The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1891-11-13
THE PREVIOUS ENVIRONMENT OF THE
PORTUGUESE.
(Concluded.)
THE PEOPLE.

~
were ruled by the Spaniards till, in
1910, when the people rose in revolt,
and, by almost unanimous vote, pro-
claimed Braganca King under title of
John ". A long war ensued with
Spain, which was terminated in 1865
by the decisive defeat of the Spaniards.
A treaty of alliance concluded with
England in 1861, inaugurated series
of similar alliances, one of which, in
| 1903, drew Portugal into the war of
the Spanish succession. The reign of
Joseph Jose 1750-77) was marked by
great social and agricultural reforms,
and the expulsion of the Jesuits.
Great suffering was entailed upon
the kingdom by its being involved,
through English influences, in the
wars of the French Republic and Ma
poleon. It was invaded by the French
in 1907, and in 1908 the Portuguese
rose against the invaders, and aided
by the English under Sir Arthur
WELLESLEY, drove the French from the
country.
1t was overrun by the French again
in 1909, and again protected by the
English arms till 1872.
In 1920 a bloodless revolution was
effected and a liberal constitution
adopted; and in 1921, at the request
of the nation, John ", who had sue
ceeded his insane mother Maria, re-
turned from Brazil, leaving his eldest
son Dom Pedro there as regent. In
the following year Dom Pedro was
| proclaimed Emperor of Brazil, and
| the two countries were finally separ-
ated. John ". died in 1926, and
Dom Pedro, of Brazil, his successor,
surrendered Portugal to his daughter
Maria da Gloria, and established a
new and tolerably liberal constitution
| for the kingdom. But before Maria
arrived in Portugal, her uncle Dom
Miguel, the younger brother of Dom
Pedro (who had been appointed re-
GENT usurped the throne, and began
to rule without regard to the cOnsti-
tuition. His fierce despotism provoked
civil war, which ragged for several
years, the constitutional troops being
| led. by Dom Pedro, who recruited an
army and organized a fleet in support
of his daughters claims. Dom Pedro
conquered and received his brothers
submission in 1884. Dom Miguel was
| the father of the Countess de Bardi,
who visited these Islands last year on
her way from Yokohama to San
Francisco.
Several revolutions and counter
revolutions have since taken place.
In all these wars the people strove
for liberty, and displayed spirit of
independence which reflects greatly
to their credit.
When the Portuguese first came to
the Hawaiian Islands, to serve under
contracts, the conditions under which
they found themselves placed were
hard for them to bear. But necessity
had induced them to come. One
thing which eXasperated them was
the incompetency, and in too many
cases, the corruption of the district
magistrates. For in their own coun-
try, they deem the Judiciary as above
reproach. There the judges, from the
lower courts up, are said to be singu-
larly able and upright; and the people
are accustomed to yield unquestion-
ingly to their authority.
The higher classes in the Azores are
extremely refined. They treat the
lower classes very kindly and in
paternal way. Profane language is
never used by them. The Portuguese
immigrants received very bad i'm
preston when they first went upon
Hawaiian plantations on account of
the bad language used by overseers
and lunas; men whom they had sup
posed would correspond to the higher
classes at home.
The people of the Azores are more
docile and peaceable than on the
mainland.
The Communists and Nihilists of
the Continent are almost unknown in
the islands.
The great majority of those who
came here submitted to what they
deemed, in many cases, to be great
injustice.
With few exceptions they have
proved law-abiding and submissive to
authority.
AS people the Portuguese are ex-
tremely fond of flowers, and in the
Azores flowers and plants thrive with
tropical luxuriance. The town of
Ponta Delgada, in the Island of San
Miguel, has some of the most beauti-
full gardens in the world. The owners
of some of these gardens have eXpend-
ed thousands of pounds sterling in
introducing new plants and trees.
The garden of Senior Jose do Canto
contain over 5000 species new to the
island.
In many of the gardens are clumps
of bamboos, tree-ferns, pinnated, fan
and other palms, and exotic growths
in endless variety, which with such
Towering plants as the shrubby NAL
low from Syria, stephanotis f1ori-
bunda, the exquisite white lily
(Crinum Asiaticum), a native of
tropical Asia, and beautiful varieties
of Towering plants from Ceylon and
other countries, lend a character ex-
pected only in more southern lands.
THEIR RELATIONS TO THE CHURCH.
During the struggle with Dom
Miguel the Church sided with him,
which intensified the feeling against
it. And with the success of liberal
principles the Church ceased to have
influence in matters of state.
In the Azores there are no Monas-
tical orders, and the status of the
Church is different from the condition
in these islands. There the priests
now come mostly from among the |
common people; and occupy the |
position more of friends and adj |
visers of the people. There are no |
other denominations to provoke re-
ligious strife. The Portuguese who |
come here are surprised at the con-
tentions about religion and COM
plain that the priests hold themselves |
above the people; that there is lack |