Kentucky. Governor (1867 : Helm)

John Larue Helm was elected governor of Kentucky in 1867 as the Democratic candidate. He defeated Republican Sidney M. Barnes. Helm was in poor health, and his inauguration was held in Elizabethtown, near his home.

Helm's inaugural address was read to the public by his Secretary of State, Samuel Churchill. The new governor pledged the loyalty of Kentucky to the Union, under the Constitution, but maintained that the state should be able to make and enforce laws reflecting the will of a majority of its citizens without federal interference. He urged Kentuckians to put the animosities of the Civil War behind them. Governor Helm advised his fellow citizens to accept the end of slavery as an accomplished fact, and encouraged them to help the freedmen become useful members of society. He also stated his firm belief in the supremacy of the white race, however, and declared that Kentuckians would never allow themselves to be governed by blacks.

Governor Helm died five days after his inauguration, on September 8, 1867, and was buried in the family cemetery in Hardin County.

For a more complete description of Helm's political career, see the history of his first gubernatorial administration (KYSV90-A307).