Harrison, William Henry, Ninth President

Autograph letter signed ("W. H. Harrison"), 1 1/4 pages (9 7/8 x 7 3/4 in.; 251 x 198 mm) on a bifolium of blue-ruled wove paper, Frankfort, Kentucky, 23 November 1841, to Thomas Ewing at Lancaster, Ohio, autograph address panel and reception docket on integral blank; small seal tear, a few short fold separations and repairs. [Together with:] Contemporary secretarial copies of 3 letters by Ewing: one to President-elect Harrison, Lancaster, 2 December 1840, accepting the position as Postmater General; and two to Abbott Lawrence, Lancaster, 2 December 1840 and 1 January 1841, discussing appointments to Harrison's cabinet, particularly the handling of Daniel Webster.

Sotheby's, 1 November 1993, lot 88 (undesignated consignor)

Autograph letter signed ("W. H. Harrison"), 1 1/4 pages (9 7/8 x 7 3/4 in.; 251 x 198 mm) on a bifolium of blue-ruled wove paper, Frankfort, Kentucky, 23 November 1841, to Thomas Ewing at Lancaster, Ohio, autograph address panel and reception docket on integral blank; small seal tear, a few short fold separations and repairs. [Together with:] Contemporary secretarial copies of 3 letters by Ewing: one to President-elect Harrison, Lancaster, 2 December 1840, accepting the position as Postmater General; and two to Abbott Lawrence, Lancaster, 2 December 1840 and 1 January 1841, discussing appointments to Harrison's cabinet, particularly the handling of Daniel Webster.
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A highly important letter written by Harrison as President-elect, discussing the formation of his cabinet, particularly as it might impact two of his great rivals for the White House, Henry Clay and Daniel Webster.

A remarkable letter, headed "Confidential," in which Harrison discusses in great detail the possible make-up of his cabinet with former Ohio Senator Thomas Ewing: "As the fact of my election is no longer in doubt I write this to inform you that it is my intention to avail myself of your services in the Cabinet which I shall be called on to form if you should feel disposed to become a member of it." Harrison offers Ewing the post of Postmaster General and explains, "I give you this early information supposing that it might be important to you to arrange your private affairs (if you accord to my wish) before you change your position & with all to devote some some time to examine as far as you can out of doors the condition of the department which you are to govern." Ewing accepted the office of Postmaster General, but in the end he was appointed instead to be Secretary of the Treasury.

Harrison turns to a discussion of his plans to fill other important cabinet posts: "Clay declines a seat in the Cabinet. Although I should have preferred him to any other man in the Union for the State Department yet as I regard him as a certain candidate for the next term of the presidency I was quite satisfied with the course he adopts." He notes that Clay has assured him he will remain in the Senate and aid Harrison in the measures of reform he wishes to initiate.

Harrison then focuses his attention on his problem with Daniel Webster. As a tribute to Webster's knowledge of public finance, Harrison offered him his choice of Cabinet seat: Secretary of the Treasury or Secretary of State. At the time of the present letter, Harrison had yet to hear from Webster as to his choice. Additionally, Harrison wanted Webster to formally declare that he would not be a presidential candidate in 1844. He explains to Ewing: "I cannot pass by Webster's claims to hold one of the two Secretary Ships State or Treasury. But I had much rather than he should either decline the offer or declare himself not a candidate for the Presidency how should this be brought about?" The President-elect closes his letter by stating that it is his belief "that public opinion is against any candidate now in the Cabinet." If this is indeed the case, Harrison believes Webster should be aware of it. Webster ultimately accepted the portfolio of the State Department. After Harrison's sudden death, neither Ewing nor Webster remained in the cabinet for the full tenure of John Tyler's term.

Letters from Harrison's one-month presidency are virtually unobtainable, and even letters as President-elect, particularly on significant political topics, are very rare. Only two other autograph letters wirtten by Harrison between his election and inauguration have been sold at auction in the last sixty years.