Читать книгу History of Westchester County, New York, Volume 3 - Группа авторов - Страница 4

The distinguished gentleman whose name introduces this memoir had passed his seventy-fifth mile-post when death released him from this mortal life, on December 6, 1898, and could look back with just pride over a public career replete with activity and usefulness. No one who has been a citizen of White Plains is more deserving of honorable mention in the present work than he.

Mr. Robertson was born at the family homestead in Bedford, Westchester county, October 10, 1823, a son of Henry Robertson. His boyhood was spent on his father's farm, and his early education was obtained in the public schools of the district in which they lived and at Union Academy, in Bedford. For some time he taught school in Bedford and Lewisboro. Early selecting the law for his profession, he pursued its study in the office of Judge Robert S. Hart, in Bedford, and in 1847 was admitted to the bar. In 1854 he formed a partnership with Odle Close, under the firm name of Close & Robertson, for the practice of law, and this association continued until his death.

The Judge's taste for politics had its beginning while he was yet in his teens. He took a deep interest in the Harrison campaign of 1840, in 1844 cast his first presidential vote, for Henry Clay, and the next spring was elected to the position of superintendent of town schools, which he filled for several years. He was four times supervisor of Bedford and twice chairman of the board of supervisors.

His legislative career began in 1848, when he was elected to the assembly, and he was re-elected the following year. In 1853 he was chosen to the state senate, where he at once took a prominent position. Among the public acts, he introduced a bill for establishing the department of public instruction, which may justly be considered one of the most important events in the educational history of the state. In 1855 he was elected county judge, was twice re-elected to that responsible position, and thus filled the office twelve years. He served six years as inspector of the Seventh Brigade of New York militia, was chairman of the military committee appointed by Governor Morgan in 1862 to raise and organize state troops in the eighth senatorial district, and was commissioned to superintend the draft in Westchester county. In 1860 he was a member of the electoral college, and voted for Abraham Lincoln. He supported him again in the national convention of 1864, and during his whole administration was one of his most loyal and faithful adherents. In 1866 he was elected a representative to the fortieth congress, and while a member of that body he voted for the impeachment of President Johnson, and took an active part in the legislation which led to the restoration of the southern states to the Union.

Judge Robertson's second term of service in the state senate began m 1872 and continued without interruption for a period of ten years, during the last eight of which he was president pro tem of that body. He served as chairman of the committees on commerce and navigation, rules, literature and judiciary, being for eight years at the head of the judiciary committee, a place of great responsibility, which he ably filled. In 1876 he was one of three gentlemen who, at the request of the president, visited Florida to supervise the counting of the votes for the office of president. On two occasions — in 1872 and 1879 — the personal and political friends of Judge Robertson made a strong effort to place him in nomination for governor of New York, and, while he was each time defeated, the support given him was indeed flattering.

In February, 1880, Judge Robertson was appointed a delegate to represent his state in the national convention to be held in Chicago in June. A vote was passed at the state convention instructing its delegates to vote as a unit, the purpose being to enable the majority of the delegates to carry it en masse for General Grant. Soon after the adjournment of the state convention. Judge Robertson published a letter in the Albany Journal, in which he repudiated the principles of the unit rule, and declared for Blaine. The letter attracted attention throughout the country and gave its author great prominence in the opposition to the "third-term" movement. It is generally conceded that it was his leadership and organizing ability, more than those of any other man, that broke the power of the "unit" rule in Republican conventions and defeated the "third-term " candidate.

In March, 1881, Mr. Robertson was nominated by President Garfield for collector of the port of New York. His political acts having been distasteful to the senators from his state, they demanded the withdrawal of his nomination by the president. This being refused, a bitter contest followed, which was ended by the resignation of the senators in May and the confirmation of Mr. Robertson soon afterward. He did not, however, assume the collectorship until the first of August, and the legislature (he being in the senate) did not adjourn until late in July. His judicial and legislative experience had prepared him for the most difficult duty of the position, the consideration and decision of intricate points of revenue law, — and he discharged its obligations to the satisfaction of the importers and with the almost universal commendation of the public press.

Mr. Robertson was conspicuous and influential in local and state conventions for many years, took an active part in the national conventions of 1864, 1876, 1880 and 1884, and was for fifteen years a member of the Republican state committee. In his political life he was remarkably successful, having never been defeated when a candidate before the people, although his principal canvasses have been made in a district in which the party majority was against him, He achieved this result by the strength of his personal character, his fidelity to friends, his sincere and uniform courtesy, his unquestioned integrity and his legal and business ability. He possessed, in an unusual degree, the "genius of common sense," an acute knowledge of human nature and thorough self-control. He was also of a literary taste and of studious habits, and valued no less than his political honors the degree of LL. D., which was conferred upon him by Williams College in 1876.

In 1865 Judge Robertson married Miss Mary E. Ballard, a daughter of Hon. Horatio Ballard, who was a prominent lawyer of Cortland county. New York, and well known throughout the state. In 1869 he built the house at Katonah where he resided until his death. In the community where he lived he was a judicious and willing counselor of all who sought his advice, a liberal contributor to religious and charitable objects, a public-spirited citizen and a valued friend.