The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-06-10
HANDSOME PRESENT.
What the coIored People Think
of Judge Robertson.


hall June 9th and appointed d w,
Harth, Nathaniel ohnson, P. w. Oliver,
j. s. Oatmeal, w. w. Brown, j. Riley
Dungee, Thomas L. Henry and A. j.
Oliver, committee to draft resolutions
and take suitable action expressing
the regret of the colored people at the
resignation of Hon. William Gordon
Robertson, as Judge of the Hastings
court.
Yesterday afternoon the committee
called on Judge Robertson, at his office
in the Terry building, and presented
him with beautiful bronze and cut
glass initstand and costly gold pen. The
chairman Of the committee, Andrew j.
Oliver, made the presentation in very
neat and appropriate speech.
II. II. Henry next made a brief and
touching address on behalf of the col
ored citizens, who he said were satisfied
to leave the commensuration of Judge
Robertson's judicial career to the future
historian. He felt grateful that Judge
Robertson had in the face of adverse
comment discharged his duty without
fear or favor regardless of consequences.
His whole speech was an eloquent and
glowing tribute to Judge Robe rtsons
administration in the te mple of Justice.
d. w. Harth and j. Riley Durgee
made short and appropriate speeches,
and j. K. Dungee, as secretary OF the
committee. read series of resolutions
which were adopted by the colored peo-
pie in mass meeting, which fifty ex-
pressed in beautiful language and we'll
selected words their appreciation of
Judge Robertsons impartial dispense
ton of justice during his eigh years
term as Judge of the Hastings Court.
These resolutions were handsomely en-
crossed and contain the signatures of
the committee.
Judge Robertson, who was deeply af-
fected by these tokens Of esteem, made
the following remarks in reply:
my Friends and Gentlemen of the
Committee:
ANY man might we'll feel proud Of
the manifestations of the esteem and
regard that my resignation from the
office of Judge have called forth from
all classes in this community, but can
say, with no intention to natter YOU,
that none of these manifestations have
been a source of greater qualification
and pride to me than the action of the
colored people whom you represent. II
there is any one thing in which / take a
special pride, it is that when / went
upon the bench, now moro than eight
years ago, fully made up my mind that
in cases which would come before me
for adjudication, the color of the parties
interested would mover produce judicial
blindness on my part-that so far as
am concerned the law would be tho
same for the black man as for the white
man.
For there is nothing of which was
and am more thoroughly convinced
than that the problems involved in the
relations between your race and mine
here in the South can never be worked
out to satisfactory conclusion unless
the foundation and basis of all our deal
ings with each other be even handed
justice This is not the time, nor is it
the place, to do more than to refer to
the relative positions of our races, blu +
you all know, as well as l do, that he is
not true aid sincere friend to the
colored people, who, for purposes of his
own seeks to instill into their minds
poisonous untruths as to their being
socially and morally equal to the white
race.
You know as we'll as | do that no
people can expect to emerge from
slavery, and in few short years equal
in intelligence, morals and refinement
race which for thousand years, has
been painfully, but yet in state of
freedom. fighting its way upward to the
height 1T has now gained. But while all
this is true, your destiny and ours are
bound indissolubly together. 1t is to
our interest, as we'll as to yours, that
you advance as far as possible up the
grade towards higher and better civil
lizaiion. 1t is our duty as good citizens
to help you in your endeavor to raise
yourselves to better things. and as
have before minated. in my opinion,
the first step in this direction must be
to see that so far as all your rights
which you have in common with us are
concerned you should have nothing but
justice.
These being my opinions and fe ell
ings. it is but natural that I should
highly appreciate this handsome testi
monial which you, as representatives of
the colored people of Roanoke, have
Just presented to me. 1t is, too, very
gratifying thought to me that you ap-
preciate my efforts while on the bench
to do you justice. 1t is very pleasing
to me also to think that some of the
best friends have here are among the
colored people, and can but hope what
have done in my feeble way in your
behalf may continue to have good re.
suits long after all of us mere have been
forgotten.
But whether this be so or not, it is
my hope that those of you, who have
the good OF your race at heart, will con-
tinue your efforts to lift it to a higher
plane-continue to teach them by such
object lessons as these to appreciate the
fact that their true friends are those
who believe that it is their duty to be
Just towards them before they are gen.
erous.
81 can now say no more, except that,
for this handsome present and the reso,