Frederick Theodore Frelinghuysen (August 4, 1817 – May 20, 1885)[1] was an American lawyer and politician from New Jersey who served as a U.S. Senator and later as United States Secretary of State under President Chester A. Arthur.[2]
In 1870, Frelinghuysen was nominated as U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom but declined the position. He served again as a U.S. Senator from 1871 to 1877, and in 1881, was appointed U.S. Secretary of State by President Chester A. Arthur, serving until 1885. During his tenure, he withdrew the U.S. from the War of the Pacific and negotiated a treaty change with Hawaii, allowing for a naval base at Pearl Harbor.
After his term as Secretary of State, Frelinghuysen returned to Newark, New Jersey, where he died three months later. He married Matilda Elizabeth Griswold in 1842, with whom he had six children. Frelinghuysen University in Washington D.C. was named in his honor in 1917.
Early life and education
Frelinghuysen was born in Millstone, New Jersey, to Frederick Frelinghuysen (1788–1820) and Mary Dumont. His father died when he was just three years old, and he was adopted by his uncle,[3]Theodore Frelinghuysen (1787–1862).
Frelinghuysen graduated from Rutgers College in 1836, and studied law in Newark with his uncle, to whose practice he succeeded in 1839, after he was admitted to the bar.[2][3]
According to The New York Times, Frelinghuysen was a member of the Whig Party until joining the Republican Party upon its inception.[4] He was also crucial in establishing the Republican Party in New Jersey.[5]
During the American Civil War, Frelinghuysen was active in public office rather than joining the Union Army.[6] He was a delegate in 1861 to the Peace Congress, and appointed Attorney General of New Jersey by Governor Charles S. Olden that year to serve in the post until 1867. Frelinghuysen was encouraged by some to run for governor in 1862, though declined.[7]
He was a strong opponent of the Reconstruction measures of President Andrew Johnson, for whose conviction he voted for in Johnson's impeachment trial.[8] Frelinghuysen supported the Radical Republicans' program for Reconstruction that emphasized a harsh treatment of former Confederates.[9] He later allied with the GOP Stalwart faction whose members tended to utilize corruption/patronage effectively, though was considered to have a clean record.[10]
He was a member of the joint committee which drew up and reported (1877) the Electoral Commission Bill, and subsequently served as a member of the Electoral Commission that decided the 1876 Presidential election.[3] As a Republican, he voted with the eight-member majority on all counts.[2]
Upon taking the post, Frelinghuysen was tasked with resolving a number of consequences resulted by the actions of his predecessor Blaine.[10] Taking a pacifistic and patient approach,[5][9] he shared the vision held by William H. Seward of the United States dominating the global market in setting an example for other nations to follow, he withdrew the U.S. from the War of the Pacific between Chile and Peru in which his predecessor unsuccessfully backed the Peruvians.[10][12]
Frelinghuysen's other actions included canceling a scheduled Pan-American conference against President Arthur's wishes that Blaine had originally planned.[9][10][12] In addition, he negotiated a treaty change with Hawaii that allowed for a naval base for the U.S. in Pearl Harbor,[5] which was later known for being bombed by Japan in World War II.
In contrast to his predecessors in the position of U.S. Secretary of State, Frelinghuysen proved unable to urge Great Britain to modify the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty terms in a re-negotiation attempt,[12] and instead pushed through a treaty with Nicaragua that would permit the construction of a canal in the country under joint ownership.[9] However, it was withdrawn later during the presidency of Grover Cleveland by the U.S. Senate, which did not ratify it.[12] Other efforts rejected by Congress included proposals to negotiate reciprocity Spain, Mexico, and Santo Dominigo, in addition to opening an international consortium between the Congo, U.S. and other countries.[10]
Frelinghuysen served in the post until the end of President Arthur's term, effectively resigning in early March 1885.[12]
After his term as Secretary of State Frelinghuysen returned to his home in Newark where he died less than three months after retiring.[13]
On January 25, 1842, Frelinghuysen married Matilda Elizabeth Griswold (1817–1889).[15] She was the daughter of George Griswold,[16] a merchant in New York City who "made an immense fortune in the time of the clipper trade with China."[15] Together, they were the parents of three daughters and three sons, including:[16]
Matilda Griswold Frelinghuysen (1846–1926),[17] who married Henry Winthrop Gray (1840–1906),[18] a prominent merchant[16] in 1889.[19]
Charlotte Louisa "Lucy" Frelinghuysen (1847–1930),[20][16]
Through his eldest son Frederick, he was the grandfather of George Griswold Frelinghuysen II, who married Anne de Smolianinof; Estelle C. "Suzy" Frelinghuysen, who married fellow painter George Lovett Kingsland Morris; Frederick Frelinghuysen; Thomas Frelinghuysen; and Theodore Frelinghuysen.[31][32]
^Rollins, John William. Frederick Theodore Frelinghuysen, 1817-1885: The Politics and Diplomacy of Stewardship. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 1974