Preston Leslie
| Preston H. Leslie | |
|---|---|
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| U.S. District Attorney | |
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In office 1894–1898 |
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| Constituency | Montana Territory |
| 9th Territorial Governor of Montana | |
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In office February 18, 1887 – April 13, 1889 |
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| Preceded by | Samuel Thomas Hauser |
| Succeeded by | Benjamin F. White |
| 26th Governor of Kentucky | |
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In office February 13, 1871 – August 31, 1875 |
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| Lieutenant | John G. Carlisle |
| Preceded by | John W. Stevenson |
| Succeeded by | James B. McCreary |
| Member of the Kentucky Senate | |
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In office 1850–1855 |
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| Member of the Kentucky House of Representatives | |
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In office 1844–1850 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
March 8, 1819 Wayne County, Kentucky |
| Died | February 7, 1907 (aged 87) Helena, Montana |
| Resting place | Forestvale Cemetery |
| Political party | Whig, Democrat |
| Spouse(s) | Louisa Black Mary Kuykendall |
| Occupation | Farmer |
| Profession | Lawyer |
| Religion | Baptist |
Preston Hopkins Leslie (March 8, 1819 – February 7, 1907) was the 26th Governor of Kentucky from 1871 to 1875 and territorial governor of Montana from 1887 to 1889. He ascended to the office of governor by three different means. First, he succeeded Kentucky governor John W. Stevenson upon the latter's resignation to accept a seat in the United States Senate in 1871. Later that year, he was elected to a full term as governor, defeating John Marshall Harlan in the general election. Finally, he was appointed territorial governor by President Grover Cleveland.
Leslie was a Confederate sympathizer during the Civil War, but began to adopt a more progressive position during his gubernatorial campaign against Harlan. Though he opposed ratification of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments, he used his influence as governor to effect passage of laws admitting the testimony of blacks in court and providing for an educational system for recently freed slaves. He also helped quell violence perpetrated by the Ku Klux Klan in many areas of the state.
As territorial governor of Montana, Leslie quickly drew the ire of the press for his pro-temperance position. The territory's political machinery also turned against him, and he was removed from office by President Benjamin Harrison. When Grover Cleveland succeeded Harrison for a second term in office, he appointed Leslie district attorney for Montana. Leslie continued to practice law well into his eighties, and was being considered for a district court judgeship in Montana when he fell ill with pneumonia and died on February 7, 1907, at the age of 87.
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