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HENRY WATTEBSON 519 had been opposed by the Courier. Now that both were sup- porting the Democratic Party it seemed useless to run both. Accordingly during the late fall of 1868 the two were consol- idated, the Louisville Democrat being included in the merger. The first number of the Courier -J ourr^al appeared November 8, 1868. The veteran editor, Prentice, continued in service until his death in 1870. Since the latter period, over a third of a century, the Courier-Journal and Henry Watterson have been synonyms throughout the United States. This does not mean that Mr. Watterson was accepted with- out question by the readers of the Courier-Jourthal as a worthy successor of Prentice. The shadow of the older ed- itor hung for some years across the pathway of the new. Every departure was measured by the yardstick of Prentice. But it was not long before the literary style and broad, lib- eral, forward-looking policy of the younger editor gained rec- ognition not only in Kentucky, but throughout the Union. The fight for political leadership in Kentucky was longer and more bitterly contested. Kentucky has never welcomed outsiders who sought political distinction in the State. Clay and Prentice had both been required to fight stubbornly for their political supremacy. Mr. Watterson took a position with the younger progressive group of Democrats, and so at once brought down upon himself the main attacks of the older, unreconstructive, reactionary politicians. Among his first contests was one for the political status of the negro. He saw at once that it was impossible to have in the commonwealth a large body of freemen who were not cit- izens. Either the colored men must be slaves or must have a right to protect themselves by the power of the courts. With- out this latter power they would have to defend themselves by force of arms against oppression. This in turn would mean civil war as the normal condition of the State. As was his custom. Editor Watterson did not count the cost of his struggle, but at once took up his cudgels to fight for the ad- mission of negro evidence in court. The fight was fast and bloody. Those poUticians who supported him and were can- didates for office were driven from political life. But Mr.