George Prentice, a staunch Whig and Unionist, edited the Louisville Journal. Anticipating Lincoln’s election as president, Prentice had earlier encouraged Lincoln to stem the tide of secession by publishing a letter “setting forth your conservative views and intentions.” Prentice hoped such a letter would take away from secessionists “every excuse or pretext for treason.” Convinced that anything further he might say on the subject would be deliberately misconstrued, Lincoln refused the request.