He was a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1860 , where he quickly rose to a position of great influence . Appointed as Iowa 's representative on the platform committee , he was one of five delegates on the subcommittee responsible for reconciling competing resolutions into a coherent platform , and in the end was the principal draftsman of the final product , including the antislavery planks that were referenced by southern states as they seceded upon Abraham Lincoln 's election . In 1861 , President Lincoln appointed Kasson as First Assistant Postmaster General , a position he held until August 1862
Republican National Convention
1860 Republican National Convention
John A. Kasson