William H. Robertson

William H. Robertson
Robertson in the 1860s
Collector of the Port of New York
In office
1881–1885
Preceded byEdwin A. Merritt
Succeeded byEdward L. Hedden
Member of the New York Senate
from the 12th district
In office
1888–1891
Preceded byHenry C. Nelson
Succeeded byCharles P. McClelland
Member of the New York Senate
from the 12th district
In office
1880–1881
Preceded byCharles Hughes
Succeeded byHenry C. Nelson
Member of the New York Senate
from the 9th district
In office
1872–1879
Preceded byWilliam Cauldwell
Succeeded byFrancis M. Bixby
Member of the New York Senate
from the 7th district
In office
1854–1855
Preceded byAbraham B. Conger
Succeeded byJohn W. Ferdon
Member of the New York State Assembly
from the Westchester County, 1st district
In office
1849–1850
Preceded byRichard M. Underhill
Succeeded byDaniel Clark Briggs
Judge of the Westchester County Court
In office
1856–1866
President pro tempore of the New York State Senate
In office
1874–1881
Preceded byWilliam B. Woodin
Succeeded byDennis McCarthy
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New York's 10th district
In office
March 4, 1867 – March 3, 1869
Preceded byWilliam Radford
Succeeded byClarkson N. Potter
Personal details
Born(1823-10-10)October 10, 1823
Bedford, New York, U.S.
DiedDecember 6, 1898(1898-12-06) (aged 75)
Katonah, New York, U.S.
PartyWhig (before 1855)
Republican (after 1855)
SpouseMary Elizabeth Ballard
Parent
  • Henry Robertson (father)
OccupationLawyer, politician
Known for
Half-Breed faction leader; appointment as Collector of the Port of New York sparked Stalwart–Half-Breed feud

William Henry Robertson (October 10, 1823 – December 6, 1898), also known as W. H. Robertson,[1] was an American lawyer and politician from New York. He served in the New York State Assembly, the New York State Senate, and the United States House of Representatives, and was later appointed Collector of the Port of New York by President James A. Garfield. His appointment sparked a major feud between the Half-Breed and Stalwart factions of the Republican Party.

Robertson allied with the GOP Half-Breed faction,[2][3] which supported moderate civil service reform[4] and emphasized protectionist tariffs and industrial growth.

Robertson was born on October 10, 1823, in Bedford, Westchester County, New York, the son of Henry Robertson (d. 1881).[5] He received an academic education, attended the common schools and Bedford Union Academy, studied law, and began practice in his native town.[5][6]

Political and judicial career

Robertson was a Whig member of the New York State Assembly (Westchester County, 1st District) in 1849 and 1850.[5][7]

He was a member of the New York State Senate (7th District) in 1854 and 1855.[5][7]

He served as Judge of the Westchester County Court from 1856 to 1866.[5][6]

He joined the Republican Party upon its organization in 1855 and was a presidential elector in 1860, voting for Abraham Lincoln and Hannibal Hamlin.[5]

U.S. Congress

Robertson was elected as a Republican to the 40th United States Congress, representing New York's 10th congressional district, and served from March 4, 1867, to March 3, 1869.[5][6]

Return to the State Senate

He was again a member of the State Senate from 1872 to 1881, sitting in the 95th through 104th legislatures. He represented the 9th District from 1872 to 1879 and the 12th District from 1880 to 1881.[5][6]

In 1874, after a constitutional amendment created it as a standing office, he was chosen President pro tempore of the New York State Senate. He remained in this post until his retirement from the Senate in May 1881 upon his federal appointment.[6][8]

Collector of the Port of New York and the Stalwart–Half-Breed feud

In 1881, Robertson was appointed Collector of the Port of New York by President James A. Garfield, whose nomination he had helped to secure by leading a part of the New York delegation at the 1880 Republican National Convention to shift their support from Grant.[5][6][3]

Robertson's nomination to the collectorship, made without consulting the two Republican U.S. Senators, Roscoe Conkling and Thomas C. Platt, and, according to their claims, in violation of the President's pledge, led to the resignation of the two senators and resulted in a serious party split.[2][9] In the bitter struggle between the Stalwart and the Half-Breed factions which followed, Robertson was active in the campaign that resulted in the election of new senators in the place of Conkling and Platt.[6]

Robertson was a delegate to the 1884 Republican National Convention and held the collectorship until 1885.[5]

Later career

After leaving the collectorship, Robertson resumed his law practice.[6]

He was again a member of the State Senate (12th District) from 1888 to 1891, sitting in the 111th, 112th, 113th, and 114th legislatures.[5]

Death

Robertson died on December 6, 1898, in Katonah, New York, at the age of 75.[6][5]

References

  1. ↑ Welch, Richard E. Jr. (1971). George Frisbie Hoar and the Half-Breed Republicans, p. 102. Harvard University Press.
  2. 1 2 About the Vice President | Levi Parsons Morton, 22nd Vice President (1889-1893). United States Senate. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  3. 1 2 Dwyer, Owen. Stalwarts vs. Half-Breeds: Charisma and Vindictiveness in 19th Century Politics. Aspects of History. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  4. ↑ Fascinating Politics (October 26, 2019). James G. Blaine: The Defeated Candidate Archived 2022-02-13 at the Wayback Machine. Mad Politics: The Bizarre, Fascinating, and Unknown of American Political History. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "ROBERTSON, William Henry". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved July 9, 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "William H. Robertson Dead". The New York Times. December 7, 1898. p. 2. Retrieved July 9, 2026.
  7. 1 2 The New York Civil List. 1867. p. 442.
  8. ↑ Autobiography of Thomas Collier Platt (edited by L. J. Lang, New York, 1910)
  9. ↑ Stalwarts, Half Breeds, and Political Assassination. National Park Service. Retrieved February 12, 2022.

Sources

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