He joined the Radical Republicans and unsuccessfully ran for clerk of the state Court of Appeals, a bitterly divisive campaign that foreshadowed the following year's elections for Kentucky's governor and congressional seats.
hiː dʒˈɔɪnd ðə ɹˈædɪkəl ɹᵻpˈʌblɪkənz ænd ʌnsəksˈɛsfəli ɹˈæn fɔːɹ klˈɜːk ʌvðə stˈeɪt kˈoːɹt ʌv ɐpˈiːlz, ɐ bˈɪɾɚli dᵻvˈaɪsɪv kæmpˈeɪn ðæt fɔːɹʃˈædoʊd ðə fˈɑːloʊɪŋ jˈɪɹz ᵻlˈɛkʃənz fɔːɹ kɛntˈʌkiz ɡˈʌvɚnɚ ænd kəŋɡɹˈɛʃənəl sˈiːts.