FRANKFORT, Ky. (June 5, 2024) - Attorney General Russell Coleman delivered the following remarks at the Attorney General John Marshall Harlan Memorial Lecture at Kentucky's Old State Capitol:
***As Prepared for Delivery***
"Thank you, Scott, and welcome everyone to this extraordinary celebration of Kentucky.
"I’m so grateful to the entire team here at the Kentucky Historical Society for preserving and promoting the stories of our Commonwealth for new generations of students, scholars and Kentuckians.
"It’s been a privilege to work with Scott and Jonathan Noffke to make today’s events possible. I’d like to recognize them for their dedication to Kentucky history and for hosting us today in this incredible space.
"We are literally walking in the footsteps of giants of Kentucky history, to include Henry Clay himself.
"For lovers of Kentucky history like me, this really couldn’t get any better.
"Over the weekend, we marked the anniversary of Kentucky’s admission to the Union in 1792. Two-hundred thirty-two years of heritage from the Mountains to the Purchase region and everything between.
"But that’s not all. June 1st also saw the 191st birthday of one of Kentucky’s greatest sons, John Marshall Harlan.
"For too long, John Marshall Harlan had faded to the background of history. He might have come up in a law school class for his dissent in Plessy, but the full weight of his legacy was at risk of being forgotten.
"Peter Canellos changed all that in 2021. He published The Great Dissenter: The Story of John Marshall Harlan, America’s Judicial Hero.
"Much like David McCullough did for John Adams or Lin-Manuel Miranda did for Alexander Hamilton, today’s speaker ignited a renaissance and pulled one of Kentucky’s great statesmen from the mist of history.
"This book reminded us of Harlan’s incredible life – as soldier, orator, and public servant. And it draws a through line from Harlan’s dissents to what would become the law of the land just a few decades after.
"Of course, as Kentuckians, we wanted to do our own part to contribute to this renewed interest in John Marshall Harlan.
"We want to highlight another part of his story.
"So this morning, I won’t be focusing on the better known Justice Harlan… or even Colonel Harlan, who courageously fought to preserve the Union in the Civil War.
"Today, we pay tribute to Attorney General John Marshall Harlan, Kentucky’s 14th AG.
"He – like every other Kentuckian to hold this honor before me – animated this institution in our Commonwealth’s public life.
"Harlan walked into the AG’s office facing some pretty big challenges.
"Partisanship and division were rampant. Violent crime threatened the rule of law. And the federal government amassed unprecedented power over the states.
Thankfully, we don’t have to contend with any of those problems today.
"In discussing Harlan’s service, we are so elevating the profile of the Office of the Attorney General, which holds a unique and consequential role for Kentucky.
"Every other Kentucky constitutional officer – and I see my good friends Secretary of State Michael Adams and Treasurer Mark Metcalf with us today – draws their authority from the Kentucky Constitution and the laws passed by our General Assembly.
"The Attorney General is different.
"This Office’s role and responsibilities go back even farther… before Kentucky’s 1891 Constitution and even before the Constitution of the United States.
"The work of Kentucky’s Attorney General finds its origins all the way back to the common law.
"So in theory, both Harlan and I could lay claim to many of the same common law powers of the King’s attorney general in 1607 or on June 1, 1792 upon Kentucky’s separation from its Mother Commonwealth of Virginia.
"It’s a heavy responsibility, but one that is crucial to our Commonwealth.
***
"That’s not all. Today, we are making Kentucky history ourselves. For the only time I know of, we have with us six of eight living former Kentucky Attorneys General in one place.
"Please help me welcome:
- "The Honorable Fred Cowan, Kentucky’s 45th Attorney General
- "The Honorable Chris Gorman, our 46th Attorney General
- "The Honorable Ben Chandler, number 47
- "The Honorable Greg Stumbo, Kentucky’s 48th Attorney General
- "The Honorable Jack Conway, our Commonwealth’s 49th Attorney General; and
- "The Honorable Daniel Cameron, our 51st Attorney General.
"I’m not even six months into this job, but I think each of them will agree that having Harlan as our forerunner left some rather large shoes to fill. But each of these men, in their own way, did just that.
"Thank you for joining us. And thank you for your service to the Commonwealth.
"And while we celebrate our history this morning, it’s a privilege to be joined by someone who instilled a love of Commonwealth, its people, geography and traditions into generations of students at the University of Kentucky and Eastern Kentucky University.
"One of those students even grew up to be our current AG. Thank you, Professor Thomas Appleton, for your lifetime of dedication to Kentucky history and for being here.
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"Earlier this morning, we gathered in the Attorney General’s Conference Room. It’s a stately room with dark wooden walls and shelves of law books, some dating back to the late 19th century.
"It’s where our Office puts its best foot forward – welcoming guests, hosting events and making the tough decisions that affect the lives of Kentucky families.
"Today, I signed an executive order to designate the space as the “Attorney General John Marshall Harlan Conference Room” and we unveiled a portrait of Harlan on loan from the Kentucky Historical Society that will elevate the space.
"Now, everyone who visits the room will have the opportunity to encounter Harlan’s legacy for Kentucky and the nation. I look forward to welcoming each of you to the General Harlan Conference Room in the near future.
***
"Finally, it’s my privilege to introduce the man who began the Harlan renaissance.
"Peter S. Canellos is no stranger to Commonwealths. He’s a Boston native and graduate of the University of Pennsylvania… but for today, we’ll call him an adoptive Kentuckian.
"Mr. Canellos is a senior editor for POLITICO and previously was the editorial page editor at the Boston Globe. He edited the New York Times bestseller Last Lion: The Fall and Rise of Ted Kennedy.
"His 2021 book, The Great Dissenter was named one of Publishers Weekly’s Best Nonfiction Books of the Year and earned praise from all corners.
"We’re so grateful to have him with us today for a discussion of John Marshall Harlan – America’s Judicial Hero and one of Kentucky’s greatest sons.
"Please help me welcome, Peter Canellos."