The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1906-08-10
ROAR OF RAGE.
AT PORTUGUESE
MASS MEETING

authority. As their religion IL tn
same az that professed and practices
by myself. | fall to see how II is pos
sible to place upon my letter any con
struction. other than that intended
Il desire TO say. further that Il
stating that the Portuguese people. II
many Instances. possessed no intel
lectuality and but little intelligence an,
furnish "A poor foundation for an intel
ligent American citizenship. during thu
present generation. and offer but lit
tie hope for a substantial foundation
for many generations to come, l die
not intend to include. and did not in
clude. the Portuguese people as
whole. nor indeed, any of them except
| certain instances which had actually
come under my observation and ! an
satisfied now. from what l have since
! learned, that even those that | had ir
mind were the exception and not the
| rule. 1t was not intended to apply
! and did not apply to those who were In
fact familiar with their own language
or with the language of the country In
! which they had elected to make their
| homes, or their descendants. Nor, in
deed. did / intend 1t to apply to those
instances which / had In mind, as far
as their descendants were concerned, II
such descendants conformed to the
manners and customs of the country
| in which their parents had elected to
| make their homes, and in which they,
themselves had made their homes,
learned it's language and otherwise
qualified themselves to become intelli-
T halinyaI TN
and believe now that great majority
of the Portuguese people. who came
here, furnish a most substantial and
satisfactory foundation for an intelli-
gent American citizenship.
II desire, now, to express my sim
cere regret for the unfortunate and in
felicitous use of the language employ
ed, in that it has occasioned the mis-
construction placed upon 1t concerning
the Portuguese people, which was en-
TREY at variance with my intent and
purpose in employing it.
Trusting that this explanation Of
my intent and purpose in the writing
that portion of the letter referred to,
may clear up and dispel any misunder-
standing that has arisen as to my at
titude and disposition towards the Por-
tuguese people, and that may be ac-
quilted of the charges OF having ruth
lessly and needlessly offended and
gratuitously insulted a people for
whom I have never entertained other
than the most kindly feelings. I am.
Very sincerely yours,
wv. J. ROBINSON.
up. ST. have handed to the editor
of "A Liberdade,' a letter of similar
import to the foregoing. and intend to
send copies of the same to Senator
Perkins and Secretary Hitchcock.
wv. J. r."
"Too late shouted voice, at the
conclusion of Medeiros' reading.
After the reading of the communica-
ton the chair admonished all present
to restrain their feelings and preserve
the best of order.
DIAS AND DURAO.
A. D. Castro read letter from P. A.
Dias addressed to the audience, the
writer being too unwell to attend the
meeting in person.
The tone of Dias' letter was that
those at the meeting, while taking
every measure to protect their ma
tional and personal reputation. should
be careful to do nothing which would |
put them in an unfavorable light before !
the world.
j. F. Durao spoke impassionately of
the Robinson letter, which he declared |
to be both cowardly and ignorant. He
spoke of the glories of the Portuguese
nation and of the excellent traits as
citizens possessed by the Portuguese
people. If it were certain that the let
ter had been written for the purpose
If blocking the administration, the re-
iections on the Portuguese people con-
.ained therein could not be excused,
even as the Incorporate product of
not headed spite. He thought, with
hundreds of others, that the letter was
written to purposely insult the Portu-
,uese people. Judge Robinson evident
y judged the Portuguese people by the
wo or three Portuguese witnesses who
lad testified in the case against Muir
lerer Frank Johnson. The judge wept
ears without moisture, and while the
land wrote retraction, the tongue
md the heart still maintained that the
tatements made in the letter to SEN
tor Perkins were right, all the same.
PETERS AND VIEIRA.
A. V. Peters spoke of the Portu-
,uese as Woodworking, honorable
eople. In the States the Portuguese
ad not only made ideal citizens. but
ad fought and bled for the American
ag. 1t was hard to be insulted even
a retraction was made at the {
leventh hour. II was terrible thing G
Dr. Supreme Court judge to revile G
ne Portuguese as Judge Robinson had q
one t
A. II. r. yieira endorsed the remarks i
T the preceding speakers. Not only,
IN OnVc e