Outgoing President Benjamin Harrison Discusses Diplomatic Appointments in a Letter to Noted New York Politician Cornelius Bliss

Letter signed, on black bordered Executive Mansion stationery as his first wife, Caroline Scott Harrison, had died less than a month before, three pages, November 19, 1892, to Cornelius Bliss concerning the appointment of a friend of Bliss as Ambassador to Portugal. Bliss was a seasoned politico who would be Theodore Roosevelt’s campaign manager in 1904.

“I have your letter of the 16th and notice what you say about Mr. Einstein. I knew of course he took the race for Mayor only to help the general ticket and without thought of success himself. I fear that, as to the Portuguese Mission, some arrangements have been made with the Secretary of State, with my concurrence, that will make that impossible to give that to Mr. Einstein and I do not know what else there may be. You know I have only broken bits of meat and very little even of that. “Mr. Lispenard Stewart, General Butterfield, Mr. Webb and two or three other prominent people in your state have been urged by friends for foreign appointments since the election. I have only Switzerland that is not either disposed of or so complicated as not to be free. The best thing I think is to say nothing to Mr. Einstein about it and let me see what I can do. I know that you will appreciate my good disposition and also the limitations that are upon me.” Like many outgoing presidents Harrison wanted to reward friends with last minute appointments when possible. He was to leave office less than four months later.

Cornelius Bliss was, in addition to TR’s campaign manager, the Chairman of the New York State Republican committee who was instrumental in Harrison’s carrying that state in 1888. He was later Secretary of the Interior under McKinley. Edwin Einstein was a Representative in the 46th U.S. Congress and did indeed run unsuccessfully for Mayor of New York in 1892.