At the 1856 Republican National Convention , he was influential in securing the nomination of John C. Frémont , who was married to Jessie Benton Frémont , a daughter of his old friend , Thomas Hart Benton , for the presidency . At the 1860 Republican convention , he , as delegate at large from Maryland , initially supported Edward Bates for the 1860 presidential nomination . When it became clear that Bates would not succeed , Blair supported the nomination of Abraham Lincoln
1856 Republican National Convention
1856 Republican National Convention
Francis Preston Blair