SIR HERCULES ROBINSON.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1573, 5 March 1879, Page 3

SIR HERCULES ROBINSON.

[Sydney “ Punch.”] . A sad, but not the saddest, word in our brave old mother tongue, is “ Good-bye,” and seldom has Mr “Punch ” said it more sadly than he does to-day to the good Governor and genial gentleman who so soon will bo numbered with his absent friends. With no pretence of praise, or oven of adequate judgment, far less of course with any feeling of flunkeyism towards one still in the highest place amongst us, Mr “ Punch ” would attempt in one way, as his artist has in another, a slight sketch of the man who for the last seven years has been the light of our social life, and the leaven of much that has been best in our somewhat sluggish progress as a community. It cannot be a living likeness, for who can paint the ineffable charm of manner or the ready warmth and wealth of heart and intellect ?—and even for a full-length portrait of such a man as Sir Hercules Robinson there is hero neither space nor skill. It can be at the best but a sort of rough-drawn miniature, to be hung lovingly in our hearts, to remember an old friend by, when old memories fill vacant hours and he is far away. And there is this great thing to be said for such a likeness, that it is just as such a friend, not as the proud proconsul and stately representative of a statelier royalty, not even as the imposing head of our yet more imposing society, leader of the local ton, and fountain of all our dearly-sought social honor and distinctions, but simply, or at any rate mainly, as an old and very true friend, that our departing Governor will be remembered by those best worthy of remembering him. Like many great men before him, Sir Hercules Robinson has found his best security for snch fame and honor as hie position could give him in the hearts of the people. In truth it is not much in the way of fame and honor that now-a-days can fall otherwise to the lot of a colonial Governor. Fairly to rule is not a very difficult matter with a responsible Ministry and any number of very irresponsible members of Parliament to role for you ; nor is it easy to get up any largo amount of enthusiasm for brilliant exploits or daring adventures, when there is no one to fight, and nothing to kill but time and the blues. It is purely to his own strong personal character, thrown into bolder relief, no doubt, by the fierce light that beats upon even a vice-regal throne, but in no other way helped by his official position or performances—that our Governor owes his firm place in the public heart, and the one word for that character is manliness. “From grave to gay, from lively to severe”—whether relieving the dullness of a public meeting platform ; shocking the sensibilities of the merely learned in the University Senate House : talking grave sense to greybeards at the Council Board, or bright nonsense to grammar-school boys ; informing and delighting with something of their own bold spirit the hardly settlers of the bush, or snubbing the snivelling imperti nences of canting critics; whatever his sub ject, or whoever his audience—talking literature to the learned or turf to the horsey, wisdom to the foolish or folly with the wise—teaching manners to irascible legal dignitaries, or plain lessons of habit aud conduct to every one—the one unfailing characteristic of his Exccdlency's every public utterance amongst us has been the clear, umnistakeable ring of strength and truth. Wide and various as the range of his speeches may have been, and it has certainly been wide and various enough—from the future dominion of Australia to next year’s Derby, University education to newspaper noodledum —unequal, too, as they must have been, they have at least al 1 had tliis one great virtue in common. And what a virtue it is ! “ That which is born of valour and honor teaches valour and honor,” and where was there ever sorer need for such teaching than in this land of boasted free speech, so fast becoming foul ? “ Live with ttie wolves,” says the Spanish proverb, “ and you will learn to howl,” and if only as an antidote to much of the wolf-like public eloquence of the period, the manly speech of our cool, calm, courageous, but ever-courteous Governor, must long have a pleasant music—- “ In sounds that echo still”—

at any rate to those who, if still condemned to live with the wolves, don’t want to learn to howl.

As his speech is so is the man—manly and thorough to the backbone —strong, physically and mentally—keen, bright, and true as the steel he once wore—a gentleman unmistakeably, every inch of him, and something more, —a man of men, born to command. This last, no doubt, was his fault here, and his and our great misfortune, in so far that, for any practical power of ruling, he has been very much as the strong man bound. Between the enlightened despotism, or, as another strong man, by no means bound, Prince Bismarck, has it, the “ benevolent rational absolutism” (tempered as it would be by happy speeches and magnificent race meetings) of such a ruler, and the High Court of Pandemonium in Macquarrie street, who could hesitate P On the one side clear duty and intelligence—knowledge to guide and courage to dare ; on the other ; —but the choice is an impossible one, and comparisons are odious, as odious sometimes as the terrible difference they suggest. It must be enough for us that, where he could rule he did, by virtue, not of place or power, but of simple tact and sagacity —the higher force of the incalculably higher mind. Witness only his latest public service, the bringing order out of the chaos of our miserable International Exhibition muddle, and the consequent saving of the country, for which, with least to connect him with it, he yot seemed most to care, from world-wide ridicule and contempt. What other magician’s wand could so readily have laid all those paltry passions and conflicting petty interests ? or, greater wonder still, have so suddenly transformed foes into mends, potent grumblers and malcontents into p rtly executive commissioners and energetic committee men, ail working like horses tor the very project they had as vigorously opposed ? These are things that tell of the strong man armed with the irresistible force of will and character —and there are many more than these. More English than the Engl sh in cur love of old English snorts, he is cur beau-ideal of an old English sportsman ; and, much as or e dislikes the cant of the “immorality of the turf,” there is, of course, a “ tone” in everything, and to this particular British sport amongst us he has unquestionably given the very highest. Probably in no other way could a Governor have done better or more lasting service to the community than in thus identifying himself with its

| and umuscmen s -elevating the owe, while hr sho *ed by example how the other could only be enjoyed to the full by being kept ch iti- from the slightest taint of baseness. Mi- “Punch” does not in the least believe in the necessary “ contamination” of the racecourse ; and for the canting compliment that there wi re no “ mighty '.hunters before Nimrod,” no honest racing men before Sir Hercules Robinson, he has as thorough a contempt as the object of that very doubtful attention himself. Still, if only to confound the detractors o’ a noble sport, our racing men are none the worse for a noble example, and long ader bis Excellency’s own race is run, his memory will be kept green as the turf he loved, as one whose love of bright honor was only equalled by his hate of humbug and scorn of cant. So, as we have all seen and known him, in Ilia habit as he lived amongst ns, a bright, true, brave British gentleman, Mr “ Punch” bids him heartily “ Good-bye !” That ho has before him a career of iar higher public usefulness and distinction no one can doubt; that anywhere he will leave behind him more grateful memories, or truer friends, no one—and least of all, it is to be hoped, himself—will believe.