery would seriously interfere with the National Government.

In other words, it was made apparent that the slaves if undisturbed were to be a source of strength to the Rebellion.