Thomas Lemuel James

Thomas Lemuel James (1881)

Thomas Lemuel James (born March 29, 1831 in Utica , New York , † September 11, 1916 in New York City ) was an American journalist and banker who became the 29th postal secretary of the United States in 1881 .

James attended private school in Utica and then followed his passion for journalism by taking a position with the Utica Liberty Press . He fought in the ranks of the Whigs during fierce party disputes from 1849 to 1853, through which he became acquainted with Judge Francis B. Fisher. Both later jointly published the Madison County Journal , which sided with William H. Seward .

When the Republican Party was formed, he enthusiastically joined the new organization and became the sole owner and editor of the Journal . During the Knownothings fights he bravely and energetically defended the opposing party, and he succeeded in pushing through the opponent of the Know-Nothing Party.

After Abraham Lincoln's election as US president , his friends had given him the post of customs inspector. So he sold his journal and moved to New York. His energetic activity earned him promotion to Wagemeister in 1874, and to Deputy Collector in 1876 . His business acumen earned him such prestige that President Ulysses S. Grant appointed him chairman of the board of examiners and then director of the post of New York. His excellence in this post led President James A. Garfield to appoint him to his cabinet as Postmaster General in 1881 . After the assassination attempt on Garfield and the assumption of office by his vice-president Chester A. Arthur , he resigned from this office in early 1882.

Web links

• Thomas Lemuel James at the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia (English)