“ He was active as a Republican in state and national politics; was chairman of the Committee on Resolutions of the New York State Republican Conventions from 1874 to 1880 (excepting 1877) , and was president of the convention of 1879; and was a delegate to several National Republican Conventions, drafting much of the Republican platforms of 1876 and 1896. In 1890-1892 he was United States minister to Russia, and during that period had charge of distributing among the Russian famine sufferers more than $100,000 in money, and five shiploads of food. ”