lllliiiil!; OWN PRAyiLE DOES NOT CiRCULATB CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRAfiV 3 1924 051 258 402 -ft'. All books are subject to recall after two weeks Oiin/Kroch Library DATE DUE • ^"^ifttt^A if^V^V r, mm'* ". FRAGILE Pil Please har with care, is brittle GAVUORD idle this h as the pc ook Lper PRINTED IN U.SA Cornell University Library The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924051258402 tribute to #allaubct. DISCOURSE IN COMMEMORATION OF THE LIFE, CHARACTER AND SERVICES, OF THE REV. THOMAS E GALLAUDET, LL D., DELIVERED BEFORE THE CITIZENS OF HARTFORD, JAN. 7th, 1852. WITH AN APPENDIX, Cantaining History of Beaf-Kute Instructiaii and Institutions, and other Documents. BY HENRY BARNARD. HARTFORD : PUBLISHED BY BROCKETT & HUTCHINSON. 1852. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1852, by MRS. SOPHIA FOWLER GALLAUDET, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Connecticut. p R a 9 S OF CASE, TIFFANY & CO,, UARTFORD, CONN. Hartford, Jan. 9th, 1852. Deak Sir : The undersigned having Kstened with much gratification to your truly interesting and eloquent eulogy, of the 7th inst., on the life and services of our esteemed fellow-citizen, the late Rev. Thomas H. Gallaudet, of this city, solicit a copy of the same for publication, a general desire having been manifested to see it in print. Understanding that you omitted, in the de- livery, a portion of the address prepared for that occEision, it is the desire of the committee, should you consent to comply with their request, that you will furnish them with the entire production, for the press, together with such other matter in connection therewith, as you may wish to publish with it. With sentiments of great respect. Very truly, yours, &c., THO. H. SEYMOUR. B. HUDSON. JAMES H. WELLS. PHILLIP RIPLEY. JOHN S. BUTLER. Hon. HENRY BARNARD, .'?I:PER1NTENDENT OF CoililON SCHOOLS. CONTENTS. EULOGY. APPENDIX. I. Alice Cogswell. II. History of Deaf-Mute Instruction and Institutions, in Europe and the United States. in. Autobiography of Laurent Clerc. IV. Journal of Kev. Thomas H. Gallaudet, during his visit to Europe in 1815-16. V. History of the American Asylum. Officers and Instructors of the American Asylum from 1816 to 1851. Subscriptions and Contri- butions to the American Asylum. VI. A Sermon delivered at the opening of the Connecticut Asylum for the Education of Deaf and Dumb Persons, April 20th, 1817, by Rev. Thomas H. Gallaudet. Vn. A Discourse delivered at the Dedication of the American Asylum, May 22d, 1821, by Kev. Thomas H. Gallaudet. Vlil. A Sermon on the Duty And Advantages of affording Instruction to the Deaf and Dumb, by Kev. ThOmas H. Gallaudet. IX. Testimonial of the Deaf Mutes of New England to Messrs. Gallaudet and Clerci X. Discourse delivered at the Dedication of the ChapSl of the Connecticut Ketreat for the Insane, January 28th, 1846, by Rev. Thomas H. Gallaudet, Chaplain. XI. Remarks on Seminaries for Teachers, by Rev. Thomas H. Gallaudet. XIL List of Pupils who have been connected with the American Asylumj from April 15th, 1817, to May 1st, 1851. Xm. Causes of Deafness and other Statisticsi TRIBUTE TO THE MEMORY Bet). (J:i)cima0 ^opkina ©allaubct, CC. ID,. BY THE CITIZENS OF HARTFORD. Rev. Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, LL. D., died on the 10th of Sep- tember, 1851, and was buried on the 1 2th of the same month, after impressive religious services in the South Congregational Church, which was crowdc^. with mourning friends, the officers and members of the public institutions with which the deceased was connected in hfe, and with citizens gener- ally. The loss which society and the cause of religion had thus sustained was duly commemorated and improved in several churches of the city on the Sabbaths immediately following. But it was still a very general wish that exercises of a more public character should be had, in which the citizens of Hartford generally might participate. In pursuance of a call signed by thirty of the principal citizens of Hartford, a preliminary meeting was held in the Lecture Room of the Center Church, on the evening of the 20th of October, 1861, in reference to the adoption of measures for some public tribute of respect to his memory. The meeting was called to order by Governor Seymour, and organized by the appointment of Hon. Thomas Day, Chairman, and Luzerne Rae, Sec. retary. A series of resolutions was presented by the Rev. William W. Turner, which, after brief remarks by the mover, the Hon. Seth Terry, the Rev. Dr- Bushnell, and other gentlemen, were unanimously adopted. Whereas, It having pleased Almighty God to remove hy death the Rev. ■ Thomas H. Hallaudet, LL. D., a resident of Hartford for half a century, nniversaliy known and not less universally beloved and honored, both as a private citizen and public benefactor ; Resolved, That, in the view" of this meeting, the oeeasion is one which de- 1 2 Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. mands a more public and particular recognition, than properly belongs to the dt:>mise of an ordinary citizen. Resolved, That the whole character of the eminent and excellent man whose death we mourn, commanding, as it did, our reverence and admiration while he lived among us, will be long remembered now that he is dead, as a happy union of various and often disimited qualities; of Christian faith and philan- thropic works; of liberality without laxity; of firmness without bigotry ; of sympathy with the vicious and the criminal in their sufferings, without undue, tenderness toward vice and crime ; and as furnishing in its whole development, a beautiful proof of the possibility of meeting the most rigorous demands of conscience and of God, and of securing, at the same time, the love and respect of all elasses and conditions of men. Resolved, That, by the death of Dr. Gallaudet, society has lost one of its brightest ornaments ; the cause of education a most able and faithful advocate ; religion, a shining example of daily devotion to its principles; the young, a kind and judicious counselor; and the unfortunate of every class, a sulf-denying and never wearying friend. . Resolved, That ;he noblest monuments of the deceased are already erected; and that his name will never be forgotten, so long as the two benevolent institu- tions, one of which received its existence from the labor of his early manhood, while the other enjoyed the devoted services of his later years, remain to crown the beautiful hills in the neighborhood of our city. Resolved, That a committee of five be appointed by this meeting, to devise such measures as may seem expedient, in further tribute to the memory of Dr. Gallaudet ; and to make all the arrangements necessary to carry these meas- ures into eflect. It was voted that the resolutions adopted by the meeting should be printed in the public papers, and that a copy of the same should be presented by the Secretary to the family of Mr. Gallaudet. In accordance with the last of these resolutions, a committee of arrange- ments was appointed, consisting of the following gentlemen : — B. Hudson Esq., His Excellency, Thomas H. SejTnour, James H. Wells, Esq., Phillip Ripley, Esq., Dr. John S. Butler. In pursuance of the action of this committee, the following Public Services were held in the South Congregational Church on Wednesday evening, January 7th, 1852. CHANT. Blessed are the dead, who die in the Lord from henceforth. Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest fron^ their labors, and their works do follow them. Our days are as a shadow, and there is none abiding; we are but of yes- terday, there is but a step between its and death. Man's days are as grass ; as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. He appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. Watch, for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. Be ye also ready, for in such an hour as ye think not the Sonof man oometh. It is the Lord : let him do what seenieth him good. The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, and blessed be the name of the Lord. SELECTIONS FEOK SCEIPTTIEE. BY REV. WALTER CLARKE. Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. HYMN. BY MRS. LYDIA HUNTLEY SIOOUEHET. "We mourn his loss, — who meekly walked In the Uedeemer's way. And toiled the unfolding mind to shield From Error's darkening sway; Who strove through Nature's prisoning sjiade* The hermit-heart to reach, And with philosophy divine To give the silent, speech ; "Who 'mid the cells of dire disease In prayerful patience wrought, And stricken and bewildered souls To a Great Healer brought. Around his grave let pilgrims throng. And tears bedew his urn : 'Tis meet that for the friend of all. The hearts of all should mourn. Yet meet it is our God to praise For his example here. And for his glorious rest, — above The trial and the tear. PRAYEE. BY REV. WALTER CLAESE. HYMN. BY LUZERNE E.AE. He dies : the earth becomes more dark "When such as he ascend to heaven. For where Death strikes a ' shining mark,* Through bleeding hearts his shaft is driven , Alike the sounds of mourning come From humble hut and lofty hall. Wherever misery finds a home; And all lament the friend of all. He dies : and still around his grave. The silent sons of sorrow bend, With tears for him tht-y could not save, Their guide — their father — and their friend ; And minds in ruin ask for him, With wondering woe that he is gone ; And cheeks are pale and eyes are dim. Among the outcast and forlorn. 4 Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. He lives : for virtue cannot die ; The man departs, liis deeds remain ; They wipe the tear, they check the sigh. They hush the sob of mortal pain. Love lasts forever : age on age The holy flame renews its glow. While man's brief years of pilgrimage. End in the dust of death below. He lives : his memory is the light To which our eyes with reverence turn : To love the true — to choose the right — Are lessons from his life we learn. Give us, O God! thy guiding hand. And teach us by thy word, that we Like him may labor in the land, And follow him to heaven and Thee. ETfLOGT. BY HENRY BAKNARD. SIBGE. Paraphrase of COLLINS' " How sleep the brave !" BY REV. THOMAS H. OALLAUDET, LL. D. How sleep the good ! who sink to rest, With their Redeemer's favor blest : When dawns the day, by seers of old. In sacred prophecy foretold. They then shall burst their humble sod. And rise to meet their Saviour — Gob. To seats of bliss by angel-tongue. With rapture is their welcome sung. And at their tomb when evening gray IJallows the hour of closing day. Shall Faith and Hope awhile repair, To dwell with weeping Friendship there. The early and spontaneous movement of many graduates of the Amoricau Asylum, and of deaf mutes in other parts of the country towards the erection of a monument in the grounds of the Asylum, commemorative of their grati- tude and affection towards this great benefactor of that class, may supei-scdc the action of the committee in that direction. EULOGY. In the autumn of 1807, in the family of Dr. Mason Fitch Cogswell, the beloved physician of our city at the date refer- red to, there was an interesting child, over whose innocent beauty, and joyous temper, and opening faculties, two sum- mers had shed their fragrance, their brightness and their music. The heart of Uttle Alice Cogswell, — for her name has become historic, — seemed the gushing fountain of glad and gladdening emotions, which fell from her Kps in the un- written melody of childhood's first imperfect words. Her curious ear was quick to catch the lowest tones of a mother's or a sister's voice, and assimilate into her spirit's growth the many sounds with which exulting nature makes every nook of her wide domain vocal. There was about her whole ap- pearance and movements that indescribable purity and joy which suggested to the poet the thought " that Heaven lies about us in our infancy," or that more consoling declaration of Him who took Kttle children in his arms and blessed them, " that of such is the kingdom of Heaven." Interesting as this child was, she became in the providence of God, in consequence of an attack of spotted fever, when two years and three months old, an object of still wider and deeper interest to her family, to this community, and to the world. The child recovered from its severe illness, but it was soon painfully evident that the sense of hearing was obliterated, and that to her ear this universe of sound, from the mighty compass of the many-stringed harp of nature, to the varied tones of the human voice, was as silent as a desert ; and as is not usual in such cases, the loss of articulation soon followed the loss of hearing. 6 Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. There is no need of words to realize to you, even if you have not been brought into the experience, or the presence of such calamity, — the mother's anguish or the father's anxiety, when the gladsomeness of this child's heart no longer found expression in prattling converse, and its blank look proclaimed that the voice of maternal affection fell unheeded on its ear. The yearnings of its young spirit for love, or for its little wants, could only find expression in inarticulate breathings, or uncouth explosions of sound. As Alice grew in years, it was painfully evident, that as compared with children of the same age, having perfect senses, she did not grow in knowledge. The shades of a prison-house seemed to close round her mind, although placed in the midst of cultivated society, teachers, schools,' books, and The boundless store Of charms which nature to her votary yields ; The warbling woodland ; the resounding shore ; The pomp of groves and garniture of fields; All that the genial ray of morning gilds," And all that echoes to the song of even; All that the mountains' sheltering bosom shields, And all the dread magnificence of Heaven. Her spirit, gifted with the warmest affections, and the power of an endless life, and of indefinite progression, seemed destined to sit in the loneliness of perpetual solitude, — cut off from aU intercourse, through teachers and books, with the great and good on earth, from the majestic contemplation of its own immortal existence, the sublime conception of an Infinite and Supreme Intelligence, and from aU communion with the spirits of the just made perfect. By agencies and in ways, to which I shall briefly advert, modes of reaching, and educating that mind were discovered and applied, — that imprisoned spirit was wooed forth into the light of a gladsome existence, — the warmth of that loving heart was cherished so as to add not only to the cheerfulness of her parental home, and when she passed from girlhood into young womanhood, she was not only clothed with the attrac- tions of personal beauty and accomplished manners, but Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. 7 displayed the higher attractions of a cultivated mind and a purified spirit — star-iUumed, like the depths of the midnight Heavens above us, with bright thoughts and holy aspirations. Among the teachers who were instrumental in commencing and working this change, the name of Lydia Huntley must not be forgotten, to whom also many of the most accom- plished women of our city owe the early culture of their minds and moral tastes, and who under this and another name, by weaving her own happy inspirations into the bridal wreath and the mourning chaplet of her Mends, has associa- ted herself inseparably with the household memories of our city, and our land. How touching and beautiful are the lines in which this gifted lady has imagined her favorite pupil, from a higher and purer region, addressing the cherished objects of kindred affection on earth. Joy ! I am mute no morej My sad and silent years With all their loveliness are o'er. Sweet sisters dry your tears ; Listen at hush of eve, — listen at dawn of day, List at the hour of prayer, — can ye not hear my lay ? Untaught, unchecked, it earae. As light from chaos beamed. Praising his everlasting name. Whose blood from Calvary streamed. And still it swells that highest strain, the song of the redeemed. Sisters ! there's music here ; From countless harps it fio'ws-, Throughout this bright celestial sphere. Nor pause nor discord knows. The seal is melted from mine ear. By love divine. And what through life I pined to hear, Is mine, is mine, — The warbling of an ever tuneful choir, And the full, deep response of David's sacred lyre. Did kind earth hide from me, Her broken harmony, That thus the melodies of Heaven might roll And whelm in deeper tides of bliss my wrapt, my wondering soul ! But the individual whose blessed privilege it was to plant the standard of intelligence in the almost inaccessible fast- 8 Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. nesses of Alice Cogswell's mind, — to establish for her lines and avenues of communication between the inner ana the outer world, — ^to give her the means and methods oi self-culture, — and if not literally to unloose the tongue, or unseal the ear, to unfold to her spirit the harmonies,^ and clothe it with the singing robes of Heaven, — ^was Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. But his labors in the cause of deaf-mute instruction were not confined to this individual case. Through the agency and cooperation of many others, it was his higher distinction to have founded an institution, and by its success, to have led the way to the establishment of already thirteen other in- stitutions, by which thousands of this unfortunate class have already been rescued from the doom of ignorance and isola- tion from their kind ; and tens of thousands more, instead of remaining ignorant, lonely, and helpless, will yet be introduced to the boundless stores of human and divine knowledge, to the delights of social intercourse, to a participation in the privileges of American citizenship, to such practical skill in useful mechanical and commercial business, and even the higher walks of literature, science and the fine arts, as wiU ena- ble them to gain an honorable livelihood, by their own personal exertions, and in fine, to all the duties and privileges of edu- cated Christian men and women, capable not only of indi- vidual usefulness and well-being, but of adding, each, some- thing to the stock of human happiness, and of subtracting something from the sura of human misery. But he was not only the successful teacher in a new and most difficult department of human culture, he was a wise educator in the largest acceptation of that word, the early and constant friend of the teacher in every grade of school the guide and counselor of the young, the untiring laborer in every work of philanthropy — the Christian gentleman, and the preeminently good man. And this truly great and good man was our own townsman, and neighbor and friend. Here was the field of his useful and benevolent labors, — here stands, and will stand the institution which he founded, and with which his name will be associated forever. Here in our Tliomas Hopkins Gallaudet. ■ 9 daily walks, are the men and women whom his labors have blessed, — here are the children and youth, the sons and daughters of silence, and but for him, of sorrow, who have come here to this " house of mercy," which he founded, to this pool of Bethesda, whose waters will possess the virtue of healing so long as its guardians labor in his spirit, — here the beauty of his daily life fell like a blessing on the dusty turmoil of our busy and selfish pursuits. From this field of his benevolent labor, — ^from these public charities, in whose service he spent so large a part of his life, — from his family, where he had gathered up his heart's best affections of an earthly sort, — from his daily round of neighborly and benevolent offices, it has pleased God, to re- move him by death. And although the funeral obsequies have long since been performed, and the winds of winter, which ever reminded him of the claims of the poor, are now sighing their requiem over his last resting-place, to which we followed him in the first month of autumn — we, his feUow-citizens, neighbors and friends, have come together, to devote a brief space to the contemplation of his life, character and services. Our commemoration of such a man cannot come too late, or be renewed too often, if we go back to our various pursuits, with our faith in good- ness made strong, and our aims and efforts for the welfare of our fellow-men purified and strengthened. But whatever we may do, or omit to do, for his broadly beneficent life and sublime Christian virtues, the world will add one other name to its small roll of truly good men who have founded institu- tions of beneficence, and lifted from a bowed race the burden of a terrible calamity ; — One other name "with power endowed, To cheer and guide men onward as they pass, — One other image on the hea rt bestowed. To dwell there beautiful In holiness. Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet was born in the city of Philadelphia, on the 10th of December, 1787. His father, Peter W. Gallaudet, was descended from that branch of a Huguenot family, which fled from France on the revocation 10 Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. of the Edict of Nantz, and settled afterward near New Rochelle in New York, on the borders of Connecticut. His mother, Jane Hopkins, was the daughter of Captain Thomas Hopkins, — a descendant of one of the first settlers of Hartford, whose name is recorded on the historical monument in the old burial ground in the rear of the Center Church. The family removed to Hartford in 1800, where the son contiriued ever after to reside. Mr. Gallaudet completed his preparation at the Ha;rtford Grammar School for the sophomore class of Yale College, which he entered in the autumn of 1802, in the fifteenth year of his age, — an age, as he often remarked, too young, to ena- ble a student to reap the full advantage of a collegiate course of study and discipline. Although quite young, — the young- est member of his class, and by temperament and habit inclined to be cheerful and even mirthful, he was ever studi- ous, with a reputation for sound scholarship, second to no other in his class, distinguished for the talent and attain- ments of its members, — strictly observant of the laws of the institution, and graduated before he was eighteen years old. During his connection with college, he was remarkable for the accuracy of his recitations in every department of study, and was particularly eminent in mathematics, and for profi- ciency in English composition. To his early attention to mathematics we may attribute much of that discipline which enabled him to summon his mental vigor and resources at will, and to his early and constant practice of English com- position, that facility and felicity of expression which char- acterized his conversation and more elaborate discourses. Soon after leaving college he entered upon the study of law, in the office of Hon. Chauncey Goodrich — ^reciting his Blackstone, during Mr. Goodrich's absence in attendance at court, to the Hon. Thomas S. Williams, late chief justice of the State. Here, as in every thing he undertook, he was punctual, and methodical, his recitations were remarkable for their accuracy, and he gave every assurance of his be- coming in time a thorough and successful lawyer. The state of his health, which was never robust, compelled him at the Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. H close of the first year, to suspend his legal studies, which he never resumed. The interval, before he entered on his duties as tutor in Yale College, in 1808, was devoted to an exten- sive course of reading in English literature, and the practice of English composition. His experience as tutor enabled him to review and extend his collegiate studies, and introduced him to the subject of education as a science, and to its prac- tical duties as an art. No one could appreciate more highly than he did the value of even a brief experience in teaching, as a school of mentaland moral discipline, and as the most direct way to test the accuracy of attainments already made. About this time, his health requiring a more active life, he undertook a business commission for a large house in New York, the prosecution of which took him over the AUeghanies, into the States of Ohio and Kentucky, — and on his return, with the intention of pursuing a mercantile life, he entered as clerk a counting-room in the city of New York. But neither law or commerce seemed to open the field, in which he could labor with his whole heart and mind, although he often referred to his early acquaintance with their elementary principles and forms of business and practice, as a valuable part of his own education. Neither did he regard his colle- giate education as at all an inappropriate preparation for a life of active mercantile business. He never entertained for himself or his children, the absurd and mischievous notion, which is too prevalent in society, that a man having a colle- giate or liberal education, must necessarily preach, — or prac- tice law, — or hold a political office, or trade, or speculate on a large scale, — to be respectable. He regarded the thorough training of the mind, and large acquaintance with books and men, as a fit preparation for any business or pursuit. Mr. Gallaudet made a public profession of his religious faith, and became a member of the First Congregational Church of Hartford, under the ministry of Rev. Dr. Strong. In the fall of 1811, he commenced the study of theology at Andover, which he prosecuted with his usual diligence and success, amid aU the interruptions and drawbacks of delicate health. He was licensed to preach in 1814, and received im- 12 Thomas Hopkins GallaudeU mediately an invitation to assume the pastoral relations with a church in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and from several parishes in Connecticut, — but although admirably adapted for such a life, his Master had work for him in other, and no less important fields of Christian duty. Mr. Gallaudet was now twenty-seven years old. His life thus far was a course of diligent and thorough preparation for a life of eminent usefulness in any department of literary or professional labor. His mind was disciplined and enriched by an assiduous improvement of all the advantages of one of the best colleges in our country. He had assured himself of his own knowledge, by his success as a practical teacher. He had devoted much time to the attentive study of English literature, and to, the practice of English composition. He had a knowledge of the elementary principles of law, and of legal forms, by an attendance on legal proceedings in court, and in the office of a successful prjictitioner. He had gone through a thorough course of theological study, and had already officiated with great acceptance as a preacher in a temporary supply of the pulpit in several places. He had seen much of the world, and the transactions of business, in travel, and in the practical duties of the store and the count- ing-room. He was universally respected for his correct life, as well as thorough scholarship, and beloved for his benevo- lent feelings, social qualities, and courteous manners. He was ready for his mission. That mission was the long neg- lected field of deaf-mute instruction, to which his attention had already been turned from his interest in little Alice Cogs- well, whose father's residence was in the immediate neigh- borhood of his own home, and who was also the companion of his own younger brothers and sisters. It was- during an interview in his father's garden, where Alice was playing with other children, that Mr. Gallaudet, then a student at Ando- ver, succeeded in arresting her attention by his use of signs, the natural language of the deaf and dumb, and in giving her a first lesson in written language, by teaching her that the word hat represented the thirty, hat, which he held in his hand. Following up this first step, in such methods as his , Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. 13 own ingenuity could suggest, and what such lights as he could gather from a publication of the Abbe Sicard, which Dr. Cogswell had procured from Paris, Mr. Gallaudet from time to time succeeded in imparting to her a knowledge of many simple words and sentences which were much en- larged by members of her own family, and especially by her first teacher, Miss Lydia Huntley. This success encouraged her father in the hope, that instead of sending his child, made more dear to him by her privations, away from home, to Edinburgh, or London, for instruction in the schools of Rev. R. Kinniburgh, or Dr. Watson, a school might be opened in Hartford. Dr. Cogswell had already ascertained, by a circular ad- dressed to the Congregational clergymen of Connecticut, that there were at least eighty deaf mutes in the State, many of whom were young enough to attend a school, and his Christian benevolence prompted the aspiration and belief that it was not the ' will of our Father who is in Heaven that one of these little ones should perish.' With these data and aims before him, and with such information as he could gather as to the progress and results of deaf-mute instruction in Europe, he addressed himself to the Christian benevolence and kind feehngs of his neighbors and friends, for their co- operation. A meeting was accordingly held at his house on the 13th of April, 1815, composed (as appears from a journal kept by Mr. Gallaudet) of Mason F. Cogswell, M. D., Ward Woodbridge, Esq., Daniel Wadsworth, Esq., Henry Hudson, Esq., Hon. Nathaniel Terry, John Caldwell, Esq., Daniel Buck, Esq., Joseph Battel, Esq., (of Norfolk,) the Rev. Nathan Strong, D. D., and Rev. Thomas Gallaudet. The meeting was opened with the invocation of the Divine bless- ing on their undertaking, by Rev. Dr. Strong, and after a full discussion of the practicability of sending some suitable per- son to Europe, to acquire the art of instructing the deaf and dumb. Dr. Cogswell and Mr. Woodbridge were appointed a committee to obtain subscriptions for the purpose, and ascer- tain the name of a suitable person who would consent to go. Mr. Woodbridge was then in the prime of life, and in the 14 Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. front rank of the mercantile interest of Hartford. By his per- sonal solicitation, and the example of his own liberal sub- scription, he succeeded in the course of one day in obtaining the pledge of a sufficient sum to meet the expense of the en- terprise, and it is safe to say that no other business transac- tion of his life is now associated with such a train of pleasant recollections. He and Daniel Buck, Esq., are now the only survivors of that first voluntary association, in whose prayers, pecuniary contributions and personal exertions, the American Asylum had its origin. Foremost on the list of subscribers in amount, stands the name of Daniel Wadsworth, who gave to this community, through a long life, a beautiful example of the true uses of wealth, by its judicious expenditure under his own personal inspection, for the promotion of Christian, benevolent, patriotic, and literary purposes. To Mr. Gallaudet, the eyes of all interested in the object were instinctively turned, as the one person, qualified beyond all others, by his manners, talents, attainments, and Chris- tian spirit, to engage in this mission. After much prayerful consideration of the subject, and not till he had failed to en- list the agency of others in this pioneer work of benevolence, on the 20th of April, 1815, he informed Dr. Cogswell and Mr. Woodbridge " that he would visit Europe for the sake of qualifying himself to become a teacher of the deaf and dumb in this country." On the 20th ' of May following, he sailed for New York, in the prosecution of his benevolent object. Before leaving America, Mr. Gallaudet penned the fol- lowing address to the benevolent of our own country, in be- half of the object of his mission. " Amid all the calamities which have of late darkened the world, it is matter of no small consolation to the benevolent mind, to witness the various efforts which are making for meliorating the condition of man. Nor will the hope that rests on divine revelation be deceived, that these efforts, under the blessing of God, will eventually terminate in the vmiver- sal diffusion of peace and happiness through the earth. Be- nevolence directed to its proper object will not be lost. The seed may be long hid in the earth, but a future harvest will Tliomas Hopkins Gallaudet. 15 crown honest labor with success. This is sufficient to en- courage those eflbrts for doing good, which in their present prosecution may be attended with considerable embarrass- ment, and for the successful result of which, the charity which engages in them must be liberal enough to embrace in its view generations yet unborn. " Still it is more grateful to witness the effect of our benefi- cence, to see the smile which we ourselves have lighted upon the cheek of sorrow, and to hear the sound of cheerfulness which our own charity has raised from the tongue of suffering. And where the object of relief is not only present, but owes its misfortune to some natural calamity or inevitable dispen- sation of Providence ; where the impediments and difficulties under which it labors can be removed, and refined intellect- ual and moral excellence can be shed upon its character, as it were by the touch of our beneficence, then it becomes a de- lightful duty to imitate the example of him who went about doing good. To such a, duty it is the object of this paper to direct the attention of the benevolent. " We have among us a class of our fellow beings, the deaf and dumb, who are deprived by a wise Providence of many resources of improvement and happiness with which the rest of mankind are favored. Their numbers, their condition, and the practicability of affording them relief, address loud claims to every feeling heart. A simple statement of facts will, it is hoped, be sufficient to excite the attention of the benevolent to this interesting subject. " At a session of the General Association of the Congrega- tional clergymen of Connecticut, held in Sharon, June, 1812, it was reported by a committee appointed some time before for the purpose, that within the limits of the several associa- tions of the State, there were eighty-four deaf and dumb per- sons. A copy of this report is in the possession of Doctor Mason F. Cogswell, of Hartford. Now no reason can be given why the whole population of New England should not contain a proportionate number of the deaf and dumb. Taking the Connecticut as the standard. New England con- tains more than/owr hundred persons in this unhappy situa- 16 Thomas Hopkins Gallavdet. tion, and the United States upwards of two thousand. If this be any thing like the true number of those who in New England are shut out at present from almost all the sources of intellectual and moral improvement, what a subject of in- terest does it present to the benevolent heart. , " At present there is not a single institution of the deaf and dumb in New England. The benefits of such institutions wiU readily present themselves to the reflecting mind. To say nothing of the inexpressible consolation which would be afforded to parents and friends by establishing schools for the deaf and dumb ; nor of the increase of enjoyment and use- fulness in this life, which would thus be given to our fellow- men, the one single consideration of their having immortal souls, which may, by learning the glad news of salvation, become interested in that Saviour who died for all men, is sufficient to invest this subject with an importance, which it is thought, nothing but the want of information has hitherto denied it. Indeed it is a matter of some wonder that New England, so attentive to the interests of her rising generation, so conspicuously preeminent among the nations of the earth, for what her civil institutions have done with regard to the education of youth, should so long have neglected her deaf and dumb children. In this respect she is far behind most of the countries in Europe. In London, Edinburgh, Paris, and other towns on the continent, there have been for many years, schools for the education of the deaf and dumb. And the art of instructing them has been carried to such a degree of perfection, that they are taught almost all that is useful and ornamental in life. " However much it may surprise those who are unacquainted with the subject, it is a fact capable of the most satisfactory proof, that the deaf and dumb in Europe have been taught, not only to read and write, and understand written language with exact accuracy and precision, but in some cases to un- derstand spoken language, and to speak themselves audibly and intelligibly. Now if the deaf and dumb in our counti-y can, by a proper course of instruction, be fitted for useful and respectable employment in life, — if they can have their minds Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. 17 open to such intellectual and moral improvement as will ren- der them comfortable and happy on this side of the grave, — above all, if they can be made acquainted with the revelation of God's mercy through Jesus Christ, who can hesitate to promote an object which is pregnant with so much good, and which addresses itself to the most enlarged views of Chris- tian benevolence? " In pursuance of this object, should it meet with sufficient encouragement, it wiU become necessary for the intended in- structor to visit Europe for the sake of acquiring this art of instructing the deaf and dumb, which has there been carried to a great degree of perfection. For this pursuit, like most others,- depends upon the wisdom of experience for its suc^ cessful prosecution. This paper solicits the aid of those who are inclined to assist the promotion of the proposed object. The honor of our country, the cause of humanity, the inter- ests of religion, plead in its behalf. It is hoped claims so powerful wiU not be resisted." These claims were not unheeded, — the number of snbscri' bers and the amount of subscriptions were enlarged, — an act of incorporation under the style of the " Connecticut Asylum for the education of deaf aind dumb persons," was obtained in May, 1816, which was changed to that of the " Am'erieani Asylum" in 1819, on the occasion of a grant of a township of public land, by the Congress of the United States, in that year, mainly through the active exertions of Hon. Nathaniel Terry, and Hon. Thomas S.WiUiams, representatives of this! State, seconded indeed by other members from our owm and other States, and especially by the then Speaker of the House,, Hon. Henry Clay, of Kentucky. In the mean time, Mr. Gallaudet was pursuing the objects' of his mission in Europe. Encountering unexpected delays in obtaining admission as a pupil into the London Asylnm,. then under the care of Joseph Watson, LL. D., he had made- arrangements to spend a year in the institution at Edinburgh^ which was also likely to be thwarted, — ^when he oppor- tunely gained an introduction to the Abb6 Sicard, who wa^ at that time on a visit to London, for the purpose ©f giving 2 18 Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. a course of lectures explanatory of his method of teaching the deaf and dumb, accompanied by Massieu and Clerc, — his favorite pupils and assistants. By this benevolent man, one of the greatest benefactors of the deaf mute, Mr. Gallaudet was cordially received, and invited to visit Paris, where every facility would be extended to him without fee, or hindrance of any kind. As illustrating the spirit in which Mr. Gal- laudet pursued his work, the following extract from an entry made in his journal, at the time of his greatest discourage- ments in London, and the day before he heard of the Abb6 Sicard's presence in London, is given. " Our projects are often thwarted by Providence on account of our sins. Alas ! if mine have contributed to the produc- tion of these difHculties, which have thus far attended the undertaking in which I have engaged, most deeply would I lament the injury which I have thus done the poor deaf and dumb. Can I make them any recompense ? With God's blessing, it shall be in devoting myself more faithfully to their relief. I long to be surrounded with them in my native land, to be their instructor, their guide, their friend, their father. How much is yet to be done before this can be ac- complished ! To Almighty God, as the giver of all good through Jesus Christ, I commend myself and my undertaking. He is able to do all things for me, and if success finally crown my efforts, to Him be all the glory." The period of Mr. Gallaudet's stay in Paris was abridged by an event which is thus recorded in his journal. " Monday, May 20th. In a conversation which I had with Clerc this day, he proposed going to America with me as an assistant, if the Abb6 Sicard Would give his consent." This suggestion was acted upon without delay. The Abb6's cordial consent was obtained, although he felt it to be a great sacrifice; — and in July, Mr. Gallaudet had the happiness of embarking for America, with Mr. Laurent Clerc, a highly educated deaf mute, one of the ablest pupils of Sicard, and best teachers of the Paris Institution, — an event of scarcely less importance to the immediate success of the American!' Asylum, than Mr. Gallaudet's own consent to Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. 19 visit Europe in its behalf. How many there are present to- night who can testify to the gratitude to God and his friend, with which Mr. Gallaudet ever recurred to that conversa- tion in Paris, and to Mr. Clerc's consent to leave his home and his country to devote himself among strangers to* the instruction of those who were afflicted like himself. How touchingly did he refer to that event in his address at the ever memorable gathering of the deaf and dumb in this city, thirty-four years afterward — " What should I have ac- complished, if the same kind Providence had not enabled me to bring back from France, his native land, one whom we still rejoice to see among us, himself a deaf mute, intelligent and accomplished, trained under the distinguished Sicard, at that time teaching the highest class in the Paris Institution — to be my coadjutor here at home ; to excite a still deeper in- terest in the object to which he came to devote his talents and efforts ; to assist in collecting those funds which were absolutely essential for the very commencement of the opera- tions of the Asylum ; to be my first, and for a time, only fel- low-laborer in the course of instruction, and then to render necessary and most efficient aid in preparing for their work the additional teachers who were needed." Although he came to a land of strangers, he now finds himself, as the years pass lightly over him, near his children and grand children, amid a circle of appreciating friends, and a generation of grateful pupils, who will ever shower bless- ings on him for his many sacrifices and labors in their behalf. Gently may the hand of time continue to fall on his genial temperament and kind affections, and long may it be be- fore one of his surviving associates shall be called on to pay a passing tribute like that in which we are now engaged, to his services and his worth. The eight months immediately following their arrival (August 9, 1816) in this country, were mainly spent in soli- citing pecuniary aid for the Asylum, and in making known its objects to the benevolent, and to all who were directly in- terested from having sons or daughters afflicted with the privation of the senses of hearing and speaking. "With this 20 Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. end in view, the cities of New Haven, Salem, New York, Albany, Philadelphia, and Burlington, were visited, and lib- eral subscriptions obtained. The following heading of one of the subscription papers, drawn up by Mr. Gallaudet, sets forth the views of the institution. " A new and interesting charity presents its claims to the benevolent. Its object is to open the sources of intellectual and religious improvement to a very unfortunate class of our countrymen, the deaf and dumb'. Its views have nothing of a local kind. Its constitution invites to the direction of it§ concerns, individuals of any of the States. It has chosen for the place of its establishment a central spot in a healthy and economical part of our country, and nothing now is wanting but public patronage to raise it to that degree of permanent and extensive usefulness which the importance of the. object to which it is devoted demands. " Very considerable funds will be necessary for the support and education of the children of the indigent. It is pecu- liarly over' these unfortunates who are without resources of their own, and who cannot be maintained and instructed by their immediate relations and friend?, that the proposed asy- lum wishes to cast the mantle of its protection. " It seeks to restore them to society with habits of practical usefulness, with capacities of intellectual- enjoyment, and above all, in the possession of the hope of immortality through Jesus Christ. It expects soon to commence under very favorable auspices. Its principal instructor has visited insti- tutions of a similar kind in London, Edinburgh and Paris. His assistant, who is himself deaf and dumb, is one of the most distinguished pupils of the celebrated Abbe Sicard, and has been for eight years an instructor in the Royal Institution for this unfortunate class of persons in Paris. " In Europe, experience has taught the necessity of giving to such establishments considerable magnitude and resources. It is in such alone that this singular department of educa- tion can be carried to its greatest degree of excellence, that the pupils can be supported and instructed at the least ex- pense, that they can feel that excitement which is found to Thomas Hopkins Gullamdet. 21 be the result of assembling them together in considerable numbers, and that instructors can be trained for other institu- tions when they are found necessary. Such establishments now flourish in almost every European state. ^ " Princes are their patrons, and public munificence has raised them to eminent and extensive usefulness. The first and infant institution of this kind in America, now pleads in the name of those whom it seeks to relieve. Its object it fondly trusts will unite the wishes and secure the aid of aU who feel for the honor of their country, for the cause of humanity, and for the diffusion among all minds of that reli- gion whose founder exhibited not only the most endearing trait of his character, but one of the most striking proofs of his Messiahship, in opening the ears of the deaf and in causing the tongue of the dumb to sing for joy." After two years of preparation, spent in organizing an association based on the principle of permanency, raising funds, training and procuring teachers, and making its objects known through the press, personal interviews, and public ad- dresses, the Asylum was opened, with a class of seven pupils, on Wednesday, the 15th of April, 1817, in the south part of the building now occupied by the City Hotel. On the Sunday evening following — April 20th — just two years after he had signified his assent to devote himself to this en- terprise, Mr. Gallaudet delivered a discourse, in the Center Congregational Church before a crowded audience, and in the presence of his interesting group of seven pupils, from the words of Isaiah — " Then the eyes of the blind shall be openedj and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as a hart, and the tongue of the durrib sing ; for in the wilderness waters shall break out, and streams in the desert" — ^in which he sets forth the advantages likely to arise from the establishment of the Asylum, and the motives which should inspire those who are interested in its welfare with renewed zeal and the hopes of ultimate success. On rising from a firesh perusal of this admirable discourse, written in such pure, polished, and idiomatic English, and breathing so much of the spirit of Him, by whose miraculous agency the 22 Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. ears of the deaf were opened, and the tongue of the dumb loosened ; and contrasting that group of seven pupils, ignorant, isolated and unhappy, and the moral desert in which the deaf mute then dwelt, with the thousands of the same class who have since been instructed, and the thousand homes which have since been cheered and blessed, and all the good, direct and indirect, to the cause of Christian philanthropy which has flowed out of these small beginnings — ^we seem almost to stand at the well-spring of that river of life, seen in the vision of the prophet, which, flowing out from beneath the sanctu- ary, and on the right hand of the altar, into the wilder- ness, a little rill that could be stepped over, widened and deepened in its progress, till it became a mighty stream, — a stream which could not be passed, imparting life wherever it came, and nourishing all along its banks, trees, whose fruit was for meat, and whose leaves for medicine. From time to time, in the course of every year, before the legislatures of the several New England States, in the halls of Congress, in all of the large cities of the Northern and Middle States, Mr. Gallaudet, accompanied and assisted by Mr. Clerc, and riot unfrequently, by a class of pupils, — continued to present, and advocate the claims of the deaf mute on the benevolent regards of individuals and public bodies. The way was thus prepared for that liberality which has since marked the legislation of the country, by which the education of the deaf and dumb has become part of the pub- lic policy of aU the older, and most of the new States. As illustrating the spirit of the man, — and especially the spirit of trust in God, — the looking to his grace for help in all his undertakings, the following extracts are taken from a journal in which, during his early connection with the Asy- lum, he was accustomed to enter from time to time his progress and private aspirations. " Sunday, January 25, 1818. I am now surrounded with thirty-one pupils. Mr. Clerc has been ten days absent on a visit to Washington. During the time which has elapsed since the opening of the Asylum, I have had to encounter great trials. Now I am quite exhausted in health and Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. 23 strength. Oh! that God would appear for me, and make haste to help me. If I know my own heart, I long but for one kind of happiness, that of zealous and cheerful activity in doing good. I have of late began to ponder a good deal on the difficulty of my continuing to be the principal of such an establishment as this, with which I am now connected, will probably be. Most gladly would I hail as my superior here and as the head of this Asylum, some one of acknowledged piety and talents, and of more force of character than myself. Alas ! how is my energy gone ! How I shrink from difficul- ties! — Oh! Almighty God! in thy wise providence thou hast placed me in my present situation. Thou seest my heart. Thou knowest my desire is to be devoted to thy service, and to be made the instrument of training up the deaf and 'dumb for heaven. Oh ! turn not a deaf ear to my regrets. Oh ! raise me from this bodily and intellectual and religious leth- argy, which has now so long prostrated all the energies and deadened the affections of my soul ; — Oh ! show me clearly the path of duty, and teach me more submission to thy holy will, more self denial and humility — more penitence and per- severance ; — Oh ! grant me some indication of thy favor and thy love. Oh ! touch the heart of my dear friend Clerc with godly sorrow for sin, and with an unfeigned reliance on Jesus Christ. Oh ! lead my dear pupils to the same Saviour- Oh! God forsake me not. Cast me not away from thy presence. Take not thy holy spirit from rne." Again, a few years later, the following entry was made. " As connected with the Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb, I do hope to feel anxious to discharge my duties in the fear of God. I invoke his grace to qualify me, and I renewedly consecrate myself, soul, spirit and body, to the service of Jesus Christ. I beseech God to guard me against all concern, (1st.) About my own temporal concerns. Oh ! may I be led to take no thought in this respect for the morrow, but to leave God to furnish me with what temporal comforts he may see best for me, and not ever form my plans for pecuniary emol- ument; (2ndly.) Against all undue anxiety respecting the management of the Asylum by its directors. Oh ! may I have 24 Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. a meek, quiet, uncomplaining spirit with regard to all that they may do, however unwise it may seem to be according to my poor, weak, fallible judgment. May I strive each day to do all the good I can to the souls of my dear pupils, and calmly resign every thing which lies out of my own immediate sphere of duty into the hand of him who wiU overrule all things, however adverse they may seem, for his own glory : (3dly.) Against all uncharitable feelings against any who are associated with me in the internal management of the Asy- lum. May I rather be careful to examine my own heart and conduct, and consider how far shall I fail of doing my duty conscientiously and zealously. (4thly.) ^Against any regard to public opinion, while I have the approbation of my own con- science. (5thly.) Against the cortniption of my own heart, and my daily besetting sins. Oh ! for grace to gain an entire victory over them, and to be conformed in all things to the blessed example of Jesus Christ. Oh God ! I implore the aid of thy divine spirit to assist me in aU these respects, and to thy name shall be all the glory, through Jesus Christ. Amen and Amen." It will not be necessary to foUow any further in detail Mr. Gallaudet's labors in connection with the American Asylum and for the benefit of the deaf and dumb. These labors were eminently judicious and successful ; and although in an undertaking of such magnitude there are many agencies and many laborers, and aU those who work at the foundation, or even beyond that, who gather slowly the material and the laborers, — and those who work on the top stone, or the ornaments., — perform a necessary and an honorable part, and all deserve to be remembered with gratitude, still, it is instinctively and universally felt that the directing mind in this great enterprise, — ^in its inception, its gradual maturing, and ultimate organization, — ^is that of Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. Of this we are sure, that he worked incessantly and wisely, and out to the full circumference of his duty and ability. His labors and anxieties, necessarily attendant on such an undertaking, — the striking out of new plans and methods, the reconcilement of differing views in different Thomas Hopkins Gallcmdet. 25 departments of authority and instruction, until the best work- ing plan was in successful operation, were too much for a temperament naturally so excitable as his, and for a constitu- tion never robust. He accordingly felt it necessary to resign his place as Principal of the American Asylum in 1830, although he never ceased to take an active interest as director in its affairs, and was always consulted up to his last illness with filial confidence and affection, by the instructors and directors of the institution. Before passing into other fields of his useful life, it would be doing injustice to the deaf and dumb, and especially, to those who have enjoyed the privileges of the Ainerican Asy- lum, not to add, that they have ever shown a filial respect and affection towards Mr. Gallaudet, while fiving, and are now engaged in raising the necessary funds to erect in the grounds of the institution, some permanent memorial of their grati- tude. The world has seldom witnessed a more novel and affecting spectacle, than was exhibited in the Center Con- gregational Church in Hartford, on the 26th of September 1850, where a large number of the graduates of the institu- tion assembled to testify, by the presentation of sUver plate, their affectionate respect to their first teachers, Messrs. Gal- laudet and Clerc, as the chief immediate instruments of their own elevation in the scale of intelligence, usefulness, and happiness, and the primary agents in procuring all the prac- tical blessings which education has given, and is stiU be- stowing on the whole class of deaf mutes in this country. Including the present pupils of the Asylum, there were over four hundred of this unfortunate class present, as large, and probably the largest assemblage of the kind ever seen in the world, — ^with intelligent joy beaming from aU their faces, and gratitude displayed in their animated and expressive lan- guage af signs. What a striking contrast to the little group of seven pupils, ignorant, lonely, and disconsolate, who gath- ered in the same place a little more than thirty-four years before ! Surely, peace and benevolence have their victories no less than war. Of a truth, ' the wilderness and solitary place have been made glad by the breaking out of living waters, (5 26 Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. and the desert rejoiceth and blossoms as the rose, — the ran- somed of the Lord have returned with songs and everlasting joy upon their head.' The repose from constant occupation in the instruction and oversight of the affairs of the Asylum, which his resigna- tion afforded him, was devoted by Mr. Gallaudet to the prosecution of literary pursuits, as congenial to his tastes and early habits, and as a means of supporting his family. He was distinguished while in college for his facility and felicity in English composition, and the volume of Discourses, preached by him in the chapel of the Oratoire, while studying in Paris, and published in 1817, in which the purity at once of his literary taste and Christian character are displayed would alone entitle him to a prominent place among the worthies of the American pulpit. In 1831, he published the Child's Book on the Soul, which exhibits his remarkable tact in bringing the most abstract subject within the grasp of the feeblest and youngest mind. This little volume has gone through a large number of editions in this country and in England, and has been translated into the French, Spanish, German and Italian languages. This publication was followed by several others of the same character, and which were widely read. His Mother's Primer has lightened the task of infantile instruction in many homes and many schools, and his Defin- ing Dictionary, and Practical Spelling-Book,, composed in connection with Rev. Horace Hooker, rigidly and persever- ingly followed, are invaluable guides to teacher and pupil to a practical knowledge of the meaning and use of our language in composition and conversation. At the urgent request of the American Tract Society, he commenced in 1833, the publication of a series of volumes under the general title of Scripture Biography, which Avas incomplete at the time of his death, — but which as far as published are to be found in most of the Sunday School and Juvenile Libraries of our country. In 1835 he published the first part of a work, with the title of the E very-Day Christian, in which he endeavors to delineate certain traits of Christian character, and to lead his readers to the consideration of certain every- Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. 27 day duties, which are in danger of being overlooked amid the occupations and pursuits of this world. In this volume he unfolds at some length his own ideal of a Christian life as exhibited in the family state, and in the faithful and consci- entious performance of a class of duties, which, although unseen, are essential parts of the vast moral machinery which the Almighty Hand is wielding for the accomplishment of the, designs of Infinite Wisdom and Goodness. The plan of the work was probably suggested by a movement on the part of many of our public-spirited and benevolent citizens in the winter of 1834-35, to promote the cause of moral reform among the youth of our city. The prosecution of the object, to Mr. Gallaudet's mind, was accompanied with too much denunciation of amusements, innocent in themselves, and objectionable only when pursued too far and under circum- stances calculated to lead to excessive indulgence, and to vicious associations and associates. His mode of keeping young people out of places of idle and corrupting resort, as set forth in a public address at that time, and more elabo- rately in this little volume, is to make home pleasant and attractive, — to cultivate the taste and the habits of reading, of fireside amusements and social intercourse, — and to make home attractive not only to the children of the family, but to clerks and apprentices, who may be in the employment or under the guardianship of the head of the family. Valuable as these publications are, both in the matter and manner of their execution, and popular as many of them have been and still are, they are only the indications of what he might have accomplished in this department of author- ship, if he had enjoyed firmer health and more leisure for meditation and study. I presume it is safe to say, that Mr. Gallaudet never rose in the morning without having in his mind or on his hands some extra duty of phHanthrophy to perform, — something beyond what attached to him from his official or regular engage- ments. His assistance was asked whenever an appeal was to be made to the public, in behalf of a benevolent or religious object, which required the exercise of a cultivated intellect. 28 TJiomas Hopkins Gallaudet. the impulses of a benevolent heart, and the personal influence of a character confessedly above aU political and sectarian principles. Not a stranger visited our city, any way interested in public charities, or educational institutions or movements, who did not bring letters of introduction or seek an inter- view with him, — and no man among us was so ready to discharge the rights of hospitality and courteous attentions to strangers. There is scarcely an institution or movement among us, devoted to the promotion of education, or the relief of suffer- ing humanity, which did not enjoy the benefit of his wise counsel, or receive his active cooperation. In these and other ways his time and thoughts were so completely occupied, or distracted, that he enjoyed but little leisure for profound med- itation, or the original investigation of any subject, and much less for that elaboration, which even the happiest efforts of genius require to ensure a lasting reputation. Although through his whole life a practical educator and teacher, it was during this period that he distinguished him- self as the friend, and efficient promoter by pen and voice, of educational improvement. On all movements in behalf of general education in institutions and methods, he formed his own opinions with his usual caution, and maintained them with courtesy and firmness. While he acknowledged the fact of mutual instruction in the family and in life, which lies at the foundation of Bell's and Lancaster's systems of monitorial instruction, as an educational principle of univer- sal application in schools, and always advocated and prac- ticed the employment of older children in the family, and of the older and more advanced pupils in the school, in the work of instructing and governing the younger and least advanced, he never countenanced for a moment the idea which swept over our country from 1820 to 1830, that monitors, young and inexperienced in instruction and life, could ever supply the place, in schools, of professionally trained teachers of ma- ture age, thorough mental discipline, and high moral char- acter. Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. 29 i Although he always advocated, and applied in his own family and family school, the principles of infant education, commencing with the child while in the arms of the mother and the lap of the father, he kept aloof from the efforts which were so generally put forth in our larger cities, from 1826 to 1832, for the establishment of infant schools, as then under- stood and conducted. He sympathized deeply in the move- ment for the establishment of manual labor schools from 1832 to 1838, and was the constant advocate of more thorough physical education in institutions of every grade, from the family to the professional school. Although not strictly the first to present to the people of Connecticut and of New England, the necessity of providing special institu- tions for the professional training of young men and young women for the office of teaching, his Letters of a Father, published in the Connecticut Observer in 1825, and after- ward circulated in a pamphlet, were among the earliest and most effective publications on the subject. He was among the most earnest to call attention, in conver- sation, through the press, and in educational meetings, to the whole subject of female education, and especially to the more extensive employment of females as teacher^. Hjs hopes for the regeneration of society, and especially for the infusion of a more refined culture in manners and morals into the fam- ily, and especially into common schools, rested on the influ- ence of pious and educated women as mothers and teachers. He was early interested in the establishment of the Hartford Female Seminary, and delivered an address in 1827 in its behalf, which was published. He was connected with the general supervision of the Seminary, and with its instruction as lecturer on composition and moral philosophy, in 1833. Although, in the absence of such common schools as could meet his views of the wants of his own children, especially in all that regards moral and religious culture, and personal hab- its and manners, he for years established a small family school for the education of his own children, and the chil- dren of his immediate friends, he was ever the advocate of the most liberal appropriation, and of the most complete or- 30 Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. ganization, instruction and discipline of public or common schools, — and he did much, by pen and voice, to advocate their improvement. As has already been stated, so early as 1825, he fixed for the first time the attention of educators, and to some extent of the public, on the source of all radical and extensive improvement of them and all schools, in the professional training of teachers. In 1827 he was an active member of the Society for the Improvement of Common Sfchools, of which Hon. Roger Minot Sherman was Presi- dent, and the Rev. Horace Hooker and the Rev. Thomas Robbins, D. D., the real laborers, — one of the first, if not the fifet society of the kind in this country. He was a member of the committee of arrangements in the teachers' con- vention held in Hartford, in October, 1830, of which Noah Webster, LL. D., was President. The discussions in that convention, of such topics as the influence of the school fund as the main reliance of the people for the support of common schools, in which Dr. Humphrey, then President of Amherst College, a native of this State, and a teacher for many years in our district schools, took an active part ;— the proper con- struction of school-houses, on which subject Dr. William A. Alcott read a paper, which was afterward published as a prize essay by the American Institute of Instruction, and circulated all over the country ; — the qualifications of teach- ers, which was ably presented in a lecture by Rev. Gustavus Davis, — had a powerful influence on the cause of educational improvement throughout New England. In 1833 he wrote a little tract, entitled Public Schools Public Blessings, which was published by the New York Public School Society for general circulation in the city of New York, at a time when an effort was made, which proved successful, to enlarge the operations of that society. In 1838, he was the person, and the only person, had in view, to fill the office of Secretary of the Board of Commis- sioners of Common Schools in Connecticut, when the bill was drafted for a public act " to provide for the better super- vision of common schools " in Connecticut. The post was urged on his acceptance, with the offer and guaranty by indi- T/iomas Hopkins Gallaudet. 31 viduals of an addition of one-third to the salary paid by the State. He declined, mainly from his unwillingness- to absent himself as much from his family as the plan of operations contemplated, — and also "because of the apathy as to the importance of this cause, which he had many reasons to know weighed not only on the public mind generally, but on the minds and hearts of good men, and even Christians, who take an active and liberal part in other moral and religious movements. To break up this apathy, requires more of youthful strength and enthusiasm than can be found in an invalid and a man of fifty years of age." In a conversation held with the individual who afterward entered on this field of labor, through his earnest solicitations, Mr. Gallaudet anticipated the difficulties which that enterprise afterward encountered, and which he feared would " probably not en- tirely defeat, but must inevitably postpone its success. But never mind, the cause is worth laboring and suffering for, and enter on your work with a manly trust that the people will yet see its tianscendent importance to them and their children to the latest posterity, and that God will bless an enterprise fraught with so much of good to every plan of local benevolence." The measures of that Board, and of their Secretary, were determined on after consultation with him, — and in all the preliminary operations, those measures had his personal cooperation. In company with the Secre- tary, he visited every county in the State in 1838, and ad- dressed conventions of teachers, school officers and parents. He took part in the course of instruction of the first normal class, or teachers' institute, held in this country, in 1839, and again in a similar institute in 1840. He appeared be- fore the Joint Committee of Education in the General As- sembly, on several occasions when appropriations for a nor- mal school were asked for. He was one of the lecturers in the teachers' convention held in Hartford in 1846, — and had the gratification of welcoming to the State Normal School at New Britain, in 1850, the first class of pupil teach- ers, and of taking part in their instruction. He was to have delivered a public address before one of the literary societies in 32 Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. that institution, called, in gratitude for his early and constant advocacy of normal schools, after his name, at the first an- niversary of the State Normal School in September, 1851. Mr. Gallaudet was a contributor at different times to the Annals of Education, while under the charge of William C. Woodbridge, and to the Connecticut Common School Jour- nal from 1838 to 1842. In 1839 he edited an American edi- tion of " Principles of Teaching, by Henry Dunn, Secretary of the British and Foreign School Society, London," under the title of Schoolmaster's Manual — a truly valuable work, which has gone through many editions in England. He took an active interest in the lyceum movement, from 1826 to 1840, — and particularly in the Goodrich Association, in 1831, under whose auspices the first course of popular lec- tures was delivered in this city, — and in the proceedings of the American Lyceum, at its annual meeting in Hartford, in 1838, out of which originated the Hartford Young Men's In- stitute in the same year. In fine, he sympathized with, and participated, so far as his health and other engagements would allow, in every movement which aimed to elevate, pu- rify and bless society through a wide-spread system of popu- lar education. Universal intelligence, he has somewhere said, under the influence of sound moral and religious prin- ciple, and diffused, in connection with other modes of doing it, through the extensive medium of common schools, so as to embrace the whole rising generation, is to constitute, with the blessing of God, the security, the ornament, and the hap- piness of the social state, and to render it (what we ought' ever to regard as its principal value) the propitious auxiliary to our preparation for a higher and nobler Condition of being beyond the grave. In 1837, the county of Hartfotd, through the exertions mainly of Alfred Smith Esq., erected a prison, on a plan which admitted of a classification of the prisoners, of their entire separation at night, of their employment in labor un- der constant supervision by day, and of their receiving ap- propriate moral and religious instruction. Mr. Gallaudet sympathized warmly with this movement, and in the ab- Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. 33 sence of any means at the disposal of the county commis- sioners to employ the services of a chaplain and religious teacher, volunteered to discharge these duties without pay. He continued to perform religious service every Sabbath morning for eight years, and to visit the prison from time to time during each week, whenever he had reason to suppose his presence and prayers were particularly desired. In such labors of love to the criminal and neglected, unseen of men, and not known, I presume, to twenty individuals in Hartford, the genuine philanthropy and Christian spirit of this good man found its pleasantest field of exercise. On the 6th of June, 1838, Mr. Gallaudet became con- nected with the Connecticut fletreat for the Insane, as Chap- lain j the duties of which office he continued to discharge with exemplary fidelity and happy results, up to the day of his last illness. Although the directors of this institution were the first to make an appointment of this character, not only for the purpose of daily family worship, and relig- ious worship on the Sabbath for its officers and inmates, but as part of the system of moral treatment of insanity, — still the earliest movement in this direction was made by the trustees and superintendent of the State Lunatic Hospital at Worcester, Mass., in 1835. In their report for that year, both the trustees and superintendent invite the attention of the legislature to the establishment of a chapel, and the in- troduction of religious exercises, especially on the Sabbath. In 1836, Dr. Woodward again refers to the subject. " A few. of our inmates at present go to the churches in the vil- lage, and are always gratified by such an indulgence ; others spend the day in reading at home ; but .with a large propor- tion of them the day passes heavily along, and is spent in idle listlessness or irritation. With the insane I would as far as possible inculcate aU the habits of rational life. I wish them to attend religious worship on the Sabbath, for the same reason that other men do, for instruction in religion and virtue. In matters of religion and morality, I would deal with the insane as with the rational mind, approve of no deception, encourage no delusions, foster no self-compla- 3 34 Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. cent impressions of character, dignity, and power : I would improve every opportunity, when the mind is calm and the feelings kind, to impress on them that they are men, to ex- cite in their minds rational contemplations, encourage cor- rect habits, awaken self-respect, and prompt to active duty. In aid of this I wish them to attend religious worship, to listen to instruction from the xolume of truth, and to receive encouragement to calm and quiet tempers, from its promises of reward to virtuous and upright conduct. Few individuals are so completely insane as to be beyond the reach of moral instruction, and perhaps I may add, of moral responsibilities." With these views a chapel was opened, and religious wor- ship was commenced by regular meetings on the Sabbath, on which all the officers and household of the Hospital were requested to attend. To carry out his plans to perfection in this important de- partment of the moral treatment of insanity, and especially in its early stages. Dr. Woodward felt the necessity of hav- ing the cooperation of a clergyman of cheerful and yet fer- vent piety, of large acquaintance with men, and of great versatility in modes of reaching the human mind and heart, and above all, of that Christlike spirit, 'which, touched with a sense of human infirmity,' should not expend itself in passive pity, but in wholesome and practical action for its relief. These qualities and qualifications he knew belonged in a preeminent degree to Mr. Gallaudet, and to him the chaplaincy in the institution at Worcester was tendered. He so far encouraged the application as to visit Worcester, and conduct the religious exercises of the institution for several Sabbaths. He returned to Hartford with a strong conviction that in ministering to the spiritual wants of the insane, and in aiding in their restoration to mental sound- ness, there was a new field of benevolent activity opened, into which he would enter if such should be the indications of Providence. It was difficult for me, who had been made acquainted with this movement, to see why a man so much and deservedly respected and beloved in this community, who was doing so much good, not only by his direct labors Tliomas Hopkins Gallaudet. 35 in every good cause, but by the daily beauty of his life, need go to Worcester to labor for the insane, when we had an institution for this unfortunate class among ourselves, of which we at least ought to be proud, as in reality the pioneer institution of this country in the improved methods of treat- ing insanity, which had already furnished the superintend- ents of three other institutions, and from which Dr. Wood- ward had adopted those methods of treating insanity, which have made the State Lunatic Hospital at Worcester known throughout the world. Believing with Dr. Woodward, that he was eminent- ly qualified for the place, and that such an office could be most advantageously created in our own institution, and that its directors when the subject was fairly presented, would introduce the same, I addressed myself to several of our public-spirited and benevolent individuals, and in less than twenty-four hours received sufficient encouragement to say to Mr. Gallaudet, and to some of the directors, that in case be should be appointed chaplain, at least one-half of such salary as should be agB^ed on, would be paid by indi- viduals in Hartford. Sj, Mr. Gallaudet was appointed^ and he entered on his new and interesting field of labor with his usual caution and thoroughness. No man could study his duties with a more prayerful and earnest spirit, — no one could improve more faithfully every opportunity to become intimately acquainted with the peculiarities of the mental and moral condition of each of the numerous inmates of the Retreat, — no one could aim to act in more perfect accordance with the coun- sels and directions of the superintending physician, — no one could select with more cautious deliberation the truths of religion which could be advantageously adapted to those who- are laboring under mental or moral delusions, or more wisely present the motives which could aid in leading bact such to a self-controlling and healthful condition of mind, or admin- ister the consolation that would reach their real or supposed trials. The experience of each successive year furnished ac- cumulating evidence of the usefulness of his labors, and the 36 Tliomas Hopkins Gallaudet. efficacy of kind moral treatment and a wise religious influ- ence in the melioration and care of the insane. How beauti- fully did both his manner and success illustrate the wisdom of that law of kindness, which Dr. Todd impressed on the organization of this Retreat as the aU-pervading and plastic power of its moral discipline ! O ! how vividly did his mode of conversing with the in- sane, bring back the image and language of that gifted man, — the first physician and founder of the Retreat ; — how beautifully did the labors of both realize the language in which Whittier describes the true mode of dealing with the insane, Gentle as angels' ministiy, The guiding hand of iove should be. Which seeks again those chords to bind Which human woe hath rent apart, — To heal again the wounded mind. And bind anew the broken heart. The hand which tunes to harmony Tile cunning harp whose strings are riven. Must move as light and quietly As that meek breath of summer heaven Which woke of old its melody ; — ^nd kindness to the dim of soul, Whilst aught of rude and stern control The clouded heart can deeply feel. Is welcome as the odors fanned From some unseen and flowering land. Around the weary seaman's keel ! The details of the duties and labors of chaplain, as per- itbrmed by Mr. Gallaudet, are thus set forth in one of his annual reports to the directors. " Most of these duties are of a very regular and uniform kind. I attend prayers on week days in the chapel, and conduct the religious exercises there on the Sabbath. I keep up a constant daily intercourse with the patients in their respective halls, endeavoring to be- come familiar with their individual characters and peculiari- ties, and to do them good in the way of religious counsel, pleasant conversation, and other kind offices. I visit them in their rooms, especially when they are sick, and when cir- Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. 37 cumstances render it desirable, pray with them, as I do, also, with the attendants and nurses when laboring under indis- position. " I attend the weekly reading and sewing parties of the female patients, the customary celebration of the anniversary of American Independence, and other occasions of entertain- ment and interest which bring many of the inmates of the institution together, performing at such times, such services as are in my power. Occasionally, I go with a party of the patients to visit the Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb. " In the course of the year, I render not a few attentions to the friends of the patients from abroad, who are spending some time in the city ; receive visits from the patients and the friends of the patients, at my own house ; convey mes- sages from those of them who live in Hartford to the Re- treat, and from the Retreat to them ; and frequently call upon them at their own residences with information to be com- municated to them from the physician. " Some correspondence devolves upon me, growing out of the relation which I sustain to the Retreat, and my friend- ship or acquaintance with those who have relatives or friends under its care. I am in the constant habit of learning what it is needful for me to know, in the discharge of my official duties, with regard to the condition of each patient, both when admitted and afterwards, from the physician ; while I endeavor, in all that I do, to act in accordance with his views and wishes, I will only add that, as one means of greater usefulness, part of my reading is devoted to such works on insanity and reports of other institutions, as I think will be of practical benefit to me. " From year to year, the impression deepens upon my mind, that "there is much yet to learn with regard to the physical, intellectual and moral condition of the insane, and much yet to do in ascertaining and applying all the available means of alleviation, of comfort, and of cure. Here is yet a wide, and, to a great extent, unexplored field, in which expe- rience, ingenuity and Christian benevolence may find ample scope for exercise. I am sure, I can say so, from what I ob- 88 Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. serve in my own appropriate department, with regard to the mental and religious condition of the insane, presenting, as it does, phenomena of the most singular, various, and compli- cated kinds. Sti-iking and multifarious peculiarities, in these respects, exist among the sane. It would be strange indeed if they were not found to be as many, and as great, among the insane. " Each case, therefore, needs to be deliberately and pa- tiently studied by itself, and time must be taken for doing this,' that the moral and religious means employed for relief and restoration may be wisely chosen and applied. Hence, in order that the chaplain may be a judicious and successful auxiliary of the physician at the head of an institution for the insane, it is indispensable that he should have frequent and familiar intercourse with its inmates. He thus becomes the better qualified, not only to conduct the customary religious exercises, and to prepare the discourses which he delivers, in a way suited to the condition, and adapted to the ben- efit of the patients, but also to appreciate the counsels and directions of the physician in his daily interviews with them, and to make these interviews pleasant and profitable. " It is by such intercourse, too, that the chaplain gains the confidence and friendly regard of the patients. This opens their ,minds and hearts to his inspection, and procures for him a moral influence over them which would be very limited and imperfect without this intercourse. It need not, and I think I can say from my own experience, it does not detract from that deference and respect which are due to his sacred office. On the contrary, if this intercourse is wisely con- ducted, it leads them to esteem the chaplain as their pastor and friend, one who knows them personally, and sympathizes with them individually, and thus to take a deeper interest in his public ministrations, and to be the more profited by them. " I have dwelt a little on this topic from the desire that I have to impress its importance upon those who are interested in the insane, or who are interested with the management of institutions for their benefit. For if my labors in the Retreat have been, in any degree, acceptable and useful to its in- Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. 39 mates, or entitled to any approbation from its directors, this has arisen preeminently from the opportunities which I have enjoyed of daily and familiar intercourse with the pupils." No one familiar with the internal management and con - cerns of an institution of this character, and with the phe- nomena of this disease, can hesitate for a moment to recog- nize the great benefit of these labors and of religious influence, wisely exerted, to the insane. Many of the patients (we use substantially the language of his reports,) are in a state of convalescence, and are fast recovering their original sound- ness of mind ; and among • these and the other patients are a few who well know, by long experience, how to use and prize such privileges. Others are laboring under kinds and degrees of insanity which leave the mind rational with regard to a variety of subjects, religion often being one of them. Some are only periodically affected, and entirely sane during the intervals. Some have perverted moral feelings, obliqui- ties of disposition and temper, while the intellect is capable, in a greater or less degree, of appreciating truth. Of the rest, there are those, indeed, whose minds are so enfeebled or beclouded by their malady, that they may not have any dis- tinct conceptions of religious truth conveyed to them. Yet even these retain some childlike susceptibilities of religious feeling, not whoUy inaccessible to the salutary impressions which the outward forms alone of divine worship are adapted to produce. Former associations and habits are not yet ob- literated. They often give distinct and pleasant indications that the things of religion are among the few objects which still afford them some gratification ; and small as may be the degree of enjoyment and benefit which they thus experience. Christian sympathy deKghts to provide this solace for them, careful, in the spirit of the Saviour, not to break the bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax. In estimating the value of these religious" exercises there are many things to be taken into account, in addition to their spiritual benefit to the patients, as means of grace that they ought to enjoy in common with their feUow-men around them, — and which things in their aggregate influence, have a 40 Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. much greater efficiency than many, not familiar with them, would suppose. Such are the following : the necessary prep- arations to be made for attending the religious exercises in a becoming manner, and which fill up a portion of time agreeably and profitably; the regular return of the stated hour for doing this, and the pleasant anticipations connected with it ; the change of scene from the apartments and halls to a commodious, cheerful and tasteful chapel, there to unite in the worship of God ; the social feelings induced and grat- ified ; the waking up of formerly cherished associations and habits ; the soothing, consoling, and elevating influence of sacred music; the listening intelligently to the interesting truths of the word of God, and uniting with the heart in rendering him that homage which is his first due, as is, be- yond doubt, the case with not a few of the patients ; the suc- cessful exercise of self-control, so strikingly and continually exhibited by those who need to exercise it ; the having then- own place of worship, and their own minister whom they regard as the peculiar pastor of the little flock to which they belong; the habits of punctuality, order and decorum they acquire, and relish, in going to and returning from the accus- tomed place of their devotions, — ^the two sexes having their separate avenues for entering and withdrawing, connected with the male and female sides of the institution, and their appropriate, distinct seats while assembled together; the feeling that, in aU this, they are treated like other folks, and act as other foUcs do, and the subsequent satisfaction, a part of our common nature, which many of them experience in the reflection that they have performed an important duty. . The Sabbath, it may be added, would be, to many of the inmates of the Retreat a monotonous and tedious day, if it were not enlivened and cheered by their coming together for religious worship. This has often been noticed, and also that they manifest a strong and even restless desire to have the usual religious exercises return, when, as will sometimes happen from peculiar circumstances, they have been tempo- rarily suspended. Of a truth, he has well said, " such labors have their encour- Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. 41 agement and reward. They have made me familiar with hundreds of individuals, whose afflicted condition, while shutting them out from the usual occupation, privileges and enjoyments of the intelligent and busy world around them, has not in most instances, rendered their minds impervious to the influence of moral and religious truth, nor their hearts inapproachable by the kind offices of Christian sympathy and love. " How many torpid sensibilities have I seen awakened to respond to the impressions of the fair, the beautiful, and the good ; how many consciences aroused to a sense of the right and the wrong, so as to produce the power of self-control and of proper conduct; how many slumbering domestic and social affections kindled up into their former activity ; how many religious despondencies, sometimes deepening into despair, changed into the serenity of Christian hope ; how many suicidal designs forever abandoned, because life had become a pleasure instead of a burden tocf heavy to be borne ; how many prayers revived on the altars of private and public devotion ; how many kindly charities of the soul breathing forth, once more, in deeds of self-denying beneficence." In this necessarily hunied and imperfect review of Mr. Gallaudet's life and services, I have dwelt at some length on his labors at the Retreat and in behalf of the insane, not only because such labors have been more out of the way of public observation, and because they "can never appear in a form to be recognized by public gratitude, — ^but because the physical, intellectual and moral condition of the insane, and the whole subject of insanity, — its nature, causes, and availa- ble means of prevention, alleviation and cure, are even now imperfectly understood. Not .the least valuable service ren- dered to the cause of humanity by the Retreat in its man- agement of the insane, and by Mr. Gallaudet, as its chap- lain, and by his conversations with the patients and their rel- atives and friends, will be found in the light which has thus been shed, on this interesting field, through the community.' Thirty years ago, when this institution was established, in- sanity was regarded in some mysterious and special sense, 42 Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. as a direct visitation of Heaven, which it was almost an act of impiety to trace to physical causes, and as affixing a re- proachful stigma upon the character of the unfortunate suf- ferer. But the investigations which have been made, here and elsewhere, into the causes of that perversion or impairment of the mental faculties, or moral affections, either entire or partial, which constitutes insanity, have shown beyond all doubt, that it is a physical disease, as much as a fever, or the gout, — that it springs from natural causes, induced by a violation, near or remote, knowingly or ignorantly, of some of the organic laws on which mental functions depend, — that these causes, if not always within the control of the in- dividual, may be, in a large majority of instances, hastened or retarded in their effects, and what is of far more practical importance, can be known and counteracted entirely. A recent inquiry into the causes of more than twenty-two thousand cases of insanity, in American institutions, demon- strates that while there are more than one hundred and sev- enty avenues through which this formidable disease makes its attacks on the domains of the soul, a large proportion of these avenues cap be closed entirely, by early preventive measures ; and that unless this is done, and done soon, with an energy and on a scale commensurate with the magnitude of the calamity, the ravages of the disease will go on increas- ing in a fearful ratio in this country. Most of the causes of insanity which operate in other countries, are found working here with increased energy, with the developments and re- sults of our peculiar civilization. The very freedom of thought, religion, business, and locomotion, which constitute the glory of our social and political condition, are attended w^ith excessive mental action, with uncertain employment, hazardous speculations, frequent failures and disappoint- ments, abounding means and provocations for sensual indul- gences, multiplied dangers of accidents and injury, a restless- ness in social life, and painful struggles for showy and fash- ionable styles of living and the distinction and emoluments of office. Unless this increase of mental activity, and conse- quent increase of cerebral action, is accompanied by a cor- Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. 43 responding knowledge of its inevitable consequences, and a corresponding increase of discretion to guide, and of prudence to restrain, — then will insanity go on increasing among us, shaking down the pillars of reason, and not only multiplying retreats and hospitals, but filling our homes with desolation and woe, and consuming all the treasures of joy and hope. " In this connection, it may be well to remark that Mr. Gal- laudet's experience and observations among the insane, were not lost upon him as an educator, but furnished him with facts and illustrations, by which in his practical lectures to teachers, or conversation with parents and others interest- ed in the cause of education, he shed light upon questions of deep and general interest connected with the philosophy of mind, and the reciprocal influence which the mind and body have upon each other, — the elements of moral science, — ^the education and training of children and youth, both in fami- lies and schools, — the preservation of health and reason, and the precautionary measures to be pursued to guard against the ills of the flesh and the spirit, and thus enabling every individual to prevent more than the most successful institu- tion can ever mitigate or remove. To him the Retreat was not only the field of Christian benevolence, but a school of practical wisdom as an educator. In a letter addressed to me in 1844, he quoted a paragraph of one of Dr. Woodward's reports, as expressing clearly and forcibly his own conviction, that a defective and faulty education through the period of infancy and youth is the most prolific cause of insanity, and that we must look to a well directed system of education, having for its object physical improvement, no less than moral and mental culture, as the best security against the attacks of this most formidable disease. With this conviction, in all his later educational addresses he dwelt on the importance of paying attention to the physical condition and improvement of schools, to ventilation, to all the arrangements of the yard, to exercise, to frequent intervals of relaxation from study spent in the fresh air, and in athletic sports, to the propor- tionate development of all the faculties, and in all cases, to the avoidance of undue stimulants to study, especially with young children and with females. 44 Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. In 1835-6 Mr. Gallaudet was induced by an association of which Mr. Richard Bigelow and Henry Hudson, Esq., of Hartford, were the active members, to visit the western States in reference to a plan of religious education for that section of the country, which in cooperation with local and individual efforts, and in aid of existing schools, contem- plated a supply of well qualified teachers and the establish- ment in each State of at least one model institution of Christian education. The financial disasters which swept over the country soon after, crippled the means of several of the active promoters of the plan, and it was postponed, never to be renewed under the same auspices. At a later period, a somewhat similar enterprise -was undertaken by Miss Catherine E. Beecher, to which Mr. Gallaudet ever gave his counsel and aid, in preparing the class of teachers who have for the last four years assembled in Hartford for a course of preparatory instruction, before going west. Among the religious and benevolent enterprises in which he was particularly interested, may be mentioned the Amer- ican Tract Society, of the Connecticut branch of which he was for many years president ; the cause of universal Peace, which he aimed to promote by disseminating information among all men of the anti- Christian tendency of the war spirit, and by cultivating in every way the doctrines and graces of Christianity, commencing always with the individ- ual, and spreading out through the family and the neighbor- hood, till they embraced the State and the world ; and the civilization and Christianization of Africa by means of colo- nies of free, intelligent and religious blacks from this coun- try. To the American Colonization Society and its affiliated societies he was in the habit of looking as the great instru- mentality under Providence for elevating the condition of the African race in its own home, and wherever the cupidity of other races may have forcibly transplanted it. No man could be more kind and considerate in his attentions and efforts to improve the condition of this class of our popula- tion at home, and especially in providing them with th means of intellectual and religious improvement. Thomas Hopkins Gallcmdet. , 45 After living a life of practical usefulness, such as it is the privilege of but £ew good men to live, and yet such as every wise man at the time of his death, if he could live his life over again, would aspire to live, Mr. Gallaudet died as every good man would desire to die. Overtaken by sickness in the discharge of his duties at the Retreat, he retired to his own home and his chamber on the night of the 20th of July, to go no more out, until borne by others to his last resting- place. His disease proved to be an aggravated form of dys- entery, and so prolonged and so severe was the attack, that his constitution, never robust, and his strength, which was never vigorous, and which for the last twenty years had been husbanded only with extreme care, sank beneath it ; and after forty-six wearisome days and nights, during most of which his mind was remarkably clear and active, and his faith undimmed, he died on the 10th of September, 1851, leaving to his widow and eight children, and this sorrowing community, the inestimable legacy of his life and character, and the consoling lesson of his death. In the bosom of his family, — watched over by the gentle eye of affection, — minis- tered to by children who would keep him yet a little longer from the sky, — the last offices of the sick-room sought by neighbors and friends, who wordd thus requite his kindness to them, and mark their appreciation of his worth, — without one gathering mist or shade on his hope of a blessed here- after, secured (to use his own language) not by merits of his own, but by the redeeming grace of God, — he passed through his last tedious sickness, feeling the arm of his Saviour be- neath him ; and when his hour came, his spirit passed away so gently, that the precise moment was unmarked, — They thought him dying when he slept, — And sleeping when lie died. His soul to Him who gave it rose, God led him to his long repose, His glorious test. And though that Christian's sun has set. Its light 'Shall linger round us yet, Bright, radiant, blest. 46 T/iomas Hopkins Gallaudet. In forming any just estimate or analysis of Mr. Gallal- det's character, we must assign the first and prominent place to his religious views and habits. In his love to God and love to man, are we to find the hiding of his power, as a practical philanthropist. In the language of one who knew him intimately for the last twenty years of his life : " Reli- gion was so interwoven into the whole character of Mr. Gallaudet, that we can rightly estimate it only in connec- tion with the entire web. Some men, and good men too, as we must regard them, appear not the same in their religious aspect as in business, or in social scenes, — but it may be truly and emphatically said of him, that his religious life was his whole life. In the expressive title of one of his own volumes, he was an every-day Christian. There was nothing fitful in his piety : it was of the same evenness and symmetry which marked the other parts of his character. It was not a succession of oases around springs in a desert, linked to- gether by long tracts of sandy waste, — but fed by principle, it found its resemblance in the verdure which borders on an ever-running brook. " His religion was beneficence where good was to be done or kindness shown. It was honesty, exact and scrupulous, where business was to be transacted between him and his fel- low-men. It was conscientiousness, where the rights of others were involved in his plans or his acts. It was self-denial, where the wants of the poor and the unfortunate required not only an outlay of time, but solicitations sometimes pain- ful to make, in gaining the cooperation of others. It was courtesy, where it was often difficult to reconcile the claims of an extensive acquaintance with the discharge of pressing, indispensable engagements. It was humility, towards God, shewing itself in a deep sense of unAvorthiness. It was penitence, when human weakness yielded to temptation, — penitence sincere, abiding, and fruitful, in meet works. It was cordial trust in the atonement of a Divine Redeemer, — not leading to carelessness, but exciting prayerful efforts to transfer the gi-ace of that Redeemer's character to his own. It was hope, — not now of noonday glare, and now of mid- , Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. 47 night gloom, but hope ever uniform and stedfast, though sometimes bedimmed with a passing cloud. It was joy, not buoyant, like that of the new-born soul, or triumphant like that of the martyr. No one acquainted with his mental characteristics, his habitual moderation, — his almost excessive caution, — his keen insight into character, — his close scrutiny of his feelings, would look in his bosom for joys like these But to joy such as flows from beneficent acts, — such as the' peace of God imparts to the contrite spirit, — such as a hope of casting off human weakness, and mingling through grace among the sanctified in Christ Jesus in a higher life, inspires, to such joy he was no stranger. " He had a deep reverence for the sacred scriptures and ex- alted views of their influence in controlling and purifying the human mind. As an instrument of government in the fam- ily, and in society, no one held them in higher estimation. His religious sentiments were those commonly denominated Evangelical. He loved to regard the truths of the gospel in their simplicity, and though as capable as most amongst us of metaphysical speculations, in which he would sometimes indulge in conversation with his intimate friends, — he fell back on the Bible in its obvious meaning for the support of his hope and his quickening in the religious life. Though a firm believer in the necessity of supernatural aid to train man for heaven, he ever urged the serious, regular, prayerful ob- servance of divine institutions and means of moral improve- ment. On the moulding power of these he relied for forming the Christian character rather than on any measures of mere human devising. " Both from principle and native temperament, he was char- . itable in his estimate of the opinions of others, — ^but when the occasion demanded, he was ready courteously and firmly to defend his own. The respect with which he was regarded by the religious of every name, shews that this strildng trait of his character was duly appreciated. " To an unusual extent, he associated this world, its scenes, its occupations, its influences, with a future exist- ence, — ^regarding the habits, both intellectual and moral. 48 Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. which we form on earth, as entering with us into that state. ' Non oninis moriar,' all of me will not die, was an unfailing quickener of his zeal in preparing to perform in another life an agency of benevolence, pure, ceaseless, self-satisfying, eternal. And who can doubt that in some part of God's wide empire, his happy spirit is now ministering to ' them who shall be heirs of salvation,' or planning schemes of beneficence, which earth's intellect cannot conceive, or earth's resources execute." Such is the religious character of Mr. Gallaudet, as drawn by one, (Rev. Horace Hooker,) who knew him intimately for a period of twenty years, in his mature manhood, and as testi- fied to by others who knew him as intimately at the same and other periods of his life. Out of whatever theological dogmas as roots, this character may have grown, all will wit- ness that it bore the peaceable fruits of righteousness. Amid the jarring and sometimes belligerent forces of creeds and denominations, it was refreshing to find one character in our midst, who had a charity large enough to act in any good work with others of differing views, and that too without sacrificing the convictions of his own conscience, and at the same time securing the respect of all classes and conditions of men. In the language of Jonathan Edwards, as applied by a distinguished divine of our own city, who differed from him in some points of church doctrine and organization, (Rev. Dr. Turnbull,) " The soul of such a Christian in the midst of other Christians, appeared like such a little white flower as we see in the spring of the year, low and humble in the ground, opening its bosom to receive the pleasant beams of the sun's glory ; rejoicing as ever in a calm rapture, diffusing around a sweet fragrancy, standing peacefully and lovingly in the midst of other flowers round about ; aU in lUce manner opening their bosoms to drink in the light of the sun." Wha.i a beautiful and trathful commentary and illustration was his own daily life, of his religious views as set forth ip his pulpit discourses, and more elaborately in his Every- Day Christian ! All of us, who have had occasion to con- sult or converse with him in the street, in the office, in the Thomas Hopkins Gallemdet. 49 committee-room, in his own house, must have had occasion to notice the equable condition of his mind and heart, — the faithfulness of his memory, — ^the clearness of his concep- tions, — ^the ability to call into exercise his mental vigor and resources, together with the calm and self-possessed state of his affections, going forth in easy and happy expressions of good will to others. How naturally, how habitually did he improve every occ^-sion of social intercourse, or even a casual meeting, by rational, instructive, and, at proper moments, serious conversation, without casting one shade of gloom over such seasons; and, in his own home, how gracefully were the courtesies of society and the attachments of friend- ship made subservient to the highest purposes of this life, and of that which is to come. His life was a living sermon, that was read and appreciated by all men. As a teacher, his success was uniform and preeminent in a widely diversified field of experience. In his college classes, among the deaf mutes, in the Hartford Female Seminary, at the head of his own family school, and as a teacher of teachers, he was distinguished by the same characteristics, and by the same success, viz : the moral influence of his own personal character and actions, — the thorough preparation he brought to every recitation and every duty, — his own clear conception of every principle and every fact which he wished to convey to the minds of others, — his power of arresting and retaining the attention of his pupils, even among the very young, and particularly among the dull and those whose minds were undisciplined, — the simplicity and vividness of his illustrations, and the clearness and logical sequence of his statements, — his power and range of expression, both in pantomime and in spoken language, — and the rigid accu- racy which he ever exacted from his pupils in every exercise. In his own peculiar department, in that with which his reputation as a teacher is inseparably connected, he was dis- tinguished for his mastery of pantomime, the natural lan- guage of the deaf and dumb, which he has also the merit of having simplified and extended, — for the facility and felicity with which he explained to them the diificulties and use of 4 50 Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. written language, and for his powers in unfolding the sub- lime as well as the simple doctrines of morality and religion, — the ideas of justice, goodness, responsibility, spiritual exist- ence, immortahty and God. To Mr. Gallaudet is univer- sally conceded the no ordinary merit, of being the first to es- tablish for his pupils in the American Asylum the daily and Sabbath devotional exercises by signs, thus securing to them the privilege of social worship, and adding to the restraints on bad conduct and to the motives of a correbt life. In all that relates to religious culture, our American institutions are confessedly in advance of European institutions, and this is mainly to be attributed to the methods and example intro- duced by Mr. Gallaudet into the American Asylum. The greatest service rendered by him as an educator and teacher, — his highest claim to the gratitude of all who are laboring to advance the cause of education in any grade or class of schools, is to be found in his practical acknowledg- ment and able advocacy of the great fundamental truth, of the necessity of special training, even for minds of the high- est order, as a prerequisite of success in the art of teaching. In view of this truth, he traversed the ocean to make himself practically acquainted with the principles and art of instruct- ing the deaf and dumb ; — to this end, he became a normal pupil under the great normal teacher Sicard, in the great normal school of deaf-mute instruction in Paris. And stiU distrusting his own attainments, he thought himself pecul- iarly fortunate in bringing back with him to this country a teacher of still larger experience than himself, and of an al- ready acquired reputation, and thus making the American Asylum the first normal school of deaf-mute instruction on this continent. And beyond this, he was ever the earnest advocate for training, under able master workmen in the busi- ness of education, all who aspired to teach the young in any grade of schools. How confirmatory of the wisdorii of his views is the success the American Asylum. If he, and such as he, can do so much to improve and confirm the health, to develop the different faculties of the mind, to communicate knowledge, to subdue and control the passions and propen- Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. 51 sities, and to awaken and train the higher sentiments and holier affections of our common nature, in children laboring under such extraordinary natural deprivations and obstacles as the deaf and dumb, by means of skiU, experience, appara- tus and perseverance,— surely much, very much more, can be accomplished by the same skiU, experience, apparatus and perseverance, with children having aU their senses, and under more favorable and favoring circumstances and influences. But do we find such teachers in one out of a thousand, or one of ten thousand, in our common schools, where the mass of our children are educated? Does not society, which sees the necessity of tact, skill, experience, and singleness of aim and life, in teachers of the deaf mute and blind, and employs persons having these qualities and qualifications at a com- pensatory price, tolerate a degree of unfitness, both in char- acter and preparation, in the teachers of the people, which would not be tolerated in any department of labor that min- isters to its material interests and enjoyments 1 As an author, — and especially of text-books, and books for children and youth, — while he has done enough to give him a distinct and f»ermanent place in the annals of Ameri- can literature, he has exhibited such large and wide views of education, such an accurate knowledge of the order and degree and methods of development, to which each faculty should be subjected, such accuracy in defining words and stating principles, and such facility in unfolding the most ab- struse and complex problems and propositions, that it is a matter of deep regret, that he did not devote himself to the preparation of a series of text-books for instruction in the English language. I know of no living teacher or educator who can do the work so well. His volume of Sermons, published in 1817, his Every-Day Christian, his Child's Book on the Soul, and his incomplete serial work,. Scripture Biography," are beautiful specimens of correct and polished composition, as well as of accurate thought and Christian feeling. As a public speaker, in the pulpit or the lecturer's desk' soon after he entered the ministry and dimng his early con- 52 Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. nection with the Asylum, he was eminently popular. As a sermonizer he had but few equals. His subject was distinctly set forth, the topics logically arrEHiged, his language polished, his imagination chaste, his manner earnest, and his voice persuasive. The hearer was borne along by a constantly swelling tide, rather than swept away by a sudden bUlow. In later life, at least on ordinary occasions, his power as a preacher was weakened by his habit of simplifying his thoughts, and extending his illustrations for the deaf and dumb and for children. But these last qualities made his preaching at the Retreat and the prison particularly profita- ble and acceptable, delivered as it was with a clearness and sincerity of manner and tone, which won at once the hearts of the sorrowing and the outcast. To appreciate the character and value of his services as chaplain, both in the county jail and the Retreat, he should have been seen and heard ; and especially at the Retreat, not only in his regular religious teaching on the Sabbath and in evening worship, but in his daily visitation among the dim and erratic in soul, and his intercourse with their friends and relatives, who were sorrowing over the wreck of domestic joys and hopes. How simple and wise were his instructions, — how surely did his kindness open the closed doors of their affections, — how like the dew distilled his words of consola- tion, — how like the notes of David's harp on the unquiet spirit of Saul, fell the tones of his voice over those whose thoughts, it seemed but a moment before, could not rest or be comforted! His conversational powers were remarkable, and he never failed to interest all who came into his society. To a com- mand of language, at once simple and felicitous, he added a stock of personal reminiscences drawn from a large acquaint- ance with the best society in this country and in Europe, — a quick sense of the beautiful in nature, art, literature and mor- als, — a liveliness of manner, — a ready use of all that he had read or seen, and a real desire to make others happy, which made his conversation always entertaining and instructive. He was, beside, a good listener, — always deferential to old Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. 53 and young, and could have patience even with the dull and rade. With children he was eminently successful, winning their confidence by his kind and benevolent manner, and gaining their attention by the simplicity and pertinency of his remarks. He seemed in society as in the world, to make it a matter of principle " to remember the forgotten," and thus to draw the old and retiring into the circle of the regards and attention of others. Although below the ordinary height, and singularly modest and unassuming, yet with his erect carriage, and dignified although not formal manners, always respectful and even courteous to others, without challenging any special attention to himself or his office, he succeeded in inspiring a reverence softened by love, which mere personal presence, age or office could not command. He never spoke ill of any man, and could not listen with- out exhibiting his impatience, to such speaking in others, and never without suggesting a charitable construction of mo- tives, or the extenuating circumstances of ignorance, or the force of temptation. His sympathy and charity for the err- ing, whether in conduct or opinion, were peculiar. Those who had never felt the power of temptation, or never culti- vated the grace of charity, " which beareth all things, believ- eth all things, hopeth all things, endureth aU things," might deem this a weakness, but to me it seemed akin to the kind- ness of Him, who was touched with a feeling of human in- firmity, and whose mission it was to call sinners to repent- ance. He was methodical in the transaction of business to an extent rarely found in men of literary habits. This was partly the result of his home training, and partly of his ex- perience in the counting-room and commercial affairs. It was a favorite theory of his, that every boy before entering college or a profession, should have at least one winter's experience in a store, and one summer's training on a farm. He was punctual in all his engagements. He thought it was neither just or Christian to make appointments, and then break them on any plea of convenience, or forgetfulness. 54 Tliomas Hopkins Gallaudet. He was economical, — not for the sake of hoarding, but from necessity and a sense of justice. " Owe no man anything," was a precept of perpetual obligation with him. He was cautious to an extent, which in the opinion of some of his best friends, abridged his usefulness. This may be so, — and I have thought so at times, when I felt the need of his active cooperation in enterprises in which I was par- ticularly interested. But I have had many occasions to admire his wise, forecasting prudence, in keeping aloof from schemes, which although plausible, he could foresee must fail. This caution may have abridged his activity, but it prolonged the day of his usefulness. His path is strewn with as few fragments of enterprises wrecked, as that of any other person, whose mind was always projecting plans of social improvement. His benevolence was of that practical, universal and pre- ventive sort, — that it can be followed by every body, every day, in something ; and if followed by every body, and begun early, and persevered in, would change the whole aspect of society in a single generation. It began with the individ- ual, each man and ■ woman and child, by making the in- dividual better. It worked outward through the family state, by precept and example, and above all by the formation of habits, in every child, before that child had become hardened into the guilty man and woman. It operated on every evil by remedies specifically adapted to meet its pecu- liarities. It promoted each good by agencies trained for that spetial work. It looked to God for his blessing, but its faith in God's blessing was made sure by its own diligent works. Mr. Gallaudet was emphatically the friend of the poor and the distressed. He did not muse in solitude on human misery, but sought out its victims and did something for their relief. There was a womanly tenderness in his nature, which was touched by the voice of sorrow, whether it came from the hovel of the poor, or the mansion of the rich. His benevolence was displayed not simply in bestowing alms, although his own contributions were neither few or small Thomas Hopkins Gallmidet. 55 according to his means, — not simply as the judicious ahnoner of the bounty of others, although no man among us was more ready to solicit pecuniary subscriptions and contribu- tions, (not always the most agreeable or acceptable business in the range of benevolent action,) or give the necessary time to the judicious application of the means thus raised, — not simply by prayers earnest and appropriate, in the home of mourning, — but by the mode and the spirit in which he dis- charged these several duties. He did riot aim always or mainly to secure the pecuniary contributions of the rich, but what is of far higher value both to the rich and poor, to enlist their personal attention to the condition of the suffering members of society. His wish always was to localize and individualize benevolence so that every man should feel that he has a direct personal interest in some spot and individual of the great field of suffering humanity. He knew from his own heart, that we love that which we strive to benefit, and he was therefore anxious that eyery man should be found doing good to something, or somebody, who stood in need of such personal help. His own life was a practical illustration both of the wisdom and beauty of his doctrine. He took a real pleasure in seeking out and relieving human suffering, and no one could more literally act out his religion, — ^if to do so, was to visit the widow and fatherless in their affliction. Although no man could place a higher value on religion, as the personal concern of every son and daughter of Adam, and as the source of inward comfort and strength, particu- larly to the poor and distressed, — he knew full well that reli- gion did not stand alone in the human mind, and was not the only concern of human nature here below. He felt and acknowledged its connection with the entire life, — with intel- lectual cultivation, with manners and personal habits, with household arrangements and management, and with the substance and form of parental duty. Hence his labors in behalf of the poor covered a much larger ground than the immediate relief of physical wants, or the utterance of a prayer, or words of spiritual consolation. He labored to im- press on the rich and the poor, as householders and tenants, 56 Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. the Christian duty, the necessity of making the homes of the poor more healthy, comfortable and alttractive. He saw the difficulty, if not the impossibility of cultivating the Christian virtues and graces, amid the filth and discomfort of cellars and garrets, and even of such dwellings as the destitute gen- erally occupy. He saw also the necessity of time arid mental vigor, if the poor and the laborer are to profit by sermons, and tracts, and lectures. After ten, twdve, or fifteen hours, confinement to hard labor there is neither tlasticity of mind or body to entertain serious thought or severe reading. Both body and mind need rest, or at least recreation, and unless a taste for innocent amusements has been created, and easy access to such amusements can be had, the laborer must go to his pillow, — or to the excitements of the shop or of congenial company. Hence, Mr. Gallaudet's aims were to secure for aU laborers, old and young, — in the factory and in the field, — in the shop, and in the kitchen, time, — ^time to attend to their spiritual and their intellectual improvement ; — in the second place, a taste for something pure ahd intellec- tual, — and in the third place, the means of gratifying these tastes. In all his plans of benevolent and Christian action, for society or for individuals, he never lost sight of the paramount claims of home and the family state as the preparatory school, in which the good citizen is to be trained up for the service of the state, and the devoted Christian for the service of his Master. The making of a little more money, or the participation of social enjoyments, were with him no excuse for neglecting an engagement with his own children ; — nay, when the calls of the public, or the voice of religion itself, would seem to urge to the performance of higher and more important duties, his doctrine was that conscience should weigh these claims, looking to the word of God for instruc- tion, and to the throne of his grace, for guidance, against the sacred trust of discharging his duty faithfully in the domestic circle. In the peculiar position of his own family, he felt these ties and claims the more strongly. On this, mainly, he rested his final declinature of the urgent Thomas Hopkins Galtaudet. 57 invitation of the trustees of the New England Institution for the Blind, to place himself at the head of that benevolent movement in 1831, — and in 1838, the as urgent solicitation of the Board of Commissioners of Common Schools that he would accept the post of secretary, and the only executive agent in its operations in behalf of education in the State. There is one responsibility connected with the situation of the head of a family, — ^that of the guardianship of clerks and apprentices, — the nature and duties of which he took every fit occasion, in conversation, and in his public addresses, to explain and enforce. Many a young man, leaving his parental roof for the first time, breaking away from a mother's tearful advice and exhortations, and a father's last petition to a kind Providence, to seek his fortune in this city as a clerk or apprentice, amid new companions, new trials, and new temptations, — owes his safety to the land word fitly spoken, or little attention timely shown of Mr. Gallaudet. And beyond this personal service, how often and how earn- estly has he explained and enforced the claims of such young persons, on the constant watchfulness and care of employ- ers, — as the only individuals that can exercise a parental guardianship over them, and who can by making their own homes attractive to them and their own children, preserve them from the allurements of vice and from habits of dissi- pation. I shaU not, I trust, intrude on the sacredness of family privacy, or private sorrow, in the few additional words which I shall say of his dqmestic life. Mr. Gallaudet was married on the 10th of June, 1821, to Miss Sophia Fowler, of Guil- ford, a deaf mute, with whom his acquaintance commenced while she was a member of the first class of pupils instructed by him at the Asylum. Seldom has domestic life been blessed with so sweet an accord of temper, taste, and views of family instruction and discipline, and by such a bright dower of clustering charities, — a triumphant testimony to the deaf mutes, of their inherent capability, properly instructed, to take their appropriate position of influence in the family state. In no one position did the distinguishing features of 58 Tliomas Hopkins Gallaudet. his mind and heart fehine out more clearly than in his own home, and in the practical discharge of his domestic and social duties. Here his views, as a wise educator, were illustrated by beginning the work of parental instruction and example in the very arms of the mother, and in the lap of the father, while natural affection tempers authority with love, and filial fear with filial attachment and gratitude. Here he aimed to form habits, as well as principles of truth, temperance, honesty, justice, virtue, kindness and industry. Here by example and influence, by well-timed instruction and judicious counsels, by a discipline uniform in its demands of strict obedience, yet tempered with parental fondness and familiarity, did he aim to fulfil the obligations which God had imposed on him as the head of a family ; and in this pre- paratory sphere of instruction he had the personal and assid- uous attention of Mrs. Gallaudet. He was much with his family, — joining in their innocent recreations, — contributing to their instruction and improvement, — shedding over them the benign influence of his example, — ^ruling almost with an unseen authority, — his look mild, yet unwavering, — his voice gentle, yet decided, — his manners familiar, yet command- ing, — and looking to God continually in prayer, and to his written word for guidance and counsel. In his own home, he sought and found repose and refreshment after his occu- pation in his own study or his abounding labors abroad ; and when sickness visited him, or any member of his family, which it did often and severely, they were all so trained as to minister to each other's bodily wants, and as well as to each other's spiritual necessities. In bringing this discourse, abeady too protracted, to a close, I will dwell for a moment on some of the practical lessons, which we should gather from the contemplation of the life of Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, and bring home to our business and bosoms. The least we can do to prove ourselves worthy of posses- sing his name and example among the moral treasures of our Tliomas Hopkins Gallaudet. 59 city and State, is to cherish the family, — ^the objects of his tenderest solicitude and care, which he has left behind him ; and by some fit memorial to hold in fresh and everlasting remembrance, his deeds of beneficence to us and our pos- terity forever. The ashes of such a man, in whose character the sublimest Christian virtues ceased to be abstractions, if his iriemory is properly cherished, will, like the bones of the prophet, impart life to all who come in contact therewith. The ingenious youth of our city, should be led, by some memorial of our gratitude for his services, to study his life, till its beauty and spirit shali pass into their own souls, and flow out afresh in their own acts of self-denying beneficence. Whatever we may do for the future, we may at least act in the living present, in the spirit, and to some extent in the methods which have wrought such valuable results in his life. It may not be the lot of any of those who hear me, to pursue the same walk of professional labor, — ^it may not be the privilege of any of us to open up new avenues of knowl- edge to those who, in the providence of God, are deprived of all or either of the senses, through which the soul holds in- tercourse with the outer world ; but if we look around in the streets, or neighborhood where we dwell,' — if we will open our ears and our hearts in our daily walks, we shall not fail to find, as he always found, neglected or misguided children, who are as truly shut out from innocent pleasures, from all the delights and rewards of virtue, as are the deaf from the voice of men, or the blind from the light of day. We need not go out of the limits of our own city, to find children, who have been accustomed from infancy to sights and sounds of open and abandoned profligacy, and trained, by example, to idle, vicious and pilfering habits, and who, if not rescued soon, will be found hanging round places of public resort, polluting the atmosphere by their profane and vulgar speech, alluring to their own bad practices children of the same and other conditions of life, and originating or participating in every street brawl or low-bred riot, until, in their downward career, there is on earth no lower point to reach. Such chU- 60 Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. dren can not be safely gathered, or profitably instructed in our public schools. For them, one or more of that class of educational institutions, known as refuge schools, or schools of industry, should be established. But even this will not reach the source or the extent of the evil. The districts of our city where this class of children are found, are the appro- priate fields of systematized plans of local benevolence, em- bracing friendly intercourse with the parents, an affectionate interest in the children, the gathering of the latter into week- day infant and primary schools, and schools where the use of the needle, and other forms of labor appropriate to the age and sex of the pupils can be given, — the gathering of both old and young into Sabbath Schools and worshiping assem- blies, — ^the circulation of books of other than a strictly reli- gious character, — the encouragement of cheap, innocent and humanizing games, sports and festivities, — ^the obtaining of employment for adults who may need it, and procuring situ- ations as apprentices, clerks, &c., for such young persons as may be qualified by age, capacity and character. By indi- vidual efforts and the combined efforts of many, working in these and other ways, from year to year, these moral jungles can be broken up, — these infected regions can be purified, — these waste places of society can be reclaimed, and many abodes of penury, ignorance and vice can be converted by education, economy and industry, into homes of comfort, peace and joy. It may not be our privilege, — and if it were, we may not have the admirable tact to succeed as he did, — to retune the harp of a thousand strings which misfortune, or the violations of natural laws, on the observance of which mental health depends, or the transmitted consequences of such violations on the part of parents, may have shattered, — to bind up the broken heart, — to pour consolation into the torn bosom 'of the friends and relations of the insane ; but we may, if we will foUow his example, help to rear up a generation of youth having sound minds in sound bodies, which will thu? be better prepared to withstand the shock of sickness an> Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. 61 misfortune, and even counteract the inherited tendencies to nervous and mental disease. We may not be called to go into the prison, to preach spir- itual deliverance to the captive, — ^to reclaim- the wandering lambs of society back to the fold of the family and the church, and to temper the severity of penal justice with the accents of heavenly mercy, — ^but we may, by our fidelity as teachers, educators and friends of education, set the feet of the young in the way they should go, so that when they are old they shall not depart therefrom, nor be doomed to wear out a weary and guilty life in the felon's cell, or atone for manifold and heinous crimes against society on the ignomin- ious scaffold. In some allotment of the wide domain of edu- cation, — in its large and comprehensive sense, embracing the culture of the whole being, and of every human being for two worlds, we can find objects and room enough for any sacri- fice of time, money and labor, we may have to bestow in its behalf. Ever since the Great Teacher condescended to dwell among men, the progress of this cause has been up- ward and onward, and its final triumph has been longed for and prayed for, and believed in by every lover of his race. And although there is much that is dark and despairing in the past and present condition of society, yet when we study the nature of education, and the necessity and capabilities of improvement aU around us, with the sure word of prophecy in our hands, and with the evidence of what has already been accomplished, the future rises bright and glorious before us, and on its forehead is the morning star, the herald of a better day than has yet dawned upon our world. In this sublime possibihty, — nay, in the sure word of God, let us in our hours of doubt and despondency, reassure our hope, strengthen our faith, and confirm the unconquerable will. The cause of education can not fad, unless aU the laws which have hereto- fore governed the progress of society shall cease to operate, and Christianity shall prove to be a fable, and liberty a dream. May we all hasten on its final triumph, by following the ex- ample of the departed Gallaudet, in doing good according 62 Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. to our means and opportunity, — and may each strive at the end of life to deserve his epitaph, "in whose death man- kind lost a friend, and no man got rid of an enemy." " How sleep the good ! who sink to rest, AVith their Redeemer's favor blest; "When dawns the day, by seers of old. In sacred prophecy foretold. They then shall burst their humble sod, '' And rise to meet their Saviour — God. To seats of bliss by angel-tongue. With rapture is their welcome sung, '■'■B a" Hallows the hour of closing day, Shall Faith and Hope awhile repair, To dwell with weeping Friendship there." APPENDIX I. Alice Cogswell. 11. Deaf-Mute Instruction and Institutions. in. History of the American Asylum for the Education of Deaf and Dumb Persons. IV. Journal of Rev. Thomas H. Gallaudet during his visit to Europe, in 1815-16. V. Discourse delivered at the Opening of the American Asylum, April 20, 1817. VI. Discourse at the Dedication of the American Asylum, May 22, 1821. Vn. Proceedings on the Presentation of Silver Plate to Messrs. Gallau- det and Clerc. VIII. Discourse at the Dedication of the Chapel of the Connecticut Ee- treat for the Insane, January 6, 1846. IX. History of Normal Schools, or Seminaries for the Education of Teachers. X. Remarks on Seminaries for Teachers. XI. List of Publications by Rev. Thomas H. Gallaudet. ALICE COGSWELL. Alice Cogswell, the third daughter of Dr. Mason F. and Mrs. Mary A. Cogswell, of Hartford, Conn., was born on the 31st of August, 1805, and be- came deaf (and afterward dumb) in the autumn of 1807, in consequence of an attack of spotted fever, when two years and three months old. A beauti- ful sketch of her character and her early school life, is given by Mrs. Lydia Huntley Sigourney, in that valuable contribution wliich she has recently made to the library of every teacher, as well as of every young lady, entitled Letters to my Pupils. The following touching account (with a few verbal al- terations) of her last illness and death, which occurred in 1830, almost imme- diately after the death of her father, to whom she was passionately attached, is from the pen of Miss Catharine E. Beecher, and was published in the Christian Keepsake in 1848, as part of an article entitled " Reminiscences." The smiling and happy Alice was the darling of the family, and no one, in gazing on her intelligent face, her animated movements, and her cheerful industry, would imagine that silence had for ever sealed her lips, and that the music of speech had never charmed her ear. But affection had lavished every effort to remedy this early misfortune, and so devoted was every one around her in ministering to her improvement and enjoyment, that she was never known to lament that hers was a peculiar lot. With a mind naturally quick and imaginative, with a high relish for natural scenery, with a degree of cultivation that enabled her to gain infor- mation and amusement from books, and surrounded by fond friends able to oonmiunicate by her own silent and expressive language, she never seemed to want for varied and constant enjoyment. And her pious and intelligent teacher had so imbued her mind ivith religious truth, that the hopes of reli- gion had illumed her mind. It was an interesting sight to behold her in the social circle, as her parents, or sisters, or brother, would wateh her inquiring glances, and communicate by graceful signs such of the passing conversation as she seemed anxious to learn, as she gathered its note and interest from the countenances of those around. No one could long be intimate with this family, without feeling that they were united by no ordinary degree of family attachment ; and not unfre- quently a sad sort of feeling would steal over the mind, at remembering that 5 66 ALICE COGSWELL. a day must come when such tender ties must be severed by death. Such thoughts as these stole over the mind one evening, as the mother was speak- ing of a friend who had lost two children at a stroke. Her eye wandered over the group around her, and tears began to gather as she said, " I dare not think of what may be before me ; I should feel it all to lose only one, — for you know," said she, " the heart can not feel more than all, — and that I should feel wherever the blow first falls." How speedily were these fore- bodings fulfilled ! An extract from a letter written amid the scenes of sorrow that so soon followed^ will more faithfully delineate than any efforts at reminiscence. No, never, my dear E , did I pass through a scene of such varied, such interesting, such mournful excitement. Yes, he is gone ! — our friend, — our adviser, — our help and comforter both in sickness and health ; and with him is laid our darling Alice too ! Oh, if you had known all his kindness and care, and how like a father he has been to us, you would not wonder that we feel as orphans. Nor are we alone in grief, — it would seem as if the whole place were in tears at his death : there is scarcely a family that does not feel that they have lost a friend. But it is of Alice chiefly that I would -write. Would that I could convey to your imagination the sublime, the touching scene when this bright and happy being first looked on sorrow and death. It was in the stillness of midnight, — the neighbors and friends were gone home to rest. On the bed of death lay her idolized father, supported on each side by two young physicians, his favorite pupils. Around him were gath- ered his family, to catch his last lingering accents of love, as he passed from them down the dark valley. She saw the parting strife of the dying ; she watched the agonized countenances and flowing tears of those who survived. But she heard not the language of yearning tenderness, of triumphant hope, of pious resignation, as the dearest ties of life were being sundered, while Heaven, as it opened to the dying father, seemed to shed its light and peace into the bosoms of the beloved ones he was leaving behind. She heard not the voices of the tender and beautiful daughters, as they poured into the ear of the dying, the sublime and glowing language of inspired consolation, and seemed to be raising their parent in their arms to sister spirits above. So absorbed were all in this overwhelming scene, that it was not till all was over, that the mother first felt alarm for the effects on the pale, mute and tearless child, who had gazed on a scene so strange and new, with none to interpret or explain. But she seemed so quiet, so submissive, so full of con- fiding trust in the Almighty Friend she had learned to love, that alarm was soon removed. The next day I spent in the room where the father had breathed his last. The family were assembled there, and spent the day to- gether, while neighbors and friends arranged for the funeral and prepared habiliments of mourning. All the rest reUeved their troubled hearts by tears, but Alice never wept. Her contenance, however, gleamed like an angel, as she went from ALICE COGSWELL. 67 one to another aa a ministering spirit, speaking peace, resignation and love. Never did I witness any thing more interesting than her attitudes, her face, and her language, as she would glide frcan one to another of her weeping friends, and in the expressive gestures of her silent language, present the soothing and consoling expressions of piety and love. The next day was the Sabbath, and early in the morning I received a summons to the house of mourning, with the appalling information that Alice had become distracted. As I passed to the house, I saw the neighbors in groups, conversing in low tones, with looks of sorrow and alarm. I met the pastor of the family. He seemed agitated and distressed, And, as I parted, in tones of peculiar solemnity and feeling gave the benediction, " The Lord bless and direct you." When J entered the house I learned the events of the past night. At thtf same hour of the night at which the father had died, the son-in-law was awa- kened with dreadful shrieks below. He hastened down, and found one daughter fainting on the floor, apparently dead j another daughter was strug- gling with the shrieking and frantic Alice, while the mother, almost faint- ing, was vainly attempting to aid. It was inded a night of terror and dis- tress. When I arrived, Alice had become tramjuJl, and seemed restored to reason. Solitude and quiet were enjoined, with the hope that she might gain some sleep ; and I was i-equosted to stay by her bedside through the day. It was the day of the funeral, and the great fear was, that when she found that her father was to be buried, and that she could not go with the rest to his grave, that she would again lose her reason. As they opened her darkened room, her brother-in-law grasped my hand, — " Ob," said he, " you can not be too cautious,: — may Goct give you wisdom." For a moment it seemed as if I never could command conrage to assume so difficult and responrfble a post, — yet I could not refuse. The door was closed, and I approached the bed. A faint light fell upon her pale face from the shaded windows. As I bent over her, an expression of distress passed over her features,^-she threw her arms around my neck, — kissed me repeat- edly, and then began to tell me " she was sick, and that her father could not take care of her any more," — while her aspect of fear and distress seemed to increase. I began immediately to tell her that her father, when he was dying, gave his dear Alice to Jesus Christ, 3nd that now she must think of Him as her father who was always with her, who loved her more than even her earthly parent, that he pitied her and knew all her wants, and would do for her all that she needed. She gave her fixed attention, while I endeavored to bring before her mind those endearing exhibitions of pity, tenderness, love, and sympathy, to be found in the Saviour, which so tender and sorrowing a spirit could feel and understand, — his tenderness to little children, — his pity for the sick and suf- fering, — his sympathy for the sorrowful, — ^his tenderness toward his mother, — his compassion for his sorrowing disciples when leaving them. She seemed 68 ALICE COGSWELL. t» realize it all, and soon began to add to the picture with memories and con- ceptions of her own, at once poetical and touching. And the impression which seemed to fasten on her mind, that this blessed Saviour, though unseen, was present with her, loved her, pitied her, watched over her, — ^had taken her father to be happy in heaven, and would soon take her there to meet him, — came like a balm to her wounded spirit. Never before did I so realize the wisdom and condescension of Deity when he came as ' God manifest in the flesh,' as in this case, when this simple, sorrowing, almost distracted mind, could turn from the incomprehensible ideas of an all-pervading Essence, to rest on the bosom of one who is just such a being as the humblest mind can understand and love. In an hour or two my immediate fears were gone, and just as the dreadful time arrived, when she knew by the movements and jar in the house that they were to bear her father's body away, she looked calmly in my face, and wth a sweet smile she said, " I am too sick to go to my father's grave, — I must try to go to sleep," and before another hour had passed she was in a quiet slumber. Overcome with anxiety and excitement, I leaned my head on her pillow, .so that I could feel her slightest motion, and fell asleep. I was awoke by the heavy toll of the bell in the immediate vicinity, that announced that the pro- cession was moving to the grave. The jar probably awoke her, and again I saw a distressed expression pass over her countenance. A smaU opening in the shutter was opposite her bed, and the large flakes of snow were descend- ing past it ; she raised her hand and vnth. a shudder spelt " cold, icy grave." I pointed to the white flakes, and told her it was a pure and beautiful covering for his grave, to make us think of the white robes he had put on in Heaven. It touched her poetic fancy ; she smiled ; and again I endeavored to lead her mind to Him who alone can heai the wounded spirit, and bind up the broken in heart. After a while I raised her in bed, and put into her hands that most touch- ing passage of our Saviour's life, where to his mourning disciples he begins, ■" Let not your- heart be troubled." As she bent over the sacred pages, and in her usual way pointed with her finger as she read, I saw the relieving tears start from lier eyes and trickle down her cheeks, — the first I had seen her shed since her father's death. After this she lay down and seemed peaceful and composed. Soon after, as 1 bent down to kiss her, she looked up with an inquiring ex- pression, and putting up her hand, asked me, " Why I loved her so much more than I used to do ?" I told her w« always lov-ed our friends the best when they were in trouble, because they then most needed our affection, — tliat I had loved her very much a great while, but now I loved her still more. She seemed to understand it, and then began in her metaphorical way to 'describe my love for her, how it was once like a little shrub, but now it had grown up large and wide to keep off the sun and wind, aind it made her feel ALICE COGSWELL. 69 comfortable and pleasant, and soon after this graceful expression of gratitude and affection, she again fell asleep. The two succeeding days and nights I spent with her, till fears of danger were to a great degree removed. The evening I left her, she looked anx- iously in my face and asked me not to go away from her. I told her I would soon come again : hut shall I ever forget her last look as I turned to go V It was the last time I saw her living countenance ! The next morning I heard that she was raving. I was fbid that she could recognize no one, — that her state was such that it would be no comfort to her and might injure me to visit her ; and so I never saw that sweet face again, till in the habiliments of death she was borne away. She passed ten days of shrieks and moans and incoherent cries, and then was released, and laid beside her father in the quiet grave. Those who were with her, and understood her mute language, spoke of the pathos and beauty of some of her ravings. Sometimes she fancied that she was in Heaven. " Is it David's harp I hear ?" she would ask, as if the seal were taken from her ear, and she heard the harmonies of heaven. She told them " her heart had grown so close to her father's that they could not be separated ; and oh," said she, " when I arrive at Heaven's gate, how my father will hold out his arms to take me to his bosom." She seemed to have some short intervals of reason. The last time was a few hours before her death. All the family had tiied in vain to catch the attention of her wandering eye. At last her beloved instructor, who had taught her the language of signs, succeeded in obtaining a look of intelligent recognition. He made the sign of the wounded hand, by which in that language the Sav- iour is designated. She made the sign for prayer, and immediately, with the solemn signs of worship he commended this helpless, dying lamb to the care of that Good Shepherd in whom her spirit sought repose. She followed him through with looks of intelligence and interest, and very soon after she closed her eyes forever, and sunk away so peacefully that they scarcely knew when her spirit had fled. Soon after this event her early friend and teacher, — the sweetest poetess of our land, — presented the following hues to the family. Sisters ! there's music here ! From countless harps it flows, Throughout this bright celestial sphere, Nor pause nor discord knows. The seal is melted from my ear By love divine. And what through life I pined to hear, Is mine 1 Is mine ! The warbling of an ever-tuneful choir, And the full deep response of David's sacred lyre. Did kind earth hide from me Her broken harmony, That thus the melodies of heaven might roll, And whelm in deeper tides of bliss my rapt, my wondering soul ? 70 ALICE COGSWELL. Joy ! I am mute no more ! My sad and silent years With all their loneliness are o'er. Sweet sisters, dry your tears! Listen at hush of ^ve, — listen at dawn of day, — List at the hour of prayer, — can ye not hear my lay ? Untaught, unchecked it came. As light from chaos beamed. Praising His everlasting name. Whose blood from Calvary streamed. And still it swells that highest strain, — the song of the redeemed. Brother ! my only one ! Beloved from childhood's hours. With "whom, beneath the vernal sun, I wandered when our task was done. And gathered early flowers, I cannot come to thee. Though 'twas so sweet to rest Upon thy gently guiding arm, thy sympathizing breast, 'Tis better here to be. No disappointments shroud The angel-bowers of joy. Our knowledge hath no cloud. Our pleasures no alloy. The fearful word to part Is never breathed above. Heaven hath no broken heart, — Call me not hence, my love. mother ! He is here To whom my heart so grew, That when death's fatal spear Stretched him upon his bier, I fain must follow too ! His smile my infant griefs restrained. His image in my childish dream. And o'er my young aiTections, reigned With gratitude unuttered and supreme ; But yet till these refulgent skies burst forth in radiant show, I knew not half the unmeasured debt a daughter's heart doth owe. Ask ye, if still his heart retains his ardent glow ? Ask ye if filial love Unbodied spirits prove ? 'Tis but a little space, and thou shalt rise to know. 1 bend to sooth thy woes, — Ho"w near thou canst not see — I watch thy lone repose, — Alice does comfort thee : To welcome thee I wait ; blest mother ! come to me. HISTORY OF DEAF-MUTE INSTRUCTION AND INSTITUTIONS. It, is difficult for persons, who see every day men and women who were born deaf and dumb, or who became so from any cause when very young, — well educated, highly intelligent, and engaged usefully and cheerfully in the practical affairs of life, — or who are familiar with the processes and results of deaf-mute instruction in any of our institutions founded by public or pri- vate benevolence for this particular class of our fellow-men, to conceive the deplorable state in which the deaf and dumb were only a half century since, in the most highly civilized countries, or to appreciate the labors of those men who were pioneers in this work of benevolence, as discoverers or improvers of these methods, or as founders of this class of institutions. To throw light on these points, and to enable us to understand and appreciate the value of the labors of such men as Heinicke, De I'Epe'e, Sicard, Gallaudet and others, is the object of this sketch, drawn mainly from a series of bibliographical ar- ticles by Prof. Samuel Porter, in the American Annals of the Deaf and Dumb, edited by Luzerne Rae, of Hai-tford, and from the authorities referred to or quoted in those and other articles in the Annals. The main facts relating to the instruction of the deaf and dumb are neither numerous nor difficult of discovery, since they all belong to comparatively modern times. Ancient writers who have alluded to this class of persons, speak of their education as hopeless ; agreeing with the sentiment expressed by the well known couplet of Lucretius, — " To instruct the deaf, no art could ever reach, — No care improve them, and no wisdom teach." The earliest notice of any attempt to instruct the deaf and dumb in England, is found in Bede's History of the English Church, in which he records as a miracle, an instance of the successful instruction of a deaf mute in articula- tion, by John, Bishop of Hagulstad, about the year 690, by causing a person who was never able to speak so much as one word, to repeat letters, syllables, and even words and sentences, after him. The fact being cited as a miracle, the historian goes no further into details, than to say, that the Bishop took the person by the chin and made the sign of the cross on his tongue. What else was done, by the Bishop or the mute, does not appear. John Bulwer, in the Chirolgia, or the Natural Language of the Hand, pub- lished in 1644, and in his PhUocophos, or the Deaf and Dumbe Man's Eriend, published in 1648, was the first English writer who proposed the use of pan- tomimic signs as a means of teaching language. The first practical teacher of the deaf and dumb, in England, of which we have any notice, was Dr. 72 DEAF-MUTE INSTRUCTION AND INSTITUTIONS. John Wallis, Professor of Mathematics in the University of Oxford. In the preface to the fifth edition of his Grammatica Linguae Anglicanae, (first pub- lished in 1653,) he says he has not only corrected stammering or otherwise defective articulation, but instructed two deaf mutes to articulate distinctly j adding that he had also taught them (an entirely different matter, he ob- serves) to understand the meaning of language, and thus to use it in speak- ing, reading and writing. In a letter to Hon. Robert Boyle, dated 1662, and published in 1670 in the Philosophical Transactions, he anticipates the fun- damental idea of the school of De I'Epe'e and Sieard, that we may learn to form conceptions in written, as well as in spoken language, and that in the work of deaf-mute instruction, he proceeded from certain actions and ges- tures which have a natural signification, to convey ideas not already under- stood. One of his pupils, a son of the mayor of Northampton, was in May, 1662, examined by the Royal Society, and exhibited his attainments before the king and nobility. In his letter to Thomas Beverly, published in 1698, he gives a concise explanation and outline of a method for instructing deaf mutes to the use of language, without resort to exercises in articulation. In 1680, George Dalgarno, born and educated in Scotland, but master of a private grammar school at Oxford at the time, published a work entitled Didascolocophus, or the Deaf and Dumb Man's Tutor, in which, while he admits that articulation and reading on the lips can be acquired to a degree, but not so as to be useful, he would substitute written language and a manual alphabet, in the instruction of the deaf and dumb. This last means of in- struction, he was the first English writer to suggest, and he describes one, as modified by himself, which is very similar to the present two-handed alphabet commonly used in Great Britain. For nearly a centviry, the seed sown by Wallis and Dalgarno seemed al- most to have perished, save in isolated eases of instruction in private famiUes, until 1 760, when Thomsis Braidwood, of Scotland, " undertook, at the earnest sohcitation of a rich merchant of Leith, to carry into effect the plans of in- struction given in the Philosophical Transactions," by establishing a school or academy in Edinburgh. • The school opened with one pupil, the son of the merchant referred to ; but as his success became known, the number of pupils increased, and his academy and methods were regarded by such men as Dr. Johnson and Lord Monboddo, in 1772, as among the objects of philo- sophical interest. Dr. Johnson thus refers to a visit paid to the school in 1772, in his Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland. " There is one subject of philosophical interest to be found in Edinburgh, which no other city has to show^ a college of the deaf and dumb, who arc taught to speak, to read, to write, and to practice arithmetic, by a gentleman whose name is Braidwood. Tho number which attends him is, I think, about twelve, which he brings together in a little school, and instructs according to their several degr(^es of proficiency. * * * This school I visited, and found some of the scholars waiting for their master, whom they are said to receive at his entrance with smiling countenances and sparkling eyes, deUghted with DEAF-MUTE INSTRUCTION AND INSTITUTIONS. 73 the hope of new ideas. * * * The improvement of Mr. Braidwood's pupils is wonderful. They not only speak, write, and understand what is wiitten, but, if he that speaks looks toward them, and modifies his organs by distinct and full utterance, they know so well what is spoken, that it is an expression scarcely figurative to say they hear with the eye. * * * It was pleasing to see one of the most desperate of human calamities capable of so much help. Whatever enlarges hope will exalt courage. After seeing the deaf taught arithmetic, who would be afraid to cultivate the Hebrides ?" This school was the parent and model of all the early institutions for the deaf and dumb in Grep,t Britain. The founder has not added to his perma- nent reputation with posterity, by his undisguised efforts to make a mystery of his art, and to monopolize in his family this beautiful gift of charity. Mr. Thomas Braidwood trained all the members of his own family to a practical knowledge of his method of instruction, as a profitable employment, but never published any thing on the subject. He associated his brother John with himself in 1770, and in 1783 removed his school to Hackney, near London, where he continued it ffll his death in 1806. His widow, assisted by her grand- children, sustained the school till 1816. A grandson, named Thomas, who assisted at Hackney till 1814, took charge of an institution at Edgbaston, near Birmingham, in that year. Another grandson, named John, had charge for one year of the institution at Edinburgh, founded in 1810, and afterward removed to Virginia, to take charge of the education of a few deaf and dumb children belonging to a family of wealth in that State. He was in this coun- try in 1816, for when' Mr. Gallaudet, in that year, applied to Mr. Thomas Braidwood to release Mr. Kinniburgh of the Edinburgh institution from an obligation which he (Mr. K.) had come under to the Braidwood family, not to communicate the art, and not to teach any one but charity scholars for seven years, Mr. Braidwood, after consulting with his mother and other friends, gave a decided negative, remarking that his brother was in Americai " and that liberal encouragement on the part of your countrymen will be fol- lowed by the most strenuous exertions of my brother to deserve it" Dr. Jo- seph Watson, the first teacher in the London Asylum, was a relative of the Braidwoods, and acquired the art from them, as an assistant in their school at Hackney. The following notice of the history of the London Asylum is gathered from a memoir of its founder, as abridged by Prof Porter. The London Asylum for the Support and Education of Indigent Deaf and Dumb Children, was founded in 1792, mainly through the benevolent efforts of Rev. John Townsend, a minister of the Congregational order in London, who, in the loveliness and gentleness of his character, as well as in the activity and largeness of his benevolence, resembled our own Gallaudet. He was active in the formation and management of the British and Foreign Bible So- ciety, the Religious Tract Society, the London Missionary Society, and sim- ilar institutions. • In his ministerial relation, Mr. Townsend became acquainted with a lady. 74 DEAF-MUTE INSTRUCTION AND INSTITUTIONS. ■whose son was deaf and dumb, and who had been a pupil of Mr. Braid wood's ahnost ten years. The youth evinced an intellectual capacity which caused delight and surprise to the good pastor, who was astonished at the facility and accuracy with which ideas were received and communicated. Mrs. C, the lady referred to, sympathizing with those mothers whose circumstances pre- cluded their incurring the expense of £1,500, (which was the sum paid by herself,) pleaded the cause of those afflicted and destitute outcasts of society, until Mx. T. entered into her feehngs of commiseration, and decided with her on the necessity and practicability of having a charitable institution for the deaf and dumb children of the poor. , The subscriptions were commenced on Sunday, June 1st, 1792. The next morning, Mr. Townsend waited on Mr. Henry Thornton, a gentleman of distinguished philanthropy : — " as he had never seen a deaf and dumb child, he thought the number would be too small to form the projected insti- tution ;" but was induced by the representations of Mr. T., to lend his co- operation. A prospectus was issued in the Times, and Morning Chronicle ; and this brought a visit from Dr. Watson, whose services were secured as in- structor. Handbills, or circulars, were issued, and freely distributed. Mr. T. soon presented the object to his friend, the Rev. Henry Cox Mason, rec- tor of Bermondsey, " who at first seemed indifferent to the object, and smiled at the undertaking as romantic ;" but soon after engaged with Mr. T. in per- sonal soUcitations for pecuniary aid, and in other labors in behalf of the in- fant institution. In August, the Society, composed of subscribers, was organ- ized, with Mr. Thornton as treasurer, and Mr. Mason, secretary. On the 14th of November, the school was opened with four pupils. It was afterward generously supported by the public, and the number of admissions rapidly increased. In 1807, the buUding in Kent Road was erected, which has since been enlarged repeatedly. In the years 1808, 1809, and 1810, Mr. Towns- end performed several preaching tours, in behalf of the Asylum ; and in those three years " was the instrument of adding no less a sum than £6,000 to the funds of the Society," which now amount to £100,000. The insti- tution continued, while he lived, the object of his liveliest interest, and of his care and aid in various ways. At his death, in 1826, the number under in- struction was two hundred and twenty, and the amount of admissions had been nearly nine hundred. Soon after his death, a statue to his memory was placed in the hall of the institution. The General Institution for the Instruction of Deaf and Dumb Children, near Birmingham, originated with Dr. De Lys, who in 1812 excited a de- gree of interest in Birmingham, sufficient to raise the necessary funds for the establishment of a school, by giving lectures on the subject of deaf-mute in- struction, and exhibiting a little girl eight years old, a deaf mute, whom he and a friend had succeeded in teaching to some extent. The school was opened in January, 1814, under Mr. Thomas Braidwood. On his death, the committee of management invited Mr. William C. Woodbridge, for six years connected with the Asylum in Hartford, to take the superintendence of the DEAF-MUTE INSTRUCTION AND INSTITUTIONS. 75 institution, on the ground that a change in the system of instruction hitherto pursued in this, and similar institutions in England, was liighly expedient, as shown by comparing the progress made by their pupils, with the superior progress made by pupils educated in the schools of Paris, Hartford, New York and Philadelphia. This superior progress is attributed by the commit tee to the practice, in the institutions last named, of improving and system- atizing the language of gesture and expression, as the spontaneous and uni versal medium of communication of deaf mutes with each other, and the most direct mode of developing their minds and imparting knowledge. Mr. Woodbridge did not accept, but the new system weus fairly introduced in the following year, and lias worked to the satisfaction of the managers. It may be remarked here, that a visit of the Abbe' Sicard, with his pupils, Massieu and Clerc, to London, in 1815, attracted attention to the French system of deaf-mute instruction, and has been followed by a gradual modification of the method which before prevailed in all the English schools. The merits of the two systems, the English and French, and particularly the question of teach- ing articulation and discarding it, and that of educating the deaf and dumb in separate institutions or in the schools for speaking children, soon after that visit, were freely discussed in the Christian Observer and London Quarterly Review. To the former, Mr. Gallaudet contributed several articles in 1819, explaining the advantage of signs over articulation, for imparting to the deaf and dumb a knowledge of language. The second institution which came into operation in Great Britain was that of Edinburgh, which was established in 1810, under the care of Mr John Braid wood, who removed to America in 1812, and was succeeded by Eev. E. Kinniburgh, who has continued at the head of the institution for more than forty years. He acquired the art from the Braidwood family at Hackney, and chiefly from the widow of Mr. Thomas Braidwood, senior, and from the son, who was afterward at the head of the Birmingham school. He came under restrictions, not to teach the art to any one to practice again, in consequence of which Mr. Gallaudet was excluded in 1816, and also not to teach any but charity scholars. After three years he obtained liberty to take private pupils, on condition of paying one-half the sum received to the Braid- wood family. From that time he continued to take " parlor boarders," the children of the rich, and, as is done in nearly all of the institutions of this class in Great Britain, appropriating the receipts to liis own salary. A visit of Mr. Kinniburgh to Glasgow, with some of his pupils, in 1814, was the means of first calling the attention of the public in that city to the education of the deaf and dumb. It resulted in the formation of a society auxiliary to that of Edinburgh, and, in 1819, in the establishment of a sepa- rate institution. Up to 1831, the methods of instruction were similar to those pursued in the London and Edinburgh schools, from which its head teachers were taken. Although articulation continues to be taught to those pupils who are fit subjects for such training, the methods since 1831 have been 76 DEAF-MUTE INSTRUCTION AND INSTITUTIONS. more like those pursued in the Paris institution. This school has received some handsome legax^ies for its support, within the last twelve years. The National Institute for the Deaf and Dumb of Ireland, originated with Dr. C. E. H. Orpen, a benevolent physician of Dublin, who, in 1806, became interested in the history of the Birmingham Institution, and adopted a similar course to interest the benevolent among his own neighbors and friends. A fund sufficient to start a school was raised by subscription, and application was made to the London Asylum for a qualified instructor, or for the privilege of sending a suitable person there to be qualified ; but without success. Application was made to Dr. Braid wood of the Birmingham Institu- tion, but he " would not teach any one without being well paid, and without an engagement not to teach any one else (as teacher) for some years." On applying to Mr. Kinniburgh, of the Edinburgh school, it was found that he was under bonds to the Braidwood family not to communicate the art for two years longer. The school was accordingly opened with two young men with- out experience, but who succeeded better than could be expected. At the end' of two years, the principal of the school spent three months with Mr. Kinniburgh, for which he paid the sum of $750, in consideration of the expense incurred by Mr. K. to obtain his experience, and with an injunction against giving instruction to any who might design to set up a rival establishment in Scotland, which might injure the Edinburgh institution by diminishing that portion of its income derived from private pupils, the children of wealthy parents. This restriction was afterwards removed. This institution has not laid such stress on articulation, as the London Asy- lum, and its annual reports show that the managers and instructors have been diligent in making themselves acquainted with all the improvements which have been from time to time made, or proposed by reliable educators in deaf-mute instruction. The fifth report contains a letter from Mr. Gal- laudet, in which he mentions the mode pursued in the American Asylum, of praying with the pupils by signs, and which is now regarded as an indis- pensable means of moral and religious culture in aU our American institu- tions. Other reports contain communications from the conductors of the New York Institution, and from the Paris, Bordeaux and Vienna schools. The visits of Mr. Humphrey, principal of the National Institution, to Liver- pool and Manchester, for the purpose of soliciting contributions, led to the establishment of similar schools at both those places. Much of the prosperity and efficiency of the Dublin Institution is due to the enthusiastic and inde- fatigable labors of Dr. Orpen, its original founder. It is supported entirelv by voluntary conti-ibutions, (appHed to the charity scholars,) and payments from private pupils. There are now seventeen institutions for the deaf and dumb in Great Britain, including a school recently established in Canada. To Pedro Ponce de Leon, belongs the honor of first successfully undertak- ing the regular instruction of the deaf and dumb in Spain. He was of a noble family, and was born in the city of Valladolid, (near the borders of old DEAF-MUTE INSTRUCTION AND INSTITUTIONS. 77 Castile and Leon,) in the year 1520. All that is known of his personal character and history is that he entered the order of the Benedictines in the convent of Sahaguu, in Leon, hut spent the greater part of his life in the convent of the same order at Ona, where he died in August, 1584, and where his memory was long held in veneration, as a man of exemplary virtue, as well as of genius and industry. The fullest account of his labors in behalf of the deaf and dumb, is that given by himself in an act of founda- tion for a chapel, executed in 1578, and long afterwards discovered among the archives of the convent of Ona. In this document, i-elating how he ac- quired the wealth which he devoted to this foundation, namely, by saving from his personal expenses, from gifts of great men of whom he had been testamentary executor, and from pupils whom he had instructed, " with the industry which God has been pleased to give me in this holy house, through the merits of Saint John the Baptist, and of our father. Saint Didace," he adds, " I have had pupils who were deaf and dumb from birth, cliildren of great nobles and of distinction, whom I have taught to speak, to read, to write and to keep accounts, to repeat prayers, to serve the mass, to know the doctrines of the Christian religion, and to confess themselves viva voce. To some I have taught the Latin, to othei-s the Latin and Greek, and to under- stand Italian. There was one of them who received the orders of priesthood and possessed a benefice, and performed the duties of his office in reciting the breviarj'.. This person and some others studied natural philosophy and astrology. Another also who was an heir to a majorate and marquisate, and was to follow the career of arms, in addition to his other studies, as already expressed, was also instructed in all martial exercises, and was a very skillful equestrian. Moreover, these deaf mutes distinguished themselves by their acquaintance with the history of Spain and of foreign nations. They were even skilled in pohtical' science, and in other branches of knowledge of which Aristotle believed this class of persons incapable." The first published treatise on the art of deaf-mute instruction, appeared in Spain in 1620, by Juan Paulo Bonet, a monk of the order of Saint Bene- dict, under the title of The Reduction of Letters and art of Teaching the dumb to speak. Dr. Peet, of the New York Institution,.in a paper read before the first convention of American instTuctors of the deaf and dumb, gives a full analysis of tliis work, and adds, " his views are for the most part correct, and the course of instruction which he marks out, though little adapted to a numerous school, might in the hands of an able private teacher produce, if perseveringly pursued, and with subjects of good capacity, results not infe- rior to those ascribed to the labors of Ponce," a half century before. This work proved one hundred and fifty years afterwards an excellent guide to the Abbe' De I'Epe e in the early part of his experience in France, and fur- nished him with the manual alphabet which he used in liis institution in Paris, and which is now used in most of the deaf and dumb schools on the continent of Europe and in America. His success as a teacher was made known to England in 1645, by Sir Kenehn Digby, who had witnessed in 78 DEAF-MUTE INSTRUCTION AND INSTITUTIONS. 1623, in Spain, the proficiency of one of his deaf-mute pupils, who could read on the lips, and speak as distinctly as any person. Digby was a correspond- ent of Dr. WaJlis, who was the first, or among the first successful teachers and writers on the subject of deaf-mute instruction in England, and who, it is reasonable to suppose, may have acquired his views from this source. After the lapse of nearly a century, the first school in Spain was instituted by Alea, a disciple of JDe I'Epe'e, at Madrid, in 1798, and is the only one now in operation in the country where the art had its origin. In Italy, Jerome Cardan, an eminent philosopher, born in 1501, and died 1576, sketched in one of his works the principles on which deaf mutes might be instructed in written language. " The deaf mute can conceive that the word bread, for example, as it stands written, represents the object which we point out to him. Just as after having seen an object we preserve its form in the memory and can draw a resemblance of it, so the deaf mute can pre- serve in his mind the form of written characters, and can associate them directly with ideas ; for spoken words represent ideas only by convention, and written words can be made to represent ideas by convention." He did not apply his own principle to practice. In 1670, Father Lana-Terzi, a Jesuit of Brescia, employed himself in teaching language to the deaf and dumb. The first school was estabhshed in Kome in 1784, by the Abbe' Sylvestri, a disciple of De I'Epe e, and the second at Genoa in 1801, by Assarrotti, who formed a system of instruction, based on the writings of Sicard, but involving important alterations and improvements. There are now ten institutions in Italy. In Germany, Kerger made himself acquainted with the pubhcations of Bonet, Wallis and Amman, and made some experiments in the art of in- structing deaf mutes as early as 1 704. He was followed by othei-s, who worked in different parts of the same field, but without any knowledge of each other's method or secret. Among the earliest German teachers was George Kaphel, who published in 1718,an accountof the method by which he had successively instructed his three deaf and dumb children. But the most distinguished writer, and most successful teacher of Germany, was Samuel Heinicke, who was born April 10, 1729, in the village of Nantz- schutz, near Weissenfel. He pursued his father's occupation of farming till he was twenty-one, when he removed to Dresden and entered the service of the Elector of Saxony, as a soldier of his body-guard. Here he employed all his leisure in scientific studies. He left the service, in 1757, and enrolled himself as a student in the University of Jena, when he was twenty-eight )-ears old. After one year's residence at Jena, he was engaged as a teacher in Hamburgh and Eppendorf, from 1769 to 1778. Here, according to his biographer, he consecrated himself to God and humanity " by enlightening the ignorant, comforting the forsaken, drying the tears of those who wept, and ministering aid to all who were in distress." He was admired, esteemed and respected for his genius, his character and his works, by the most eminent DEAF-MUTE INSTRUCTION AND INSTITUTIONS. 79 men of his day. So early as 1 754, lie had applied himself to the education of a deaf and dumb boy in Dresden. While a teacher in Eppendorf, he un- dertook to instruct another deaf mute, a son of a miller, with whom he was particularly successful. In the year 1772 he had four pupils of this class, to whom several others were afterwards added, and thus was laid the foundation of the first school for the deaf and dumb in G-ermany. On the 1 3th of April, 1772, ho removed to Leipsio with nine deaf and dumb pupils, on the invita- tion of Frederic Augustus, the Elector of Saxony, and in the following month, an institution was opened, the first ever established or supported by civil government, which continues to this day in full prosperity. Here he con- tinued to labor until his death, on the 13th of April, 1790. But though dead, the principles and methods of instruction which he adopted from others and improved, still live in all the institutions scattered throughout Germany, except in Austria, and two in Bavaria. The philosophy and methods of his system are based on the views of Amman, whose work fell into his hands when he first became interested in deaf-mute instruction. They aim to restore to the deaf mute the privileges not only of written, but of spoken lan- guage, — regarding speech as the great distinctive gift of God to man, and as not only the sign, but the only inode of conceiving ideas. To teach the power of articulation, to enable the deaf and dumb to speak, so as to be per- fectly understood by others, and to enable themselves to understand readily what is said by persons speaking to them, was the principal aim of Heinicke and has been of his followers. In France, so early as 1 743, the practicabilit}- of instructing deaf mutes was shown by the success of Fatlier Vanin and others in Paris, and Kousset in Nismes; but the most effective experiments were made by Pereire, a Spaniard, who in 1749 exhibited the results, but not his method of teaching, before the Academy of Sciences in Paris, much to the surprise and gratifica- tion of that learned body. The details of his methods were never published by himself, although it is stated by those who were familiar with him, that he had profited by the labors of Wallis, Bonet and Amman. In 1754, the Abbe' De I'Epe'e (Charles-Michael, born at Versailles, Nov. 5, 1712) hap- pened one day to enter a house, where he found two young females engaged in needlework which seemed to occupy their whole attention. He addressed them, but received no answer. Somewhat surprised at this, he repeated his question ; but still, there was no reply ; they did not even lift their eyes from the work before them. In the midst of the Abbe"s wonder at this apparent rudeness, their mother entered the room and the mystery was at once ex- plained. With tears she informed him that her daughters were deaf and lumb ; that they had received, by means of pictures, a little instruction from Father Farnin, a member of the society of Christian Brothers, an order of professional teachers for the poor, but that this good friend was now dead, :,nd her poor children were left without any one to aid their intellectual prc- iTess. " Believing," said the Abbe', " that these two unfortunates would live 80 DEAF-MUTE INSTRUCTION AND INSTITUTIONS. and die in ignorance of religion, if I made no effort to instruct them, my heart was filled with compassion, andjt promised that if they were committed to my charge, I would do all for them that I was able." The foundation stone, if we may so speak, of the system of instruction which he was about to build, had been laid in his mind several years before, and nothing remained for him to do, bvit to go on and raise the superstruc- ture as rapidly as possible. At the age of sixteen he had received Irom his tutor this principle, which he now recalled and made the basis of his pro- cedure ; namely, tliat there is no more natural and necessary connection be- tween abstract ideas and the articulate sounds which strike the ear, than there is between the same ideas and the written characters that address themselves to the eye. Pamiliar as this truth seems to us at the present day, it was al- most universally regarded at that period, as a philosophical heresy; the strange doctrine being held by the learned, that speech was absolutely indis- pensable to thought. Confident however of the soundness of his principle, and fully belie-\-iiig that written language might be made the instrument of thought to the deaf and dumb, the Abbe' now turned to the practical ques- tions — How shall they be taught this language ? How shall they be made to understand the significance of written and printed words ? What shall be the interpreter of these words to the mind of the ignorant deaf mute ? De I'Epe'e was not long in reaching the conclusion that their own natural language of signs was the only fit instrument for such a service to the deaf and dumb, and he immediately applied himself to the task of becoming familiar with the signs already in use among them, and of correcting, enlarging and methodiz- ' iug this language, till it should become as perfect an organ of communication as the nature of the case would allow. Great success attended his efforts in this direction. The interest of the public was excited by the novelty of his method, and he soon found himself, in 17C0, at the head of a little company of deaf mutes ; leading them, with a skillful and tender hand, out of their natural darkness into the great light of intellectual and moral truth. To De I'Epe'e unquestionably belongs the merit of originality in all this procedure. He was wholly unaware that substantially the same method with his own, had already been suggested by Cardan the Italian, Wallis the Englisliman, and Dalgarno the Scotchman. The school of De I'Epe'e was conducted entirely at his own expense, and, as his fortune was not large, he was compelled to practice the most careful economy. Still, he was unwilling to receive pecuniary aid, or to admit to his instructions the deaf and dumb children of wealthy parents. " It is not to the rich," he said, " that I have devoted myself; it is to the poor only. Had it not been for these, I should never have attempted the education of the deaf and dumb." The fear of being charged with mercenary motives doubt- less led him to refuse the aid of the wealthy, for the bare suspicion of being actuated by such motives, was exceedingly painful to his sensitive mind. One or two anecdotes will serve to show how little liable he was to be dazzled by opportunities of personal aggrandizement. DEAF-MUTE INSTRUCTION AND INSTITUTIONS. 81 In 1780, the ambassador of the Empress of Russia paid hiin a visit, to con- gratulate him upon the success which had followed his exertions, and to offer him valuable presents in the name of that sovereign. " Mr. Ambassador," said the Abbe', "I never receive money ; but have the goodness to say to her majesty that if my labors have seemed to her worthy of any consideration, I ask as an especial favor, that she will send to me from her dominions, some ignorant deaf and dumb child, that I may instruct him." When Joseph, Emperor of Austria, was in Paris, he sought out De I'Epe'e, and expressing his astonishment that a man so useflil as he, should be strait- ened in his operations by the lack of pecuniary means, he offered to bestow upon him the revenues of one of his estates in Austria. To this generous offer the Abbe' replied, " I am now an old man. If your majesty desires to confer any gift upon the deaf and dumb, it is not my head, already bent to- ward the grave, that should receive it, but the good work itself It is worthy of a great prince to preserve whatever is useful to mankind." The Emperor easily divined his wishes, and on his return to Austria, dispatched one of his ecclesiastics, the Abbe' Storch, to Paris, who, after a course of lectures from De I'Epe'e, established at Vienna the first national institution for the deaf and dumb. During the severe winter of 1788, the Abbe', already beginning to feel the infirmities of age, denied himself the comfort of a fire in his apartment, and refiised to purchase fuel for this purpose, that he might not exceed the mod- erate sum which he had fixed upon as the extreme limit of the annual ex- penditure of his establishment. AU the remonstrances of his friends, who were anxious lest this deprivation might injuriously affect his health, were unavailing. His pupils cast themselves at his feet, and with weeping eyes and beseeching hands, earnestly urged him to grant himself this indulgence, if not for his own sake, at least for theirs. He finally yielded to their tears and importunities, but not without great reluctance, and for a long time af- terward, he did not cease to reproach himself for his compliance with their wishes. As he looked around upon his little family, he would often mourn- fully repeat, " My poor children, I have wronged you of a hundred crowns." Such facts as these, demonstrate his self-denying devotion to the cause which he had espoused. The humble establishment of De I'Epe'e was situated on the heights of Montmartre, in the outskirts of Paris. There, in the midst of his children, as he affectionately named them, and with his whole soul absorbed in plans for their improvement and happiness, he seemed to dwell in an atmosphere of joy which his own benevolence had created. The relation which he sus- tained to his pupils had more of the father in it, than of master or teacher, and the love which he never ceased to manifest for them in all his actions, drew out in return from their young hearts the warmest expressions of ven- eration and affection for himself These feelings were occasionally manifest- ed in the most striking manner. In the midst of one of his familiar discourses with his children, the Abbe' happened to let fall one day some remark which 6 82 DEAF-MUTE INSTRUCTION AND INSTITUTIONS. implied that his own death might be near at hand. The possibility of such a misfortune had never before occurred to their minds, and a sudden cry of an- guish testified to the shock which the bare thought had given to their affec- tionate hearts. They at once pressed around him, as if to guard his person from the blow of death, and with sobs and cries laid hold of his garments, as if they might thus detain him from his last, long journey. Deeply affected by these tokens of their love for him, and with his own tears mingling with theirs, the Abbe' succeeded at last in calming the violence of their grief; and taking advantage of an opportunity so favorable to serious remark, he pro- ceeded to speak to them of death and the retributions of the world to come. He reminded them of the duty of resignation to the wiU of God. He taught them that the separation which death makes between friends, is not of neces- sity eternal ; that he should go before them to a better life, there to await their coming, and that this reunion in the world above, would never be bro- ken. Softened and subdued by such reflections, their stormy grief sunk into a quiet sadness, and "some of them formed the resolution at that moment, of Kving better hves, that they might thus become worthy of meeting him here- after in the home of the blessed. France in its gratitude for so large a benefit, has erected a monument to the memory of De I'Epe'e in Versailles, his native city. Upon a pedestal, the principal face of which bears the nzmie of the immortal instructor, and that of his birthplace, together with the date of his birth and death, stands the statue in ecclesiastical costume. In his left hand he holds a tablet, inscribed with the name of God, in dactylogic, and also in ordinary alphabetic charac- ters. The right hand represents the letter J) (Dieu, God) of the manual alphabet. The eyes are lifted toward heaven the source of light; toward the giver of every perfect gift, as if to express his gratitude for the skill and intelligence which, during his life upon earth, he obtained through divine grace; On the death of De I'Epe'e in 1789, the Abbe' Sicard, born September 20, 1742, was promoted to his place, from Bordeaux, where he had resided at the head of an institution for the deaf and dumb, estabUshed by Archbishop Cice', in 1786. He had studied the art in Paris, under De I'Epe'e, and brought to the work a vivid and fertile imagination, a remarkable ability in clothing abstract notions in sensible forms, and a particular talent in that pantomime, or language of signs, which is the natural language of the deaf and dumb. Both Sicard and the institution over which he presided were exposed to great vicissitudes of fortune during the dark and troubled night of the Revolution ; but through nearly the whole of this period, and through aU the subsequent changes of government, he continued till his death in 1822, to devote h im self with enthusiasm to the institutions over which he presided, and to the improvement and extension of the art, as he had received it from his predecessor. He may be said to have given solidity and permanence to the system of De I'Epe'e. His own philosophical views, and methods are embodied in a work entitled Cours d'Instruction d'un Sourd-Muet, in which DEAF-MUTE INSTRUCTION AND INSTITUTIONS. 83 is developed the plan on which he conducted the education of his celebrated pupil, Massieu. It has all the freshness and interest of a romance. The Abbe' Sicard was peculiarly fortunate in having among his early pupils at Bordeaux and at Paris, several of remarkable natural capacity, who were taught by himself when in the first enthusiasm of a new profession, and while he could giv6 nearly his whole time and soul to the work. It was of immense advantage to these pupils, to be thus taught, and to be afterwards employed to assist him in the work of instruction at Paris. Among these pupils was Jean Massieu, at Bordeaux, and Laurent Clerc, at Paris. Massieu was born in 1772, at Semens, a few leagues south of Bordeaux, and was one of six deaf and dumb children. He was admitted to the school of Sicard, at Bordeaux, just before he was fourteen years old. A touching account of his previous " state of darkness," was communicated by himself to Madame Clo, and published by Sicard in his Course of Instruction, which work also embodies the process of his education, " his resurrection into light and life," as Massieu described his own education by this distinguished teacher. He accompdnied that teacher to Paris, in 1791, and in 1794 was appointed one of the tutors in the institution. As soon as he was informed of his ap- pointment, he was transported with joy, but not for his own promotion. His heart was 'occupied with the wants of his poor mother. " I am at length as- sured of the means of procuring bread for my aged mother." To give to his parents was to repay them. The first impulse of his heart, and the .first ex- pression in gesture, on receiving his salary, or a gift, was — " this is for my poor mother." The wonderful readiness, originality and accuracy of his an- swers, at public exhibitions, to questions involving frequently the most abstruse and difficult problems and principles of mental and moral science, helped to give celebrity to the Abbe' Sicard's method of teaching But much of this was due to the sagacity and brilliancy of his own imagination. He was a metaphysician of no common cast, as will be seen from the following answers to questions proposed to him by various persons, at difierent times and places. He was asked ' What is gratitude ?' ' Gratitude is the memory of the heart.' What is a sense? ' A sense is an idea-carrier.' What is the difference be- tween things physical and moral? 'Things physical are the objects which fall under our senses ; things moral are manners and actions of mankind, the operations and quahties of the soul : things physical are material, things moral are immaterial.' What is ambition ? ' Ambition is the immoderate desire of governing, gaining riches, or possessing any thing which we have not. Am- bition is also an excessive ardor for honor, glory, places of distinction, exaltation. It is the movement of a soul which hovers round an object which it is coveting or ardently pursuing.' What is hope ? ' Hope is the flower of happiness.' What is eternity ? ' A day without a yesterday or to-morrow, a line that has no end.' Does God reason? 'Man reasons because he doubts, he deliberates, he decides : God is omniscient ; he never doubts ; therefore he never reasons.' On the death of the Abbe' Sioarij in 1822, Massieu left Paris, and return- 84 DEAF-MUTE INSTRUCTION AND INSTITUTIONS. ed to Bordeaux, and was soon after engaged as an assistant in a school for the deaf and dumb at Khodez, in the south of France. After his marriage to a young lady, who was not a deaf mute, he removed to Lille, in the north of France, where he was principal of an institution for the deaf and dumb, m which his wife was matron. He died in August, 1846. He was Laurent Clerc's first teacher, and the two were afterwards associated together as in- structors in the Paris institution. They were ever constant and faithful friends. Mr. Clerc published some very interesting reminiscences of Massieu in the American Annals for 1849. Before closing this rapid review of the history of deaf-mute instruction and institutions in Europe, down to 1816, it remains to supply an omission in regard to Holland. So early as 1635, Peter Montans published some hints on the instruction of the deaf and dumb, and in 1667, Van Helmont pub- lished a small tract, in which he shows how the deaf may be made to under- stand others when speaking. In 1692, John Conrad Amman, a Swiss physi- cian of Haarlem, succeeded in teaching a girl, deaf and dumb from birth, to articulate, and .published his method in an essay, entitled (Surdus Loquens,) the Deaf Mute Speaking. He made no mystery of his success, but invites those who find any thing hard or indistinct in his explanations, to apply to him, " who, according to the light granted to him, will refuse nothing to any man." This work was of much service to Heinicke and others, but its prin- ciples and methods were not perpetuated by the establishment of an institu- tion in Holland. This was reserved to Guyot, a pupil of De I'Epe'e, who succeeded in opening a school in Gronigen, in 1 790, — which has proved to be one of the most successful in Europe. There are now four institutions for the deaf and dumb in Holland. Through the speculations of philologists and the experiments of ingenious and benevolent teachers, carried on for two centuries, in different countries, with little or no direct comparison, and frequently without any knowledge of the views and experience of each other, the art of deaf-mute instruction, in 1815, the period of Mr. Gallaudet's visit to Europe, had reached the follow- ing development. 1. It had demonstrated the great fact that the deaf and dumb are naturally equal to other persons in their intellectual faculties, and that by appropriate methods early applied, and wisely and perseveringly pursued, they can be educated. 2. It had, by aid of governmental appropriations, and the contributions of the benevolent, been extended, so as to embrace partially the indigent as well as the rich and the noble by birth. 3. It had ceased, or nearly so, to be a mystery, a craft, a speculation, pur- sued for private ends, but was now followed by ingenious men, with a desire to promote the moral and intellectual advancement of the deaf and dumb. 4. It had become, through the pubhcations of experienced and successful teachers, and the establishment of institutions in which there was a succession DEAF-MUTE INSTRUCTION AND INSTITUTIONS. 85 of teachers, a permanent system, where principles could be studied, and its methods acquired, without the necessity of reinvention, and with all the ad- vantages of the accumulated experience of the past. 5. Its great aim was to impart language, and through its instrvunentality, to establish social intercourse among themselves and the rest of the world, and to develop and instruct the minds of pupils by means of speech, or artificial ar- ticulation and reading on the lips, natural and methodical signs, dactylology or the manual alphabet, writing, pictures and the art of drawing. The principal aim of all the early teachers of the deaf and dumb, was to perfect a system of artificial articulation, and the leading object of all the English and German schools, except that of Vienna, at the date of Mr. Gallaudet's visit, was to teach the deaf and dumb to speak and understand others when speaking, as the principal means of mental development. In this a high degree of success was attained in individual cases, and the success varied with the nature of each case. Where deafness was not congenital, but came on after the power and habit of articulation was once acquired, where the organs of speech were perfect and pliable, and where the circumstances of the family or the institution allowed of much individual instruction from a teacher thor- oughly trained in all the methods and mechanical contrivances of this art — the success was truly surprising. Heading on the lips is another and distinct mode of communicating with the deaf and dumb, although usually associated with and taught to the great- est perfection, in connection with articulation. Both articulation and reading on the lips are learned and recollected by the deaf mute, as a set of movements and sensations in the organs of speech, discernible by the eye and hand. Articulation is taught by pointing out to the pupil the powers of the vowels and consonants, and the position of the lips, teeth and tongue, and by making him feel with his hand, or a silver in- strument, all the perceptible movements and vibrations of the throat and in- terior organs, which are requisite for their pronunciation. He is then reqmred to imitate this position and force a quantity of air from the lungs sufiicient to produce the sound. In some cases, the position of the lips and part of the tongue are shown by drawings. He is taught to read the articulation of oth- ers by observing, in the same way, the position of the organs, and the coun- tenance. In some instances the touch becomes so sensitive, that the pupU can understand what is articulated in the dark, by placing the hands on the throat and lips of the person speaking. The language of action, including natural signs, or those expressions of countenance, and movements, attitudes and gestures of parts or the whole of the body, which the uninstructed deaf mutes employ to make known their wants and varying states of mind, and those arbitrary signs, which are em- ployed by teachers to designate certain ideas for which no expressive natural sign can be made, and in connection with natural signs, to express the gram- matical modifications and relations of words,-r-was among the primary means of educating the deaf and dumb in 1816. Although natural signs are indis- pensable in the early stages of deaf-mute instruction on any method, they 86 DEAF-MUTE INSTRUCTION AND INSTITUTIONS. were early dispensed witB, and their use discouraged by teachers of articula- tion in the English and German schools, as interfering with the acquisition of that more difficult attainment. On the other hand, in the French schools, and in those continental schools' which adopted their methods from Paris, the language of signs, both natural and arbitrary, and that combination of both called methodical, was the main reliance for teaching written language to the deaf and dumb, and the principal means of communication for that class with each other and the world. At the date of Mr. Gallaudet's visit, the labors of De 1' Epe'e and Sicard had matured a system, capable of expressing all the ideas we convey by articulate sounds, with clearness, force and beauty, though not always with equal brevity, and of being made the vehicle of the highest inteUeotual and religious culture to the deaf and dumb. Writing was early and generally used. 'As an imitative art, in which the eye and hand are mainly employed, it is easily acquired by deaf mutes. It is first used to give the forms of letters and words, which the teacher has ex- plained by signs, and afterward gives permanency to their observations and thoughts in composition, which form an important exercise 'in all institutions. It is also the medium of communication between the deaf and dumb, and their friends and others who do not understand signs, or the manual alpha- bet. The constant habit of writing on the slate, makes the deaf and dumb much more accurate in spelling words, than a majority of scholars, who have all their senses, and have been taught spelling in the oral methods usually pursued in elementary schools. Pictures and the art of drawing, as well as models and specimens of real objects in nature and art, are as valuable helps in the instruction of the deaf and dumb, as in ordinary schools. By a few strokes of the pencil or craj-on, a teacher, can elucidate a lesson, in which the idea of form enters, far more readily and vividly than in any other way, and the sight and handling of real objects wiU interpret language to the deaf and dumb as can be done in no other method. Dactylology or the manual alphabet, is the art of communicating ideas by spelling words with the fingers, — the fingers being made to assume positions which correspond to the letters, or alphabetic characters of the language. The letters may be formed by the two hands, or with only one hand. A two- handed alphabet was used in the English institutions ; and in the schools on the continent of Europe, the one-handed alphabet was employed. The man- ual alphabet is easily acquired, is of much service in the early stages of in- struction, and in brief explanations at all times in the school room, and is available in circumstances where writing is not convenient. 6. The art of deaf-mute instruction, with all its improvements and exten- sion as it existed in Europe in 1815, was unknown in America, — for all prac- tical purposes was totally unknown. A few individuals had been taught to articulate — a few books had been imported — a few isolated experiments had been made — but darkness, profound and palpable, brooded not only over the deaf and dumb mind, but over the whole subject on this continent. To Mr. DEAF-MUTE INSTRUCTION AND INSTITUTIONS. 87 Gallaudet belongs the credit of consecrating Mmself from the outset to the broadly beneficent mission, of qualifying himself to become a teacher, not for purposes of curious speculation or private emolument, of the deaf and dumb in this country. And most richly has God's blessing crowned his labors! He visited Europe, made himself practically acquainted with the principles, methods and results of the different systems which then prevailed in the institutions of this class, and discarding much that was extraneous and cumbersome, and much that was individual and local, and selecting that which has proved of permanent value and universal application, and improving all which he received, he estabhshed an institution, and a sygtem which has im- parted its blessings to the rich and poor, which has become the parent of many other institutions conducted on similar principles, and which has already reacted favourably on the same glass of institutions in Europe. After studying the subject of methods, in view of his observations in the schools of Birmingham, Edinburgh, London and Paris, and with such prac- tical knowledge as he had attained under the Abbe' Sicard and his assistants, Mr. Gallaudet decided to introduce into the American Asylum the system of instruction pursued in the Paris school, with such modifications as experience might suggest, especially, in adapting it to the pecuhar structure and idioms of our own language. This system, which, while it did not entirely reject ar- ticulation, was in no way dependent on it for its success, in all its philosophi- cal principles originated with the Abbe' De I'Epe'e, and was matured and consolidated by the genius of the Abbe' Sicard. At the date of Mr. Gallau- det's visit, the system had reached its fullest development, and had challenged and won the admiration of Europe by its practical results, as exhibited in the attainments and intellectual training of such pupils as Massieu and others. His preference for this system was secured by the facilities for introducing the same under the auspices of Mr. Clerc, one of the Abbe' Sicard's favorite pupils and assistants. But this preference was not originally given on that ground, for previous to this, he had an opportunity of securing an expert in articulation as an assistant from the London institution. But while at Edin- burgh, after investigating there the results of the method pursued by the elder Braidwood, who was one of the most accomplished and successful teachers of articulation in the world, he came to the conclusion expressed by Dugald Stewart, that the methods of De I'Epe'e, as matured by the Abbe' Sicard, were of a higher nature, and capable of more extensive usefulness, inasmuch as they could not only benefit the largest number of the deaf and dumb, but actually provided for the gradual and thorough evolution and discipline of all the intellectual powers. He accordingly made it the leading object of the course of instruction introduced Into the Asylum, to convey to his pupils a knowledge of written language, by the methods adopted in the Paris institu- tions, with such modifications and additions as the genius of the English lan- guage might demand. The following remarks of Mr. W. C. Woodbridge, who was an accomplished teacher of deaf mutes and who acquired as Editor of the American Annals 88 DEAF-MUTE INSTRUCTION AND INSTITUTIONS. of Education, a European reputation as a wise educator, in an article in the Encyclopedia Americana, published in 1830, set forth the improvements effected by Mr. Gallaudet. " Mr. Gallaudet has combined the fundamental principle of Heinicke — ' first, ideas, then, words,' — with that of De I'Epe'e — that ' the. natural language of signs must be. elevated to as high a degree of excellence as possible, in or- der to serve as the medium for giving the ideas clearly, and explaining them accurately.' He has added another of no small importance — that as words describe rather the impression, or states of mind produced by external objects, than those essential qualities which are beyond our reach, the process of learn- ing them would be facilitated by leading the pupils to reflect on their own sensations and ideas ; and he states, as the result of his experience, that among deaf mutes of equal capacities, those who can be led to mark or describe with the greatest precision, the operations of their own mind, uniformly make the most rapid progress in the acquisition of written language, and of religious truth. A leading object, therefore, in connection with the first lessons, in which sensible ideas are presented and named, is to establish a free commu- nication with the pupil, in the sign language, in reference to his feelings and thoughts as excited by the objects which he sees, or the events of his own life. He easily comprehends those of others, and is thus led to learn the names of the simple emotions and acts of the mind. Hence he is brought to think of an invisible agent, which we term the soul, as the feeling and percipient be- ing; andbya natural transition, is led, by the use of signs alone to the Great Spirit, as the first cause ; to his character as our Creator, and Benefactor ; and to a knowledge of his laws and our future destiny. In this manner, the deaf mutes in the American Asylum (and we presume in others derived from it) are made acquainted with the simple truths of reUgion and morahty in one " year ; a period in which, in most European institutions, they are scarcely ad- vanced beyond the knowledge of sounds, and the names of sensible objects, quahties and actions, on the most common phrases. By communicating this instruction in the natural sign language, pupils, whose inferior capacity or ad- vanced age would both allow them to acquire enough of written language to receive religious truth through this medium, have been early prepared to , enjoy its blessings and hopes, and feel its sanctions as a restraint upon their conduct, which renders their government more easy, while it aids them in the formation of correct habits. Another plan, which is not known to have been ever employed before its introduction by Mr. Gallaudet, in 1817, was to conduct the daily and weekly devotional exercises by signs ; and the deaf mutes have been thus taught to address the Father of their spirits in, their own natural language, and have been admitted to the new privilege of social worship. In applying the first principles to the course of instruction in lan- guage, an important improvement has been made, by combining words into phrases as early as possible, and thus teaching the pupil how to use them. The idea of each phrase is first explained by the sign language, and then translated into words, and then retranslated by the pupil into his own Ian- DEAF-MUTE INSTRUCTION AND INSTITUTIONS. 89 guage. The process is carried on for more clifRcult words, and the phrases are lengthened until they become narrations. The acquisition and use of the connections are aided by the methodical signs of De I'Epe'e and Sioard. The pupil is called upon, at intervals, to express his own ideas in writing, and to explain by signs what is written by others. An important additional improve- ment is, ' to employ the pupil, as early as possible, in the study of books writ- ten in an easy style, explained by signs when necessary,' so as to lead him, by his own, and often by his unaided efforts, to become acquainted with the ar- rangement of words, and the idioms of written language. He is led gradu- ally to infer the rules of grammar from a series of examples, instead of com- mitting them to memory ; and the theoi-y of language is reserved for the later years of instruction, when the pupil is familiar with its practical use." But much as has already been done to attract pubhc notice and sympathy ' to the calamity of deafness, and of the consequent loss of speech, and to the establishment of institutions and methods for its alleviation, the extent to which it prevails now, even in countries where the most has been done, is not gener- ally understood. In the countries referred to, not one-half of the whole num- ber of deaf mutes are under instruction, and in nearly every country, but little is done, even in the most intelligent families, to commence or continue the work of deaf mute instruction and improvement at home. In many cases the calamity commenced so early, and the individuals were so completely cut off from all the educating influences by which the faculties of the mind and affections of the sovil are drawn forth and cultivated, that they sink into the conditions of idiocy, although even this last degree of human infirmity can now be reached and improved. The mistaken partiality of parents toward their offspring laboring under physical infirmities, in some cases, their igno- rance of institutions and methods in others, and their' poverty in more, and the absence of all or of sufficient governmental aid, and interference to give publicity to the subject, combine to keep a large number of deaf and dumb children in a state of blank ignorance, — in the shadow of the valley of intel- lectual and moral death. Prom investigations made in every quarter of the globe, among savage and civilized nations, under every variety of climate and physical condition, in every state of intellectual and moral improvement, it is now ascertained that this calamity is universal. From tables constructed after the most extensive and accurate inquiries, and corrected after such" inquiries were again and again repeated, it appears that the proportion of deaf mutes to the whole popu- lation of Europe, is 1 in 1,537 ; in Great Britain 1 in 1,622; in the United States 1 in 2,000; and in the whole world 1 in 1,556. The whole number of deaf and dumb persons in the world is, by estimation and census combinedi about 550,000. Of this number at least 100,000 are of an age to be in school, or receiving instruction. In the 200 schools and institutions now in opera- tion, the whole number of pupils enrolled in 1850, did not exceed 10,000. These institutions are of modern origin, — only ten of them dating back before 7 90 DEAF-MUTE INSTRUCJ'ION AND INSTITUTIONS. the commencement of the present century, and more than four-fifths of the -whole number have been founded within the last thirty years. ■ The follow- ing table will indicate the location and number of these institutions. 21 p u It P It 11 England, - - - 9 1792 Other German States, 20 1778 Scotland, - 3 1810 German Free Cities, - 4 1827 Ireland, ... 3 1816 Belgium, 4 1820 Canada, - - 1 1850 Portugal, - 1 France, 44 1760 Spain, BfoUand, - 1 1790 Italy, - - 9 1789 - 4 1790 Switzerland, 10 1810 Denmark, - 2 1799 Austria, - - - - 9 1779 Norway, - - - - 1 1824 Prussia, - - - 25 1778 Sweden, 1 1800 Bavaria, - 10 1778 Russia, - - - - 1 1800 Wirtemberg and Baden, 7 1807 Poland, 1 1817 Saxony, - - - - 4 1772 United States, - 14 1817 The fourteen institutions in the United States are located as follows : — the American Asylum at Hartford, patronized by all the New England States ; the New York Institution in New York city ; the Pennsylvania Institution at Philadelphia ; the Virginia Institution at Staunton ; the North Carolina Institution at Kaleigh ; the South CaroUna Institution at Cedar Spring ; the Georgia Asylum at Cave Spring ; the Tennessee Institution at KnoxviUe ; the Kentucky Institution at Danville ; the Ohio Asylum at Columbus ; the Indiana Institution at Indianapolis ; the Illinois Institution at Jacksonville, and the Missouri Institution near the town of Fulton. Measures are in prog- ress to open an institution in Michigan. Much has been done within the last ten years, and is now doing, by means of periodicals, and conventions of instructors, devoted to deaf-mute instruc- tion, to disseminate a knowledge of improvements derived or practiced by one teacher, or any one of the two hundred institutions, devoted to this un- fortunate class of the human family. The Circulars published by the Koyal Institution of Paris, at the expense of the government, and transmitted gratui- tously to aU known establishments of the deaf and dumb, and the quarterly journals commenced in Paris,* by Prof Morel, and in Hartford,f by Prof. Rae, and the annual conventions which are held in Germany, and the United States, wiU do much to harmonize the views of instructors, and throw light on the extent, causes and ameKoration of deafness, and the best ways of im- proving the condition of the deaf and dumb in every respect. * Annates de Teducation des Sourds-niuets et des Aveugles, Paris. t American Annals of the Deaf and Dumb — commenced in 1847, by the in- structors of the American Asylum, and adopted in 1850 by the First Convention of the American Instructors of the Deaf and Dumb, and conducted by a com- mittee appointed annually for this purpose. DEAF-MUTE INSTRUCTION AND INSTITUTIONS. 91 The following notices of our American institutions for the deaf and dumb, will show the rapid progress which the cause has made in this country since 1815. The American Asylum fok the Education op the Deaf and Dumb, at Hartford, was opened on the 15th of April, 1817, with seven pupils. The principal, Rev. Thomas H. Gallaudet, had entered on his mis- sion two years before, and the expense of sending him to Europe, and of bringing back with him, Mr. Laurent Clerc, a pupil and assistant of the Abbe' Sicard, was borne by subscriptions, which, with one exception, were made in Hartford. It was first incorporated in 1816, with the name of the Connecticut Asylum, which was changed to the present style in 1818, on the grant, by Congress, of a township of public lands, from the sale of which the sum of $278,100 has been realized. Of this sum, $56,300 is invested in land, buildings, furniture, &c., appropriated to the immediate use of the American Asylum, and $221,800 in stocks, bonds and mortgages, the interest of which is applied to the benefit of the deaf and dumb who may resort to the Asylum from any part of the country. All of the New England states support their indigent deaf mutes at the Asylum, — allowing to each pupil a residence of five years, which in the case of pupils from Massachusetts, who will be profited by a longer course, is extended to one year more. While every eifort is made from time to time to secure the services of only thoroughly educated men as teachers and to organize the course of in- struction on a scale sufficiently liberal to meet the wants of children from the rich and educated families, there is no distinction in board, dress or other privileges, between such children, and those who are poor and indigent. The first recognition of the claims of the indigent deaf mute by any of our state legislatures, was in Connecticut in 1816, in the appropriation of $5,000 for the special benefit of this doubly unfortunate class at the Asylum. This act of beneficence has been followed up by subsequent appropriations, sufli- cient not only to support entirely the indigent, but to aid such as could not meet the entire expense of a five years' residence at the Asylum. Early in 1819, the government of Massachusetts followed the example of Connecticut by providing for the education in the Asylum of twenty indigent pupils from that state. This was the first instance in which the patronage of a state was extended to an institution of benevolence located beyond its territory. The appropriation was afterwards enlarged so as to meet the wants of this entire class. New Hampshire made a similar provision in 1821, and Vermont and Maine in 1825. The legislatures of these three states were doubtless influ- enced by Mr. Gallaudet, who visited and addressed them severally while in session with a class of his pupils. Rhode Island came into the same arrangement in 1848, after a visit from Mr. Weld and Mr. Gallaudet, and an exhibition of the pupils. In 1834, South Carolina and Georgia, were induced by a visit from Mr. Weld and a few of his pupils, to make arrangements to send their indigent deaf mutes to the Asylum until the public mind was ripe for the 92 DEAF-MUTE INSTRUCTION AND INSTITUTIONS. establishment of such an institution in each of these states. This period has now arrived. The Thirty-Fifth Annual Report (for 1851) shows an attendance of two hundred and four pupils, while the whole number who have left the institu- tion exceeds one thousand. The current expenses for the year, were $28,500 ; of which $14,000 were paid to the steward, $13,600 for salaries, and the bal- ance for immediate expenses. These sums were in addition to expenses for repairs, and additional buildings and fixtures. These expenses were paid as follows, $16,660 by states in New England on account of beneficiaries, $1,961 by relatives and friends of pupils, and the balance from the income of the fund. The number of instructors at the close of the year (1851) were twelve, including the principal. There are four deaf mutes among the teach- ers, one of whom is a female graduate of the institution. Before the school at Hartford was -yet in operation efforts had already been ijiade to establish a similar institution in the city of New York, in con- sequence of a letter received from Mr. Gard, a distinguished pupil of the school for deaf mutes at Bordeaux, offering to come to this country as a teacher. In the latter part of the year 1816, a few enlightened and benevo- lent men met at the house of the Rev. John Stanford, whose sympathies had been awakened, by finding in the alms-house, of which he was chaplain, a class of unfortunate deaf mutes wholly beyond the ordinary means of reli- gious teaching. Among those who attended this meeting and took the warm- est interest in its proceedings, were the well known philosopher, scholar and philanthropist, Samuel L. Mitchell, and Dr. Samuel Akerley, who, afl;er laboring for several years in behalf of the deaf and dumb, devoted the last years of his life to the cause of the blind, and may be considered the founder of the New York Institution for that unfortunate class. At a public meeting . held in the beginning of 1817, before which, as the result of a special in- quiry, it was stated that the city of New York alone contained sixty-six deaf mutes in a population of about one hundred thousand souls, a society was formed which was incorporated on the 15th of April, 1817, under the style of the " New York Institution for the Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb." The school was not opened until May, 1818, with a class of seven pupils, and the Rev. A. O. Stansbury as teacher. Mr. Stansbury, in the instruction of his pupils, pursued the course recommended by Dr. Joseph Watson in his work On the Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb. Articulation was taught in cases where the scholar appeared to possess the necessary aptitude and flexi- bility of the o^ans of speech, or when desired by his friends. The experi- ment was in some degree successful, but, on the whole, " the utterance was harsh and indistinct, and led to a universal sentiment in favor of discontinuing the effort." Mr. Stansbury resigned in 1819, and was succeeded by Mr. Horace Loofborrow, who, without any thorough knowledge of his methods, endeavored .to walk in the footsteps of Sicard. In 1827, the legislature, which had provided since 1822, for the support of thirty-two pupils, in consequence of the loss of public confidence in the methods pursued, au- DEAF-MUTE INSTRUCTION AND INSTITUTIONS. 93 thorized the superintendent of common scliools of tBe state (Mr. Flagg,) to visit this and other sijnilar institutions, and from compaiTson with the sys- tems of instruction pursued with success elsewhere, to suggest to the directors of the New York Institution such improvements as he should think expedi- ent. " Mr. Flagg, accordingly in October, 1827, visited the schools at New York, Hartford and Philadelphia, and made a detailed report, in which he gives a decided preference to the systems pursued in the two latter institu- tions, and recommends the directors to engage a teacher, who could intro- duce into the New York school the improved methods in use at Hartford and Philadelphia. In consequence of that recommendation, the directors finally succeeded in engaging the permanent services of Mr. Harvey P. Peet, then one of the most experienced and efficient instructors in the American Asy- lum, who entered on his duties in February, 1831. He has continued to direct the institution with distinguished ability and success to the present time. About the same period, Mr. Leon Vaysse, from the Eoyal Institution at Paris, was employed as teacher, and brought with him all the important improvements made in that institution since the death of Sicard. Under the impulse of this change, and from the uniform practice of employing only men of liberal education as teachers, the New York Institution has taken its place among the most successful schools of deaf-mute instruction in the world. In addition to a course of intellectual, moral and religious instruction, as extended and thorough as is pursued in institutions of this class in any part of the world, a choice is ofi'ered to the pupils of acquiring a practical knowl- edge of the occupation of cabinet-making, tailoring, shoe-making, book-bind- ing and gardening, as a means of subsistence after leaving the school. In some one of these occupations the males are engaged four hours daily, under the superintendence of skillful workmen. The female pupils in the mean time are employed under the direction of a seamstress in sewing, knitting, &o., or light household work under the direi tioi* of the matron. The legislature, in 1822, made provision for the support of thirty-two indi- gent pupils, which number has been from time to time increased, till in 1850 it amounted to one hundred and sixty-five, — all the deaf-mute children in the state, whose kindred could not provide for their education. In addition to the annual appropriation, which was increased from $4,000 in 1822, to $25,000 in 1850, the state appropriated in 1827, the sum of $10,000 in aid of the building, besides the avails of certain lottery grants. The city of New York, besides providing annually, for the support of a number of indigent pupils, leased' for twenty-one years at a nominal rent, all the block of ground extending from the Fourth to the Fifth Avenues, and from Forty-ninth to Fiftieth streets, which had not been before given by the city in fee to the Institution. The Institution, in 1850, purchased the fee of the remainder, on the expiration of the lease. The whole number of pupils on the 31st of December, 1850, was two hundred and twenty-seven, of which one hundred and sixty were beneficia- 94 DEAF-MUTE INSTRUCTION AND INSTITUTIONS. I'ies of the state of New York ; sixteen of the city ; thirteen of the state of New Jersey. Twenty-four were supported by their friends, one by the com- missioner of emigration, and thirteen were boarded and instructed gratui- tously by the institution. The expenses of the institution in 1850, were $46,482.98, of which $26,337 were paid by the state, $2,080 by the city of Now York, $1,748 by the state of New Jersey. Besides the institution at New York, there was from 1824 to 1836 another school, called the Central Asylum, located at Canajoharie, in Montgomery county. This institution educated about one hundred and fifty deaf mutes, — most of whom were supported by the state. The Pennsylvania Institution for the Deaf and Dumb is loca- ted at Philadelphia, and originated as a private enterprise with Mr. David Seixas, a Jew of Portuguese descent. Stimulated by an exhibition of the pu- pils of the American Asylum, he acquired such knowledge as could be obtained from books, and gathered together a few poor deaf mutes in the city of Phila- delphia (several of whom he fed and clothed) into a school, near the beginning of 1820. This school was cidopted, in April of the same year, by a society, composed of several benevolent persons, among whom Bishop White, Robert Vaux, John Vaughn, Clement C. Biddle, Dr. Chapman, Paul Beck, and Horace Binney, may be noticed. An act of incorporation was obtained in February, 1821, by which also the legislature allowed one hundred and sixty dollars apiece, per annum, for three years, for the education and support of indigent pupils of the State. The number was at first limited to sixty, — but it has been since increased to ninety-three, and the term of residence ex- tended to six years. After obtaining an act of incorporation, and for the purpose of profiting by the experience of others, the directors appUed to the institution at Hartford for an instructor, and Mr. Clerc was sent for a period of six months to Philadelphia, to organize the school and prepare the teach- ers. On his return, Mr. Lewis Weld, who had been four years and a half a teacher in the American Asylum, accepted the office of principal, and pre- sided over the institution at Philadelphia until 1830, when he was recalled to Hartford, to succeed Mr. Gallaudet. Mr. Weld was succeeded by Mr. Abra- ham B. Hutten, who is stiU at the head of the school. A building was erected in 1825 on the comer of Broad and Pine streets, which has since been enlarged so as to contain ten school-rooms, suitably furnished to accommodate each twenty pupils ; a cabinet of apparatus, models, specimens, maps, &c. ; dormitories for two hundred pupils ; infirmaries, work shops, &c. The entire expense up to 1850 was $95,000. In consequence of .an address by Mr. Weld, and of an exhibition of the proficiency of the pupils before the legislature of Maryland, at Annapolis, on the 22d of February, 1828, an appropriation of $3,500 a year for the support of indigent pupils of the state was passed. An appropriation for the same class was made by the legislatures of New Jersey and Delaware. In 1850, there were seven instructors besides the principal, two of whom DEAF-MUTE INSTRUCTION AND INSTITUTIONS. 95 were deaf mutes ; and one hundred and thirty-four pupils, of whom ninety- two were supported by Pennsylvania, eight by New Jersey, eighteen by Maryland, three by Delaware, and thirteen by their friends and the institu- tion. The expenses of the institution for that year, were $28,422, of which $6,698.22 were for salaries, and $5,178.23 for family expenses. Of the receipts, $8,267 were fromPennsylvania; $2,332.50 from Maryland ; $1,138.53 from New Jersey; $8,911 from Delaware; and $2,892.34 from private pupils. The Kentucky Asylum poA the Education of the Deaf and Dumb, is located at Danville, Mercer County. It was incorporated in the winter of 1823, and was opened for the reception of pupils in the spring fol- lowing. Its principal, Mr. John A.Jacobs, was qualified for his employment by a residence of one year at the American Asylum. The methods pursued are substantially the same as those used at Hartford, with such modifications as every thoughtful teacher must make to adapt them to the peculiarities of his own mind. By an act of Congress passed in 1826, the institution was endowed with a township of land in Florida. How much has been realized from the sale of these lands does not appear from the few reports to which we have had access. From the Twenty-seventh Annual Beport, (tor 1850,) we gather that there were sixty pupils in 1850, of which number forty-three were supported by the State of Kentucky, seven by the State of Louisiana, and ten by relatives. Two hundred and fiftyi including the present pupils, have been educated in the institution since its establishment. The first pupil was received in April, 1823. The entire expense for 1850, was $5,006.52, of which sum, $2,690 was received from the State, and $2,164 from the agent of the Asylum in Florida. The cost of board, tuition, &c., is $105 per annum. The State provides not only for the indigent, but aids those who need assistance. The Ohio Deaf and Dumb Asylum, is located at Columbus. It was incorporated 'during the session of the legislature in 1826-27, but did not commence operation as a school until November 16, 1829. It opened with three pupils, all that could be collected after several months' advertising in various papers in the State. The principal, Mr. H. N. Hubbell, was trained at the institution at Hartford, and the course of instruction is substantially the same as in the American Asylum. From the Twenty-fourth Annual Report, (1851,) it appears that the whole number educated in the institution from 1829 to the close of 1850, and including the pupils then in attendance, is four hundred and sixty-two. The current expenses for 1850 were $14,439, which was about equally divided between the salaries of officers and the household department. The State pays about $12,000 towards the whole expense. There are seven teachers and one hundred and twenty-eight pupils. Mr. Josiah A. Gary has been recently appointed principal. The Virginia Institution for the Education of the Deaf and Dumb, is located at Staunton. It includes a department for the blind, which is under a distinct board of instructors. It vras opened for the reception of 96 DEAF-MUTE INSTRUCTION AND INSTITUTIONS. pupils in 1838, under the instruction of Joseph D. Tyler, who was trained as an assistant in the American Asylum. In the act creating the institution, the visitors were authorized to erect a suitable building at an expense not ex- ceeding $20,000, and expend annually the sum of $10,000 towards its sup- port. By the annual report of the board of visitors for 1850, it appears that one hundred and eighteen pupils had been connected with the institution from November, 1839, to October, 1850, of which number, sixty-one re- mained at the last date. The expenses of the whole institution, including the department for the bUnd, in 1850, were $22,806, of which $21,000 were paid by the State. The Indiana Asylum for the Education of the Deaf and Dumb, is located at Indianapolis. It originated in the interest awakened in the breast of Mr. William C. Bates, sheriff of Vermilion county, by his visit- ing the Ohio institution, in 1841, where he had placed a deaf-mute son, and the partial success of a private school started by James McLean, a deaf mute, in Parke county, in 1842. On the 13th of February, 1843, the legislature was induced, by Mr. Bates and Mr. Coffin, a representative of Parke county, by an almost unanimous vote, to lay a tax of two mills on each one hundred dollars of taxable property in the State, for the support of an asylum for the deaf and dumb. A few months after the passage of the act, Mr. William Willard, a deaf mute, visited Indianapolis, with a view of establishing a school. He was cordially welcomed and encouraged by many benevolent and public- spirited citizens, and after visiting many families in different partsof the State, in which there were deaf-mute children, he opened a school for this class on the 18th of October. In 1844, the legislature appointed a board of trus- tees to superintend the proposed Asylum, and till that should be located, com- pensation was allowed to Mr. Willard, in aid of indigent pupils. On the first of October, the trustees appointed Mr. James S. Brown, an educated man and experienced teacher of deaf mutes, principal of the Asylum. In 1846, the Asylum was located permanently at Indianapolis; and in the darkest period of the financial embarrassment of the State, when her best friends felt she must be just to her creditors, and postjjpne the claims of mercy to a more convenient season, — to the everlasting renown of the State, her legislature, without a dissenting voice, provided by a tax on property, for all her unfor- tunate children, the indigent deaf mute, the blind, and the insane. And in 1848, " the doors of all her Asylums, built at the public expense, for mutes, for the blind, and for lunatics, were thrown open for all ; that their blessings, like the rains and the dews of Heaven, might freely descend on these chil- dren of misfortune throughout the State, without money and without price." This is the most broadly beneficent legislation which has been adopted in any state or country, and,it has been followed by this most gratifying result, that a larger number of her deaf mutes are under instruction, than, in the same population, in any part of the world. This result has been hastened, by the labors of the indefatigable principal, who, to satisfy the people of the advan- tages of the Asylum, and to make known to the parents of deaf-mute children, DEAF-MUTE INSTRUCTION AND INSTITUTIONS. 97 the -wise provision of the legislature in their behalf, is in the habit of holding every year, exhibitions in different parts of the State, of the proficiency of his pupils. In the course of the year 1850, twenty-one such exhibitions were held by himself or one of his assistants. It is to be hoped that his example will be followed in other States, until every family in wliich there is a single son or daughter afflicted wjth the privation of speech or hearing, shall see and feel the inestimable advantages of these institutions. According to the Eighth Annual Eeport, (for 1851,) there were one hundred and seventy-two pupils connected with the institution in 1851. The current expense for the year was $8,437.19. The building has cost $76,000, and is one of the most com- plete in all of ita arrangements for the comfort and instruction of the pupils, in this country. The Tennessee Institution foe the Education of the Deaf AND Dumb is located at KnoxviUe. It was opened on the 26th of January, 1846. During the first year there were fourteen pupils. In 1848, a build- ing was commenced, which has been subsequently completed at an expense of $20,000. At the date of the report of the directors for 1849, there were thirty-one pupils and two instructors. The State appropriates $4,000 a year toward the support of indigent pupils. The principal was Eev. Thomas Mac- Intire, who was educated at the Ohio institution. He has been succeeded by Mr. Oran W. Morris, from the New York Institution. The Illinois Institution for the Education of the Deaf and Dumb is located at Jacksonville. It commenced operation in 1845. The State erected a suitable building in 1848-9, at an expense of $20,000. At the date of the third biennial report, (1849-50,) there were ninety-two pu- pils, with six instructors. The current annual expenses of the institution were $12,000. The States of Missouri (to this date) and Iowa support their indigent deaf mutes at the Illinois Institution. The principal is Rev. Thomas Officer, who acquired his knowledge of deaf-mute instruction at the Ohio school. The North Carolina Institution foe the Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb is located at K^eigh. It originated with Mr. WUham D. Cooke, the present principal, who in the summer of 1843, with the approba- tion of Hon. J. M. Morehead, then governor, visited different sections of the State with a deaf mute, and gave exhibitions of the manner of teaching this class. He thus excited a very general interest in the cause. It was urged upon the legislature by Gov. Morehead, not only in his annual message, but in a special communication. A bill was passed in January, 1845, establish- ing the school, appropriating $4,000 toward its current expenses, and requir- ing each county to raise by tax $75 for every pupil they might send. The school opened with sev«n pupils, on the first of May following. At the close of the second session there were twenty-six pupils, and at the end of the year 1850 there were forty-five in attendance. In 1848, the legislature made an appropriation for the erection of suitable buildings, which were completed in 1849, The corner-stone was laid on the 14th of April, 1848, with appropri- 8 98 DEAF-MUTE INSTRUCTION AND INSTITUTIONS. ate exercises, among which was an address by Dr. Peet, principal of the New York Institution. The Georgia Asylum fob the Deaf and Dumb is located at Cave Spring, In Floyd county. It was opened as an independent Institution, on the 1st of July, 1849, and at the close of the year there were twenty-one pu- pils, and of these, fifteen were supported by the State* In 1834, Mr. Weld, principal of the American Asylum, visited Georgia with a class of deaf-mute pupils, for the purpose of awakening an interest in the public mind in favor of the deaf and dumb. He gave an exhibition of their proficiency before the legislature, and secured thereby an annual appropriation of $3,0'00 for the education of indigent deaf mutes at the American Asylum, until a similar in- stitution should be established within the limits of the State. In 1846, the beneficiaries of the State were removed from Hartford to the "Heam School," near the village of Cave Spring, under the instruction of Mr. O. P. Fannin, assisted by J. B. Edwards, a deaf mute who had been educated at the Hartford school. In 1848, a building was erected at the expense of the State, for the use of the Asylum, and is now occupied by the pupils and their Instructors. During the year ending July 1, 1851, there were twenty-five pupils. The expenditures for the year were $9,020, of which sum, $4,530 were applied to the building. The earliest legislative provision for the support of indigent deaf mutes in South Carolina, was made in 1834, at which time Mr. Weld, with a class of pupils from the American Asylum, visited Charleston and Columbia, and gave several exhibitions of the methods and results of deaf-mute instruction. The result of the visit was an appropriation of $2,500 a year, to be expend- ed for the support of such persons as should be sent from South Carolina to the institution at Hartford. In 1848, a school was started at Cedar Spring, by Mr. N. P. Walker, to which a portion of the State beneficiaries were sent in 1849. In 1850, a law was passed, providing for the support of all the in- digent deaf mutes of the State at this school, leaving such as were in Hartford to complete their studies at that institution. The Missouri Asylum for the Deaf ano Dumb is located at Ful- ton, county of Callaway. It was incorporated in 1847, but no efiicient steps were taken for its establishment till 1851, when the legislature appointed com- missioners to manage a property consisting of a house and forty acres of land, donated to the State for this purpose, and appropriated $80 a year for the support of each indigent deaf mute at the Asylum. The Michigan Institution was provided for by the le^slature in 1849, but was not permanently located till 1851, when the town of Flint offered to provide a suitable lot and buildings for the use of the institution, in con- sideration of its location in that place. The school will be opened in the course of the year 1852 or 1853. DEAF-MUTE INSTRUCTION AND INSTITUTIONS. 99' The foUowing tables will throw some light on the progress and present condition of institutions for the deafiand dumb in this country since the com- mencement of Mr. Gallaudet's labors in their behalf. Number of institutions or schools in 1817, - - - - i " " 1820, - - - - 2 " " " 1830, .... 3 " " " 1840, .... 6 " " 18.51, - - - - 13 Number of pupils under instruction in 1817, ... 12 1851, .... 1,100 " " who have been educated from 1817 to 1852, . 3,000 Number of states which had made provision for indigent deaf mutes in 1817, 1 " " " " '.' " in 1820, 2 " " " " " " " " in 1830, 9 " " " " " " " " in 1840, 14 " " " " " " " " in 1852, 23 " " which had not made any provision, - , . 6 Amount expended in buildings and apparatus in 1820, - ^10,000.00 " " " up to 1853, - - 500,000.00 Annual expense of educating deaf mutes in 1851, - - 150,000.00 Amount paid by the state, or funds set apart for that purpose, - 120,000.00 Whole number of deaf niutes in the United .States in 1850, (estimated,*) 10,000 Number who ought to be at school, ... »< 3,000 Number not in school, . - - ' - . " 2,000 The First Convention of American Instructors of the Deaf and Dumb adopted a memorial to the Home Department, as to the manner in which the information contained in the Census of the United States taken in 1850, respecting the deaf and dumb, should be classified and published. The Su- perintendent of the Census Bureau, to whom the Memorial was referred, has signified his readiness to comply with the suggestions of the Convention, and we may therefore look for the most important document which has yet ap- peared respecting this class of our population, in any country. The docu- ment will contain the names of all the deaf mutes contained in the original schedules — with aU the particulars of residence, age, sex, color, occupation, place of birth, whether able to read and write, and where the fact exists, whether the same person is blind, insane, or idiotic. It will also give the name, place of birth, occupation and other particulars of the head of the family to which each deaf mute belongs. Such a list will enable the instructors of our deaf and dumb institutions to solve or at least throw light on many questions of deep practical importance, and enable those officers who are charged in the several states with the duty of selecting the state beneficiaries or of making known the legislative provis- ion for the education of the deaf and dumb, to reach the persons interested directly. * We have delayed the publication of this article in the hope's of obtaining from the Census Department, the number at least of deaf mutes in the several states, but although the superintendent has promptly furnished the returns as far as complete, these only include six out of the thirty-one states. 100 DEAF-MUTE INSTRUCTION AND INSTITUTIONS. M < p K O CO O I— I H H 02 ;2i •sajBnpBig jo laqtun^ OOIOOOJOOOOO OJO-^^ j-i 7~l r~i rH tH ■saiBraaj[ jojaqmnK|£§g2SgP§°'S | •sa|B;f\[ JO jaquin^ •S[idnj JO laqum^ ■^ i> '^ o GO th « in ^ ini rH O CM CO CO (N eo I> Oi CO Ol i-H O! O) rt rH rH •UOIJBUIIOJU! }S3}BI JO 9J13Q; C1OOO0OOOC35O O »n uo WO in lo o o in Tj- lo m OOQOOOOOOOGO'XiOOQOCO OQ •Suiuado JO aj-BQ; i>corH-^050iCoioioc:iinoooi rnr-fOlOlCNCOTj'Ttr^lTj'-^^^in OOQOOOOOOOGOQOQOaoCOOOOOQO (•psj-Euiilsa jtpj-Ed) 'Suipimg JO }s(3o ooooooooooo ooooooooooo o o^ o^o o^ o o o^ o^ o o Jg o" o" in lo o o in in o" cT ^a 0(NCNcor~oJC4cuoJ O H vish to participate in them." " At a meeting of the directors of the American Asylum, at Hartford, for the education and instruction of the deaf and dumb, held at Bennett's hotel, on Thursday, Jan. 27, 182.5 ; a quorum present, — Hon. Nathaniel Terry in the chair : — "The committee appointed to confer with commissioners from the States * In the course of their deliberations with the commissio*ners, the directors proposed that, in view of all the facts thus laid^before them, they should lix the sum at which the Asylum might safely engage to receive beneficiaries from the States they represented. This proposal was declined by the eommissioners, but when the sum of $1 15 per annum was proposed on the part of the Asylum, they frankly acknowledged that it was less than they themselves should have thought proper to suggest. 138 THE AMERICAN ASYLUM. of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine, made a report, as on tile ; whereupon the following preamble and resolutions were adopted : — " Whereas, the States of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine, have sent commissioners to examine into the state and condition of this institution, as it respects its funds, and the instruction, treatment and employment of the pupils, and to ascertain the terms and conditions upon which the deaf and dumb, who may be sent to the Asylum by those States, will be received, — Now, therefore, it is hereby " Resolved, That we will receive the deaf and dumb who may be sent to the Asylum by the States aforesaid respectfully, or such of them as shall agree to our proposals, for the sum of one hundred and fifteen dollars per annum for each pupil, and for that sum to furnish such pupils with instruc- tion, board, washing and lodging, and stationery for the school-rooms, and to teach them mechanic trades, as is herein after specified ; and that the sum afore- said shall be varied from year to year, as the state of the funds shall war- rant, — such sum to be fixed by the directors at the commencement of each year, and to continue for one year ; the year to commence on the last Wednes- day of May ; the money to be paid in advance, semi-annually. And fur- ther " Resolved, That the board of directors shall act in future, as they have done heretofore, upon the principle of making the charity with which they are intrusted, as extensively useful as possible ; and for that purpose to ex- pend all that they have a right by law to expend, (the product of their fund,) and to distribute it with an impartial hand, extending its benefits equally, not only to the States aforesaid, but to all other States in the Union, who may send their deaf and dumb to the Asylum, upon the terms and conditions contained in this resolution, — also to indigent individuals : so that as our fund increases, (as we may reasonably expect will be the case,) the sum to be receiv- ed as aforesaid, for instruction, &c., will be lessened from time to time, always calculating to expend, during the year, the income of the year, after reserv- ing such sum as the directors shall deem meet, for contingent and unforeseen expenses. And furtljer " Resolved, That whereas it is considered important that the deaf and dumb should be instructed in some useful art or trade, whereby they may be ena- bled to support themselves by their labor, after having received their educa- tion, and therefore they will be considered subject to the direction of the in- stitution, who are to use their discretion in this respect, unless directions shall otherwise be given by the State, parent, or guardian, who shall have sent them; and they will be taught such arts or trades as shall be taught at the Asylum, and such as shall be deemed suitable and proper for them res- pectively. " And whereas it is necessary, not only for the good of the pupils, but for the convenience of the Asylum, that every pupil should continue at least four years, that being the least time in which they can acquire even an ordi- nary education : THE AMERICAN ASYLUM. 139 " Resolved, That it is expected, as a general rule, that no one will be . placed here for a less term than four years. " It is understood, that the privilege of participating in the funds, in com- mon with other States accepting these propositions, and of indigent individu- als, is to be considered as permanent. " Passed, NATHANIEL TERKY, President. " A true cop7, " Attest, D. P. Hopkins, Clefk." The reports of the commissioners to their respective legislatures were fa- vorable, and led to the acceptance of the offers of the Asylum, and the requi- site appropriations for the education of indigent deaf and dumb youth of those States were made, and have been continued to the present day. The terms, however, on which pupils are received, have been still farther reduced, so that since 1834, the charge for the tuition, board, &o., of each, has been but one hundred dollars a year, though the average cost of each to the insti- tution has far exceeded that sum. The directors are thus continually redeem- ing the pledge given to the commissioners, to extend the benefits of their fund impartially to all who send them pupils. The annual charge for a pupil was at first $200, then $150, then $115, and then, as above stated, $100 per annum. Between the years 1825 and 1830, the number of pupils varied from about seventy to one hundred and forty, and changes occurred among the instruct- ' ors, by additions to their number, as the wants of the school required, and by the resignation of one from ill health. The prosperity of the Asylum, the evidence of public confidence in its character, and of general satisfaction with its results, were sources of high gratification to its friends. Still there was one source of special anxiety, in the failing health of the principal, the Rev. Mr. Gallaudet. The duties of his station increased with the increase of the school, and though he possessed the strongest attachment for an institu- tion and a cause, both of which owed their success and prosperity in an emi- nent degree to his efforts, and toward which he had from the first sustained an almost paternal relation, stUl a sense of duty to himself, his family, and, in his own view, to the institution, demanded his resignation. This he accordingly tendered to the board, and it was accepted on the 22d of April, 1830 ; on the condition that he should continue the discharge of his general duties till the vacancy in the office could be supplied. This was done in the autumn of that year, by the appointment of the writer of this article, who joined the in- stitution as principal on the first of November. His former connexion with the school, as an assistant teacher, commenced with its second year ; he con- tinued in this situation four and a half years, and had been the principal of the Pennsylvania Institution at Philadelphia, for nearly eight years. He had therefore been somewhat longer an instructor of the deaf and dumb, than any one connected with the then existing institutions, excepting Messrs. Gal- laudet and Clerc. At this time, there were about one hundred and twenty 140 THE AMERICAN ASYLUM. pupils in the Asylum, under the care of a principal and nine assistants, four of whom were deaf and dumb, and three of them former pupils of the school. There were besides, a steward and matron, the former of whom was also one of the teachers ; and two masters of work-shops. But another change occurred soon after the retirement of Mr. Gallaudet, which had not been so long anticipated. This was the resignation of Mr. and Mrs. Peet, which took place in January, 1831, Mr. Peet having accepted the appointment of principal of the New York Institution. He had been an assistant teacher between eight and nine years, and had also held the office of steward for six years, during which time Mrs. Peet had been the matron. The removal of persons so long connected with the Asylum, and who had filled places of so much responsibility, as tho^e of the principal, an experi- enced teacher, the steward and matron, could not but occasion anxiety. The board were prompt, however, in making the necessary appointments. The place of principal had been supplied as just stated, and that of steward was now filled by the appointment of Mr. Turner, next to Mr. Clerc, the most experienced assistant instructor in the country. Miss Peaslee was appointed matron, and thus every place was filled. Notwithstanding the changes referred to, the course of the Asylum since the time of their occurrence may be said to have been prosperous. The number of its pupils has been gradually increasing though it has varied con- siderably in difierent years; the lowest, which was that of the year 1831, having been 123, and the highest 203 ; which is the number of the present year, 1847. These aggregates however, do not include several persons un- der the care of the institution who have received the benefit of more or less instruction, but not as regular pupils. Near the close of the year 1834, several influential gentlemen of South Carolina became interested in the condition of certain deaf and dumb youth of their vicinity, two of whom they provided for and sent to the Asylum for education. This circumstance led to a correspondence on the subject of some public provision for the indigent of that state, which resulted in the directors sending the principal with three of the pupils of the Asylum to present the subject before the legislature then assembled. They proposed to receive into the institution such deaf and dumb youth as that honorable body might pro- vide for, on the same terms as pupils were received from our own and the neighboring states. The result was a liberal provision on the part of the South Carohna legislature, which still continues ; and ever since, beneficia- ries of that state have been members of the school. Similar oiTers were made immediately afterwards, through the same agency, to the legislature of the State of Georgia, which were met in a spirit of equal promptness and liberality ; and a considerable number of youth were constantly in the Asy- lum as beneficiaries of that state until April, 1846, when a school for the deaf and dumb was' established within its own territory. This result was not un- expected by the directors, but was rather anticipated and desired, as the diffi- THE AMERICAN ASYLUM. 141 culty of sending youth so far from their homes might thus be avoided and many more enjoy the advantages of education. During the period now under consideration, namely, since January 1831, many desirable changes have been effected in the Asylum, increasing its fa- cilities for usefulness. Among them were the erection of a kitchen and dining- hall in 1833, of a large stable in 1839, and of a school-house, including a chapel for divine worship, in 1844. Many improvements have also been made in the convenience, comfort and good order of the buildings and in the state of the grounds, which are still going forward from year to year. Changes have also occurred from the resignation of instructors. Two left us in 1832 to become connected as assistants with the New York Institution, another in 1840, to become the principal of an institution then established in Virginia, and the present matron, Mrs. White, also entered upon her duties before the close Of that year ; the important place she occupies having become vacant from the ill-health and resignation of the previous incumbent. Still, as vacancies have occurred, or as increasing numbers have required addi- tional assistants, they have been promptly supphed by individuals selected with special care as to their qualifications for their respective places ; and we may add that in no instance have the directors found their confidence misplaced. In 1844 another incident took place in our history not destitute of interest. Several gentlemen of Massachusetts, during the previous year, had proposed to connect a department for the education of the deaf and dumb with one of the most interesting charities of their own state, the Perkins Institution and Massachusetts Asylum for the Blind, in Boston ; thinking that some improve- ments in reference to the methods of instruction might be introduced from Europe and that some advantages might be gained by associating these two classes of unfortunate persons in one establishment. The subject was acted on by the legislature of Massachusetts, but the proposal ■was not sustained, that honorable body choosing to continue the arrangements which had so long existed with the Asylum and which had given very general satisfaction. Still the directors, ever anxious to adopt improvement and aware that no per- son in their employment as a teacher had visited the institutions of Europe with the view of learning the existing state of the art, or of ascertaining what changes and improvements had been made since its first introduction here, thought this a favorable opportunity for sending some one on so interesting an errand. They accordingly authorized the principal of the Asylum to un- dertake the mission. He was absent nearly eight months, during which time he visited institutions in nine different countries, between thirty and forty in number, and enjoyed most favorable opportunities for accomplishing his ob- ject. The result of his inquiries was, that whatever improvements had been made in those institutions during the previous twenty-seven years, they had not surpassed, if they had equaled those of our own American institutions. That the state of the art in Europe, judging from its practice and results, though eminently gratifying and interesting in various respects, was not a 142 THE AMERICAN ASYLUM. higher or better state than it had attained to here, and that therefore no fun- damental or very essential change could be recommended in the system of management and instruction pursued in the American Asylum. In one par- ticular, however, a change was recommended, namely, that a greater degree of attention should be given to the instruction in articulation and reading on the lips, of certain classes of our pupils ; consisting of those who lost their hearing after learning to speak, and who still retained some valuable articu- lation, and of those who were never totally deaf, and whose hearing might be improved and rendered useful by careful cultivation. This has since been done with satisfactory results. It remains to notice another change which took place in the management of the Asylum in the spring of the present year. Mr. Turner had for twenty- six years discharged the duties of an instructor in the institution, sixteen of which he had also been the steward. He now found, as the number of pu- pils had increased from about 120 to nearly 200, during the time he had held the latter office, that the responsibilities of his situation had become too com- plicated and burdensome to be longer borne by one person. He therefore resigned the stewardship and the Rev. A. C. Baldwin was appointed his suc- cessor with the title of Family Guardian and Steward. Mr. Baldwin's con- nexion with the Asylum commenced on the 1st of May, 1847. The care of providing for the various departments of so large an institution, with the de- tails of oversight and government that pertain to this office, furnishes abund- ant employment to its occupant, and we may add, that the duties it involvesj if rightly discharged, are eminently conducive to the attainment of the great intellectual, moral and practical results we have in view. In concluding this article, already quite too long, we will only add, that the number of persons hitherto received to the Asylum as pupils is nine hundred and fifty-two, making an average of thirty-one and a fraction, for each of the thirty years of its existence as a school. A very large part of this number have gone forth relieved in various degrees, but many of them almost wholly, from the pressure of severe misfortune. Many are most respectable and use- ful, honorably filling the various stations of common life ; while several are occupying superior stations ; and no one, it is believed, who was endowed with even a moderate capacity for improvement, has left us without benefit. "We attempt not to estimate the aniount of good which the Asylum has been permitted to confer upon individuals, families, neighborhoods, states, our com- mon country. Thankful in the consciousness that it has been great, we ear- nestly hope that it may continue and be increased, while subjects of the mis- fortue it alleviates, are found to need its aid. [The foregoing sketch, by Mr. Weld, brings down the history of the American Asylum to the close of the year 1848. The following extract from the Thirty-Fifth Annual Report, of the institution for 1851, drawn up by Mr. Weld, records one of the most important events which has transpired in THE AMERICAN ASYLUM. 143 the history of the institution, since 1848, and of which a more detailed ac- count will be found in a subsequent article in this Tribute, headed " Testi- monial to Messrs. Grallaudet and Clerc," prepared by Prof. Kae.] Next to the progress of our pupils, the event of the year of highest interest both to ourselves and our friends, was the assembling of a large number of our former pupils at the Asylum in September last The idea of such a gathering originated among the deaf and dumb themselves, and the objects they had in view were to revisit the scenes of their early life, to meet each other and their former teachers and benefactors still connected with the Asy- lum, but primarily and chiefly, to show their affectionate respect and gratitude to their first teachers, Messrs. Gallaudet and Clerc. They came to honor them not only as the chief immediate instruments of their own elevation in the scale of intelligence and usefulness, and under God, of their respectability and happiness, but also as the primary agents in procuring all the practical ble^ings which education has given and is still bestowing on their fellow mutes, either formerly or now connected with this and the other similar insti- tutions of our country. They came with substantial evidence of their ear- nestness in the special object before them, in the form of presents of valuable silver plate, procured by their own contributions and prepared under the direction of their own committee. They met at the Asylum on the 25th of September, to the number of about two hundred, and the directors and other officers had peculiar pleasure in extending to them the hospitalities of the in- stitution and in participating with them in the various exercises of the occa- sion. The services which most strildngly characterized this festival, occurred on the 26th at a public meeting in the first Congregational church ; at which, besides more than two hundred persons from abroad, several of them present or past pupils of the New York and other institutions, and two hundred of our own present pupils, there were hundreds of citizens, all deeply interested in so novel and affecting a spectacle. The deaf and dumb persons in the assembly who had come to us as visitors, were most respectable in appearance and deportment, having generally en- joyed prosperity in their puj-suits and sustained themselves with ease and comfort, as useful roembers of society. They had the aspect and bearing of virtuous, industrious, respectable' persons, no longer burdensome' to their friends or the community, and with fair prospects of continuing thus to sus- . tain themselves in independence and honor. Some were past, some present teachers in different institutions ; some were artists ; many mechanics and farmers ; some were employed in factories ; some as laborers ; and of the females who were not heads of families, some were engaged in the various kinds of female labor at home or abroad, and others were residing with their parents or relatives, useful members of their families, and enjoying the re- spect of all around them. Some of them had been 'gone from the Asylum between twenty and thirty years, and others had left it at more recent peri- ods, down to the previous year. Many of our older citizens who attended 144 THE AMERICAN ASYLUM. this festival and had been familiar with the operations of the Asylum from its origin, were more deeply impressed than ever before with the evidence of the great benefits it had conferred on the objects of its care ; and its directors themselves felt that they had renewed occasion for satisfaction and gratitude in view of the results of their labors for the deaf and dumb. [Such are the principal incidents in the history of the American Asyltjm FOK THE EnnCATION AND INSTRUCTION OF DeAF AND DUMB PERSONS, — the oldest and best endowed institution of the kind in America, and one of the most successful in the world. Its early operations were sustained mainly by the voluntarj- contributions of individuals, most of whom became interested in the enterprise in conse- quence of the personal application and public addresses of Mr Gallaudet. The number and extent of these contributions may be seen by referring to the list herewith published. Its concerns are managed by a board of directors, consisting of such persons as have contributed the sum of one hundred dollars to the fund, and of ten members, elected annually by the society. Any person can become a mem- ber of the society by the payment of five dollars annually to the treasurer. The board of instruction at the close of the year 1851, consisted of the principal and eleven assistants ; four of whom are deaf and dumb, and one of them is a female, one of the earliest graduates of the institution. The prin- cipal has been thirty-four years engaged in deaf-mute instruction and over twenty-five years in the Asylum. One of the assistants, Mr. Clerc, has been forty-six years a teacher, and h-is had the advantage of being bqth a pupil and an assistant of the Abbe' Sicard. Another of the assistants, Mr. Turner, has been thirty-one years in this institution, and is the oldest Amer- ican instructor, next to Mr. Weld. A list of the officers and instructors of the institution is herewith pubhshed. The pupils are all boarded and lodged in the institution and constitute one great and admirably regulated family. The means and facilities of recrea- tion and employment ai'e provided within the grounds of the Asylum, and hence there is but little occasion to extend their walks beyond. The course of instruction is as extensive and thorough as that of any insti- tution of this class in the world. For the purposes of intellectual instruction the pupils are divided into eleven classes, — each class having its own class- room properly furnished and its own instructor. In the working department the pupils are divided into four classes, and spend some time in the workshops, under an experienced overseer, in acquiring some trade which can be pur- sued as an employment after leaving the institution. An hour and a half six mornings in a week, and the same length of time five evenings in the week, are thus spent. The girls engage every day under the direction of the matron, in some light household work, and for this purpose they are divided into four classes, each class having assigned to it in succession, some appro- priate work for a week until they are familiar with the whole department of THE AMEKICAN ASYLUM. 145 domestic economy. There are but few educational institutions in the coun- try where the habits, manners, practical habits, as well as intellectual and moral culture of the pupils are better cared for, than in the American Asylum.] The whole number of pupils connected with the institution during the year, ending May 10, 1851, was 204: of these 117 were males and 87 females. Of the 204 pupils, 75 were supported by Massachusetts ; 35 by Maine ; 23 by New Hampshire ; 1 7 by Vermont ; 7 by Rhode Island ; 6 by South Carohna ; 23 by Connecticut ; and 18 by their friends. The whole number of pupils who have left the institution more or less ed- ucated, from its opening in April, 181 7, to May, 1851, is about 900. A com- plete catalogue of the pupils will be found appended to this document. The following notice issued in connection with the last report of the directors, explains the terms and conditions on which pupils are received. I. The Asylum will provide for each pupil, board, lodging and washing ; the continual superintendence of health, conduct, manners and morals ; fuel, lights, stationery and other incidental expenses of the school-room, for which, including tuition, there will be an annual charge of one hundred dollars. II. In case of sickness, the necessary extra charges will be made. III. No deduction from the above charge will be made on account of vaca- tions or absence, except in case of sickness. IV. Payments are always to be made six months in advance, for the punc- tual fulfillment of which, a satisfactory bond will be required. v. Each person applying for admission, must be between the ages of eight and TWENTY-FIVE years ; must be of a good natural intellect ; capable of forming and joining letters with a pen, legibly and correctly ; free from any immoralities of conduct, and from any contagious disease. Applications for the benefit of legislative appropriations in the states of Maine, New Hampshire and , Massachusetts, should be made to the secretaries of those states respectively, stating the name and age of the proposed benefi- ciary, and the circumstances of his parent or guardian. In the states of Rhode Island and South Carolina, application as above should be made to the com- missioners of the funds for the education of the deaf and dumb ; and in Ver- mont and Connecticut, respectively, to His Excellency, the Governor of the state. In all cases a certificate from two or more of the selectmen, magistrates, or other respectable inhabitants of the township or place, to which the appli- cant belongs, should accompany the application. Those applying for the admission of paying pupils may address their letters (post-paid) to the principal of the Asylum ; and all letters respecting the pupils, either to him or them, must he post-paid. The spring vacation begins on the last Wednesday of April, and continues two weeks. The summer vacation begins on the first Wednesday of August, and ends on the third Wednesday of September. The time for admitting pupils is at the close of the summer vacation. Punctuality, in this respect, is very important ; as it cannot be expected that the progress of the whole class 11 146 THE AMERICAN ASYLUM. should be retarded on account of a pupil who joins it after its formation. Such a pupil must suffer the inconvenience and the loss. It is earnestly recommended to the friends of the deaf and dumb, to have them taught how^ to write a fair and legible hand before they come to the Asy- lum. This can easily be done, and it prepares them to make greater and more rapid improvement. When a pupil is sent to the Asylum, unless accompanied by a parent or some friend who can give the necessary information concerning him, he should bring a written statement as to his name ; the year, month, and day of birth ; the names, in full, of his parents, brothers and sisters ; the place of his residence ; where he was bom ; whether he was born deaf, or if not, what caused his deafness ; also the name and direction of the person to whom letters respecting him may be addressed. He should be well clothed ; that is, in gen- eral he should have both summer and winter clothing enough to last one year, and be furnished with a list of the various articles, each of which should be marked. A small sum of money should also be deposited with the steward of the Asylum, for the personal expenses of the pupil not otherways provided for. Careful attention to these suggestions is quite important. On the day of the commencement of the summer vacation, an officer of the Asylum will accompany such pupils as are to travel upon the railroads between Hartford and Boston, taking care of them and their baggage, on the condition that their friends will make timely provision for their expenses on the way, and engage to meet and receive them immediately on the arrival of the early train at the various points on the route previously agreed on, and at the station of the Boston and Worcester Railroad in Boston. OFFICERS OF THE AMERICAN ASYLUM, FROM IIS OKOANIZATION TO THE -PKESENT TIME; FBESISEirTS. Elected. Retired.- • JOHN COTTON SMITH, 1816, 1822. • WILLIAM PHILLIPS ,'■ 1822, 1823. • DANIEL WADSWORTH, 1823, 1824. • NATHANIEL TERR^ 1824, 1840 THOMAS S. WILLIAMS, 1840. VICi: FBESIDENTS TOR LIFE BY SXIBSCBIFIIOir • William Phillips, 1817. * Stephen Van Rensselaer, 1817. * William Gkay, 1817. * Elias Boudinot, 1817. * Israel Thohndike, 1817. * Robert Oliver, 1817. * William Paesoks, 1817. * John Caldwell, 1819. Samuel Appleton, 1817. * Chauncey Demino, 1819. * Damiel Wadsworth, 1817. Charles Sioourney, 1819. TICE FKESIBEirtS BY ELECTKHT. She'd Ret'd. Eked. Ret'd. * JoHK Caldwell, 1816, 1819. * Benoni Upson, 1819, 1825v * Mason F. Cogswell, 1816, 1830. Thomas Day, 1821. • Nathaniel Terry, 1816, 1824. Samuel Tudor, 1824. * Daniel Wadswoktb, 1816, 1817. * William Ely, 1826, 1842. * Timothy Dwisht, 1816, 1817. Stephen Whitney, 1828. 1842. Charles Sisourhey, 1816. David Watkinson, 1831. * David Porter, 1816, 1828. James Ward, 1842. * Joseph Battel, 1816, 1842. * Charles Seymour, 1842. * Abel Flint, 1817, 1821. James B. Hosmee, 1842. Ward Woodbridoe, 1818. Baezillai Hudson, 1844. * Henry Hudson, 1819, 1843. DIKECTOBS FOR LIFE BY SUBSCBIFIIOH. * Joseph Battel, 1818. Eliphalet Kimball, 1818. • P. C. Brooks, 1818. David McKinney, 1818. Daniel Buck, 1818. * Israel Mnnson, 1818. * John Caldwell, 1818. H. Overing, 1818. * Mason F. Cogswell, 1818. * Samuel Parkman, 1818. * John B. Coles, 1818. Daniel P. Parker, 1818. * Joseph CoolidgB, 1818. * James Perkins, 1818. * Chauncey Deming, 1818. * Joseph Peabody, 1818. * Simeon Forester, 1818. * B. Pickman, Jr., 1818. * Henry Hudson, 1818. * David Porter, 1818. William H. Imlay, 1818. * P. Remsen, 1818. * James Kane, 1818. * Andrew Ritchie, 1818. 148 THE AMERICAN ASYLUM. * Samuel Salisbury, 1818. • Henry W Delavan, 1819. * David Sears, 1818. Samuel Elliot, Jr., 1819. Charles Sigourney, 1818. * Daniel D. Rogers, 1819. * John Cotton Smith, 1818. * Luther Scarborough, 1819. * Nathaniel Terry, 1818. * Eliphalet Terry, 1819. Ward Woodbridge, 1818. * Benoni Upson, 1819. S. V. S. Wilder, 1818. Stephen Whitney, 1819. * John Jacob Astor, 1819. * Thomas H. Gallaudet, 1820. * Christopher Colt, 1819. * Eliphalet Averill, 1821. DIBECTOBS BY KT.ISOTIOH. Elected. Retired. * Joseph Rogers, 1816, 1817. Thomas S. Williams, 1816 and 1830, 1817. Samuel Tudor, 1816, 1824. * William Watson, 1816 and 1820, 1817 and 1837. * John Butler, 1816 and 1824, 1-817 and 1839. * Jared Scarborough, 1816, 1817. Joseph Trumbull, 1816 and 1821, 1818 and 1822. * Henry Hudson, 1816, 1818. Daniel Buck, 1816, 1818. James B. Hosmer, 1816 and 1824, 1817 and 1842. Ward Woodbridge, 1817, 1818. Jonathan Law, 1817 and 1840, 1818 and 1842. * John Russ, 1817, 1830. * WUliam Ely, 1817, 1826. • Christopher Colt, 1817, 1819. David Watkinson, 1817, 1831. William W. Kllsworth, 1818, 1820. James Ward, 1818, 1842. *, Michael Olcott, 1818, 1824. Seth Terry, 1818 and 1830, 1820. * Eliphalet'Averill, 1818, 1820. Thomas Day, 1810, 1821. Aristarchus Champion, 1820, 1822. Thomas C. Perkins, 1820 and 1844, 1824 and 1850. * Charles Seymour, 1S22, 1842. • Roswell Bartholomew, 1822, 1830. * Daniel P. Hopkins, 1824, 1830. Barzillai Hudson, 1826, 1844. John Beach, 1830 and 1841, 1840. Charles Goodwin, 1831. • Russell Bunce, 1837, 1846. James H. Wells, 1839. Lynde Olmsted, 1840, 1841. Amos M. Collins, 1842. Francis Parsons, 1842, David F. Robinson, 1842. Calvin Day, 1842. THE amekican asylum. 149 Elected. Albert W, Butler, 1846. Henry A. Perkins,' 1851. SECBEiASIEB. Elected. Retired. Elected. Retired. William Vf. Ellsworth, 1816, 1818. Daniel P. Hopkins, 1830, 1835. Jonathan Law, 1818, 1820. Barzillai Hudson, 1835. Seth Terry, 1820, 1830. TBEAS1TBEBS. Ward Woodbridge, 1816, 1817. James B. Hosmer, 1837. James H. Wells, 1817, 1837. conmssioNEBS of the rtnn>. William Ely, 1824, 1839. Seth Terry, 1839. PBOrCIFALS. ♦ Thomas H. Gallaudet, 181'7, 1830. Lewis Weld, 1830. ASSISIAm DrSIBTTCIOBS. Elected. Retire< Laurent Clerc, 1817. ' Wm. 0. Woodbridge, 1817,- 1821. * Isaac Orr, 1818, 1824. Lewis Weld, 1818, 1822. William W. Turner, 1821. Harvey P. Peet, 1822, 1831. Horatio N. Brinsraade, 1823, 1832. * Elizur T. Washburn, 1826, 1829. Wilson Whiton, 1826. George H. Loring, 1826, 1834. Fisher A. Spoflford, . 1828, 1833. David E. Bartlett, 1828, 1832. Charles Rockwell, 1829, 1831. Frederick A. P. Barnard, 1831, 1832. Luzerne Rae, 1831 and 1839, 1838. Edmund Booth, 1832, 1839. * Joseph D. Tyler, 1832, 1839. Samuel Porter, 1832 and 1846, 1836. Collins Stone, 1833. Ebenezer B. Adams, 1835, 1838. Jared A. Ayres, 1835. Henry B. Camp, 1838. John 0. David, 1838, 1841. Lucius H. Woodruff, 1840. Oliver D. Cooke, 1845. James L, Wheeler, 1847. Catharine P. Brooks, 1850. 150 THE AMERICAN ASYLUM. STJPEEINTENDENTS. Elected. Retired. Elected. Retired. Abraham 0. Stansbury, 1817, 1818. Samuel Whittlesey, 1818, 1824. tSIEWABDS. Harvey P. Peet, 1824, 1831. Abraham C. Baldwin, 1847. William W. Turner, 1831, 1847. KATROHS. Martha Stansbury, 1817, 1818. Lydia H. Peaslee, Abigail G. Whittlesey, 1818, 1824. Phebe C. White, Margaret M. Peet, 1824, 1831. 1831, 1839. 1839. • Deceased. t In 1824 the title of Superintendent was changed to that of Steward, and in 1847 the title of this officer was changed to that of Family Guardian and Steward. SUBSCRIPTIONS AND CONTRIBUTIONS AMERICAN ASYLUM. HARTFORD. Eliphalet Averill, . fuo.oo John Beach, . 25.00 Danie! Buck, . 100.00 Isaac Bull, . 50.00 Russell Bunee, 10.00 Dudley Buck, . 5.00 Horace Burr, 10.00 Jonathan Brace, . 10.00 Leonard Bacon, 10.00 Frederick Bange, . 5.00 Isaac Bliss, 5.00 Elisha Babcock, . 20.00 Aaron Colton, 10.00 Christopher Colt, . 110.00 Aaron Chapin, 5.00 Benjamin Crampton, . 40.00 John Caldwell, . 200.00 Mason F. Cogswell, . 125.00 Daniel Crowell, 5.00 Thomas Day, . 50.00 Jesse Deane, ' . 10.00 Elisha Dodd, • . 7.00 William Dodd, 7.00 William Ely, . 50.00 W. W. Ellsworth, . 20.00 Jonathan W. Edwards, . 20.00 Asa Francis, 5.00 Abel Flint, 5.00 E. Goodrich, Jr., 15.00 S. F. Griswold, . . 5.00 Samuel Gray, 2d, 5.00 "Samuel G. Goodrich, . 5.00 George Goodwin, 25.00 Caleb Goodwin, . 5.00 George Goodwin, Jr., 5.00 Charles Goodwin, . 5.00 CONNECTICUT. Rev. Thomas H. Gallaudet, Henry Hudson, BarziUai Hudson, Jr., James B, Hosmer, - . F. W. Hotohkiss, Lydia Huntley, Philo Hillyer, Charles Hosmer, Miss Lydia Huntley's school BarziUai Hudson, Handelian Society, Daniel P. Hopkins, William H. Imlay, Jonathan Law, Thomas Lloyd, Walter Mitchell, . . David McKenney, John Morgan, Michael Olcott, Lynda Olmsted, Nathaniel Patten, Thomas C. Perkins, David Porter, Joseph Pratt, Joseph Rogers, . John Russ, Alfred Smith, . Charles Sigourney, George Smith, . Michael Shepard, . Jacob Sargeant, Nathan Strong, Jr., Charles Seymour, Nathaniel Spencfer, Jared Scarborough, . Luther Scarborough, Spencer & Gilman, . $100.00 100.00 . 5.00 15.00 . 5.00 5.00 . 10.00 10.00 5.00 20.00 . 50.00 25.00 . 100.00 5.00 . 10.00 10.00 . 100.00 50.00 . 20.00 10.00 10.00 . 5.00 100.00 . 50.00 25.00 . 50.00 10.00 . 200.00 25.00 . 5.00 8.00 . 15.00 15.00 . 5.00 25.00 . 150.00 4.00 152 SUBSCRIPTIONS TO ASYLUM. Harvey Seymour, George Sheldon, . Elisha Shepard, . Normand Smith, Russell Taloott, Peter Thatcher, Roderick Terry, Nathaniel Terry, Samuel Tudor, Jr., Moses Try on, Jr., Mrs. Susan Tracy, Eliphalet Terry, Seth Terry, . Joseph Trumbull, Samuel Tinker, Samuel Tuttle, . Taloott Woloott, . Mrs. S. Wilder, for daughter. Rev. W. G. Woodbridge, Ward Woodbridge, . Daniel Wadsworth, Thomas S. Williams, William Watson, . Ward & Bartholomew, John Withe, James H. Wells, Spencer Whiting, . Robert, Watkinson, . Edward Watkinson, John H. Wells, David Watkinson, Mehitable Wadsworth, John Witter, $10.00 5.00 10.00 25.00 10.00 5.00 10.00 100.00 50.00 15.00 5.00 110.00 30.00 20.00 10.00 5.00 10.00 . 20.00 5.00 100.00 300.00 50.00 10.00 25.00 5.00 60.00 10.00 23.00 20.00 5.00 50.00 100.00 5.00 OTHER TOWMS IN CONNECTICUT. Ben. Silliman, New Haven, $15.00 James Hillhouse, Jeremiah Day, George Hoadley, Simeon Baldwin, Timothy Dwight, Stephen Twining, Charles Dennison, Eli Whitney, A. R Street, do. do. do. do. do. do. do. do. do. Cyrus Stanley, Newington, 40.00 23.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 5.00 5.00 15.00 5.00 20.00 Henry L. Ellsworth, Windsor, 50.00 Mr. Richards, New London, 3.00 Elisha Goe, Middletown, . 1.00 Rebecca Cutler, do. 10.00 Union Young Ladies Soc, do. 5.00 Sally Pierce, do. 5.00 John B. Goles, do. 100.00 Henry Overing, do. 100.00 Stephen Whitney, do. 100.00 Charles Wilkes, do. 30.00 William Moore, do. 30.00 John Howe, do. 50.00 Samuel Gill, do. 10.00 Rev. Benoni Upson, Berlin, 100.00 Sylvester Gilbert, Hebron, . 50.00 Joseph Battell, Norfolk, . 150.00 Joseph Wells, Glastenbury, 10.00 Ch'ncey Deming, Farmington, 200.00 Timothy Gowles, do. 20.00 Edward Hooker, do. 5.00 Bisseil Hinsdale, Winchester, 5.00 S. Hubbard; Norwich, 1.00 John Cotton Smith, Sharon, 100.00 Contributions taken up in Religious Societies in Connecticut. NewSalem SoC, Colchester, $7.02 Sterling, . . . . 3.50 Green's Farms, . . 12.00 Branfotd, First Society, . 9.61 Columbia; . . . 2.00 Westfleld Society, Middletown. 9.08 Ashford, Third Society, . 1.25 Stamford, . . . 20.20 Greenfield Society, Fairfield, 8.00 Union Society, Danbury, . 5.00 Charitable Soc, Windham Co., 17.50 Stanwioh Society, Greenwich, $7.50 Society at Preston. . . 8.00 Baptist Society, Waterford, 1.36 First Eccl. Society, Hartford, 300.00 Second do. do. ' do. 35.00 Christ Church, do. 42.48 First Society, Wethersfield, 67.11 Andover Society, Hebron, 6.07 Society in Ellington, . . 14.26 Second Soc. in East Windsor, 18.93 Newington Soc, Wethersfield, 19.50 SUBSCRIPTIONS TO ASYLUM. 153 Episcopal Church, Chatham, $1.75 First Baptist Society, Colchester, 1.50 Hanover Society in Lisbon, 9.20 "Westminster Soc, Canterbury, 2.00 Eccl. Society in Suffield, 18.17 First Society in Lebanon, 7.50 Chester Society in Saybrook, 11.00 Stratfield Society in Stratford, 16.12 Eccl. Society in Middletown, 71.00 Norfield Society, do. 2.72 Eccl. Society in Oolebrook, 16.50 First Eccl. Soc. in EastHaddam, 9.67 Second Society in Coventry, 5.47 First Society in Tolland, 6.27 Baptist Society in Wintonbury, 1.37 Society in Newington, . 13.44 Society in Salisbury, . . 27.16 Wintonbury Soc. in Windsor, 5.94 Second Society, East Hartford, 16.00 Society in Northford, . . 9.50 Soc. in Voluntown and Sterling, 6.45 First Society in Glastenbury, 14.16 Society in Bolton, , . 5.29 First Society in Washington, 15.00 First Society in Haddam, 15.53 Baptist Society in Jewett City, 2.00 Worthington Society in Berlin, 31.00 Stratford Society in Huntington, 3.50 Society in Goshen, . . 29.06 Eccl. Society in Canton, 8.S6 Society in West Stafford, 2. 16 First Society in Cornwall, 17.22 Society in Saybrook, . . 13.00 Society in Barkhanjsted, . 3.42 First Society in Ashford, . 3.14 First Society in Canterbury, 9.20 Baptist Society in Newtown, 2.00 First Eccl. Soc. in New Haven, 58.75 West Society in Greenwich, 20.00 Ripton Society in Huntington, 54.00 Second Society in Mansfield, 4.85 Kensington Society in Berlin, 8.00 First Society in Sharon, . 18.40 Second Society in Winchester, 18.00 Methodist . do. in Winchester, 4.00 First Society in Milford, . 20.26 South Society in Middletown, 4.71 North Guilford Soc, Guilford, 3.00 Second Society in Saybrook, 12.71 First Society, Farmington, $77.22 Second Society, Cornwall, 20.25 First Society in Greenwich, 3.88 Rocky Hill Soc, Wethersfleld, 20.13 Shakers' Society in Enfield, 25.00 West Society, in Killingly, . 9.41 First Society in Windsor, . 17.22 St. Peter's Church in Plymouth, 5.16 First Society in East Hartford, 37.96 Third Society in Hartford, . 17.00 Eccl. Society in Simsbury, 6.00 South Farms Society, 3.25 Eccl. Society in Sherman, 11.50 First Eccl. Society in Norwich, 45.81 North Society in Canaan, 6.21 Eccl. Society in Southington, 26.79 First Society in Hartland, 4.72 Episcopal Soc. in New Haven, 80.82 do. do. in Stamford. 13.00 Second Society in Hebron, 4.97 First Society in Woodstock, 8.88 First Society in Hampton, 9.25 St. John's Church in N. Milford, 8.08 Episcopal Church in Brookfield, 9.24 First Society in Watertown, 9.89 Torringford Society, . . 8.25 Society in East Haven, . . 11.00 First Episcopal Soc. in Derby, 6.75 Society in Turkey Hills, . 7.70 New Britain Society in Berlin, 18.79 First Society in Southbury, 23.00 Baptist Society in Chester, 2.43 First Society in Cheshire, 12.20 First Society in Brooklyn, 12.79 First Society in New Milford, 36.46 First Society in Bridgewater, 1.34 First Society in Chatham, 6.00 First Society in Colchester, 27.60 Methodist Meeting in Granby, 2.74 Society in Durham, . . 9.70 First Society in Guilford, . 13.00 Society in Bozrah, . . 4.00 Baptist Society in Huntington, 6.37 Society in Kent, . . .9.70 Society in Burlington, . 4.58 Episcopal Society in Trumbull, 3.8 Salem Society in Waterbury, 6.55 First Society in Pomfret, N. Ca- naan, , . . 16.64 154 SUBSCRIPTIONS TO ASYLUM. Society in Trumbull, . . $3.62 First Society in Fairfield, . 34.37 Society in Harrington, . . 11.95 Hadlyme Society in Hadlyme and Lyme, . . . 9.65 Society in Groton, . . 3.00 First Society in Torrington, 16.00 First Society in Enfield, . 15.30 "West Society in Suffield, . 4.60 Episcopal Cliurch in Guilford, 8.00 First Society in Winchester, 8.00 Society in Franklin, . . 7.76 First Society in Griswold, . 18.80 Baptist Society in Winsted, .72 First Eccl. Society, Litchfield, 38.22 First Eccl. Society, Warren, 7.25 Society in Bristol, . . 13.86 Congregational Soo. in Wolcott, 3.25 Society in North Milford, 7.00 Society in North Stamford. 3.56 United Society in New Haven, 64.55 North Haven Society, . 7.00 Middlesex Society in Stamford, 7.12 Episcopal Society in Haraiden, 1.84 First Society in Derby, . • 9.06 Society in Vernon, . . 13.61 Eccl. Society in New London, 44.00 First Society in Granby, 13.4S First Society in Hebron, . 10.00 Society in Norfolk, . . ' 25.91 Society in Middlebury, . . 6.62 Abington Society in Pomfret, 6.53 First Society in Stamford, $17.00 Second Baptist Church in Say- brook, West Parish in Woodstock, Great Hill Society in Derby, First Society in Coventry, Episcopal Society in Woloott, First Eccl. Society in Lisbon, First Society in Reading, Episcopal Society in Fairfield, First Society in Pomfret, Female Char'ble So. in Pomfret, 2.75 10.00 2.50 1.25 3.53 1.32 7.56 8,75 4.50 9.00 Third Society in Lyme, . 2.60 Christ Church in Middletown, 25.00 First Society in East Windsor, 50.00 Society in Marlborough, 3.95 First Society in Saybrook, 6.70 Methodist Society in Saybrook, 2.30 East Society in Guilford, 11.33 Episcopal Society in Bridgeport, 8.80 Episcopal Church in Ridgefield, 3.28 Episcopal Soc. in East Haven, 1.50 Congregational Society in N. Preston, . . . 8.32 North Society in Woodstock, 12.50 Congregational So. in Brookfleld, 5.38 Society in Bethlehem, . 10.75 Methodist Society in Salisbury, 3.00 New Salera Soo. in Colchester, 7.02 Episcopal Churches in Oxford and Humphreysville. 8.75 Society in Wallingford, 7.51 BOSTON. William Phillips, . #500.00 Israel Thorndike, . 300.00 Dr. Sears, 300.00 P. C. Brooks. . 100.00 Samuel Parkman, . 100.00 William Parsons, . 200.00 William Gray, 300.00 Andrew Ritchie, . 100.00 Samuel Appleton, . 200.00 Israel Munson, 100.00 Joseph Coolidge, . 100.00 William E. Channing, 50.00 MASSACHUSETTS. James Perkins, . . $100.00 Rev. James Freeman, . 50.00 George Cabot, . . . 50.00 Francis Parkman, . . 50.00 Robert B. Shaw, . . 50.00 Thomas Wigglesworth, . 50.00 Mr. Pickman, . . . 50.00 Rt. Rev. Bishop Cheverus, 25.00 H. Vose 3.50 Nathaniel Goddard, . . 50.00 Mr. Sharpe, . . . 10.00 Daniel E. Parker, . . . 100.00 Ebenezer Francis, . . 50.00 SUBSCRIPTIONS TO ASYLUM. 155 N. Appleton, $50.00 Sarah Blake, $30.00 Samuel Salisbury, 100.00 Henry HaU, . 10.00 W. Cockran, 20.00 H. Gray, Esq 25.00 Joslah Quinoy, by J. May, 50.00 John Codman, 25.00 John Bellour, 25.00 George Brinley, ' 25.00 Benjamin Rich, 50 00 Jonathan Armory and friends , 15.00 Bryant & Sturgis, . 50.00 Mrs. Winthrop, . 5.00 Henry Sigourney, 50.00 Henry Holmes, 25.00 Samuel G. Warriner, . 25.00 Gilman Callamere, 5.00 John C. Jones, . 50.00 F. C. Gray, . 10.00 Andrew Brimmer, 30.00 Otis Everett, 20.00 Whitney, C. & Hammond, 30.00 Thomas BaSs, 10.00 Henry Gassil, 25.00 Mrs. W. Cross, . 5.00 Henry Hubbard, 25.00 Hon. James Lloyd, 50.00 Isaac Rand 25.00 Mr. Snow, .... 3.00 Aaron Dexter, 30.00 Mrs. Goddard, 2.00 H. G. Otis, . . . . 50.00 Hon. John Phillips, 20.00 John Wells, . 50.00 Nathaniel L. Frothingham, 25.00 Thomas H. Perkins, annually , 5.00 James Jackson, 50.00 John Tappan, . 25.00 David Sears, 100.00 Edmund Monroe, . 29.00 Thomas Dawes, 25.00 I. D. Rodgers, . 100.00 J. Thorndike, Jr., 25.00 Caleb Loring, 25.00 George Hullet, 20.00 Francis Welsh, 25.00 Samuel Hubbard, 20.00 Thomas R. Jones, 25.00 John Osborne, 25.00 C. R. Codman, 30.00 John Hubbard, . 50.00 Thomas Gushing, 25.00 Sundry donations, . 291.00 James Carter, . 25.09 Elijah Loring, 50.00 SALEM. Arnold Wells, . 50.00 B. Pickman, Jr., . ». $100.00 William Lawrence, 20.00 Gideon Tucker, . 50.00 John Green, 20.00 Eliphalet Kimball, . 100.00 William R. Gray, . 50.00 Joseph Peabody, 100.00 Prof. Joseph McKean, 5.00 Simon Forester, 100.00 Whitwell, Bond & Co., 50.00 Benjamin W. Crowninshield, 50.00 Samuel Dorr, 25.00 John Crowninshield, 20.00 Benjamin Russell, 10.00 G. Crowninshield, by J. Jenks 50.00 Edmund Munroe, . 25.00 John Derby, 50.00 Winslow Lewis & Co., 15.00 Pickering Dodge, . 50.00 Samuel H. Walley, 15.00 John Jenks, 20.00 G. & T. Searle, 10.00 E. A. Holyoke, 15.00 William Ropes, 25.00 Joseph Story, 30.00 James Read & Co , . 10.00 Stephen White, . 30.00 Joseph S. Read, Jr., 9.00 William Fettyplaoe, . 35.00 Daniel Denny & Co., 500 Dudley L, Pickman, 30.00 Charles Tappan, . 10.00 WillardPule, . 30.00 W. & G. Tuckerman, 10.00 John H. Andrews, 25.00 John D. Williams, 50.00 Nathaniel Bowditoh, 20.00 Ebenezer T. Andrews, . 20 00 J. White Treadwell, 15.00 156 SUBSCRIPTIONS TO ASYLUM. Humphrey Devereux, . $25.00 C. H..Orne, . . . . 30.00 Samuel Orne, 30.00 lohabod Tucker, . . 15.00 Joha E. Abbott, 15.00 Abel Lawrence, . 20.00 Elizabeth Bartlett, 30.00 William Proctor, . . 15.00 John Stone, 5.00 John Dodge, . . 20.00 William Silsbee, 30.00 Nathaniel Silsbee, , 15.00 Joseph Ropes, . 15.00 Nathan Robinson, . 20.00 Benjamin Dodge, 10.00 James King, . 20.00 W. P. Richardson, . 20.00 Leverett Saltonstall, . 15.00 Wm. Dean, 20.00 Sundry donations, . 34.50 OTHEE TOWMS IN JLiSSACHnSETTS . Rev. T. M. Harris, Dorchester, f 5.00 William Brinley, Beverley, $50.00 Rev. A- Norton, Cambridge, 5.00 Mrs. Reed, Marblehead, 30.00 Public Collection in Mr. Holmes' Meeting House, N. Bedford, 38.31 Barnabas Hedge, Plymouth, 10.00 William Davis, Nathaniel Russell, Cash, Thomas Jackson,. Cash, William P. Ripley, Nathaniel Ripley, Public Collection in Mr. Ken- dall's Meeting House, do. Public Coll. in UniversalistSoc, Charlestown, 51.00 Public Coll. in Dr. Morris" Meet- ing House, Charlestown, 51.85 Public Coll. in Cambridge, 60.77 Public Coll. in Cambridgeport, 53.00 Sundry donations, do. 10.00 Bezaliel Howard, Springfield, 5.00 Daniel Dana, Newburyport, B. Bannister, do. Jonathan Marsh, do. First Society, do. Daniel Waldo, Worcester, S. Salisbury, do. Abijah rtgelow, do. Nathan Macearty, do. J. Robinson, do. T. W. Ward, do. Levi Lincoln, Jr., do. Miss Waldo, do. Levi Lincoln, do. Mrs. Harriet Cobb, do. First Cong, and Bapt. Soc. do. 55.90 Second Cong. Society, do, 86,12 Evening Leot. at Stoekbridge, 20.00 Second Cong. See, Pittsfield, 18,30 S. Bucklin, Marlborough, 47^28 Rev. A. Norton, Harvard CoU,, 5.00 Messrs Brooks and Tucker, do. 20.00 Rev. Henry Colman, Hingham, 10.00 do. 10.00 do. 5,00 do. 2,00 do. 5.00 do. 3.00 do. 4.00 do. 4.00 57.00 6.00 5.00 5.00 43.00 20.00 20.00 5.00 10.00 5.00 3.00 3.00 15.00 5.00 30.00 Thomas Dwight, Jonathan Dwight, James S. Dwight, John Hooker, H. Dwight, John Ingersoll, Oliver P. Merris, ■ Daniel Lombard, do. do, do, do, do. do. do. do. 10.00 20.00 10.00 20.00 10.00 3.00 3.00- S.OO Joseph Lyman, Northampton, 10.00 E. Hunt, Jr., do. J. H. Lyman, do, E. P. Ashman, Easthampton, Seth Wright, do. Wm. H. Dwight, do. J. D. Whitney, do. S. Stoddard, Jr., do. Samuel Elliott, Jr., do, Mrs. Battel, do. John Lowell, Roxbury, John Amory, do. Eliphalet Porter, do. 10.00 10,00 10,00 10.00 15.00 5.00 5.00 100.00 5,00 20,00 10.00 10.00 SUBSCRIPTIONS TO ASYLUM. 157 KHODE ISLAND. PROVIDEHCE. Brown & Ives, . . . $30.00 Edward Carrington, . 50.00 Samuel G. Arnold, . . 50.00 Crawford Allen, . . . 20.00 Zechariah Allen, . . 20.00 Phillip Allen, . . . . 10.00 William Church, . . 10.00 Alexander Jonesj . , 10.00 "William Blodgett, . . 10.00 Stephen Waterman, . . 5.00 J. B. Wood, . . . 5.00 Sundry donations, . . 35.00 Contributionar First Baptist Soo. 52.11 OTHER TOWNS IN RHODE ISLAND. Timothy Greenj Pawtucket, $5.00 Oliver Starkweather, do. 5.00 William De Wolf, Bristol, 10.00 Charles De Wolf, do. 5.00 Charles De Wolf, Jr., do. 5.00 Mr. Newcomb, do. 1.00 A woman of color, do. .10 Contribution in Congregational Meeting House, do. 28.12 Contribution in Dr. Patton's Meeting House, Newport, 29.67 PORTLAND. Cash, . . . Methodist Society, BRATTLEBORO. J. Holbrook, S. Elliott, . . MAINE. Second Baptist and Congrega- $20.00 tiorial Society, . $163.0'0 . 40.00 First Congregational Society, 100.00 VERMONT. $10.00 3.00 Collection Evening Lecture, 16. SO MIDDLEBUEY. Prof. Hall, . . . $5.00 Evening Lecture, . . 22.70 PORTSMOUTH. Gov. John Langdon, Charles Boroughs, E. Parrot, South Parish, NEW HAMPSHIRE. North Parish, . .' $60.00 $40.00 Universalist Society, . . 32.00 lO.JO Baptist and Methodist Society, 24.06 10.00 Episcopal Society, . . 54.00 94.65 NEW YORK. NEW YORK CITY. Hannah Murray, New York, Mary Murray, Hannah Murray, Jr., John Adams, Garret Hyer, John Murray, Jr., Peter Remsen, . Mr. Wheaton Nathaniel Richards, John Jacob Astor, Theodore Dwight, , John Howe, . M. Hopkins, $20.00 Stephen Whitney, 20.00 Robert Halliday, , 20.00 John & Walter Livingston 20,00 Isaac Lawrence, 5.00 J. S. Rogers, 50.00 H. Le Roy, ■ . 100.00 Anthony Day, 13.00 John B. Coles, . 50.00 William Moore, , 100.00 H. Overing, .10.00 llenry D. Sewal, .50.00 Charles Wilkes, $3.00 100.00 30.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 100.00 30.00 100.00 10.00 30.00 158 SUBSCRIPTIONS TO ASYLUM. ALBANY. Jones & Baldwin, . $25.00 Daniel D. Tompkins, $50.00 Vinal Luce, . 15.00 John Taylor, . 20.00 W. Jatnes & Co., 25.00 Smith Thompson, 15.00 D. P. Clark, . 10.00 A. Spencer, . 15.00 H. W. Delavan, 25.00 Elisha Jenkins, 20.00 E. T. Backus, . . 20.00 M. Van Buren, . 15.00 Elias Kane, 10.00 William Ross, . 10.00 Samuel C. Farquhar, 5.00 Moses I. Cantine, . 10.00 Solomon Smith, 10.00 Isaac Ogden, 10.00 G. C. Yates, . 10.00 Abraham Van Vechten, . 15.00 Stephen Lush, 10.00 Ephraim Hart, 10.00 John J. Evertson, . 10.00 Stephen Van Rensselaer, 300.00 John Woodworth, 20.00 James Kane, . 100.00 W. A. Duer, . 10.00 Perley Keyer, 10.00 J. Sutherland, 20.00 James Cochran, . 10.00 W. Chester, . 20.00 Ralph Haskall, 10.00 T. V. W. Graham, 10.00 Samuel Stewart, . 10.00 John C. Cuyler, . 25.00 Henry Seymour, 15.00 Elias Willard, 15.00 Nathaniel Pendleton, . 15.00 John L. Winnie, . 20.00 J. B. Prevost, 10.00 James Gibbon, 20.00 John R. Dickinson, . 10.00 C. D. Townsend, 8.00 P. R. Livingston, 10.00 John Lansing, 20.00 Henry J. Frey, 5.00 James Van Vechten, . 10.00 David Allen, 5.00 N. S. Skinner, 10.00 William Mallery, 5.00 Rufus Brown, 5.00 John Knox, 5.00 John Van Shaick, 15.00 John F. Bacon, . 5.00 John N. Bleeker, 8.00 George Tibbits, 10.00 N. Bleeker, Jr., 5.00 Cash, ... 2.00 T. M. Southwick, 5.00* James Kent, 20.00 H. G. Wynkoop, 5.00 John F. Henry, 50.00 , Gerrit Gates, 5.00 Charles E. Dudley, 20.00 James Daniels, 5.00 Webster & Skinner, . 30.00 S. Stringer, . 10.00 George Pierson, 20.00 John A. Webb, 10.00 Orange Stow, . 20.00 John Robinson, . 15 00 Mrs. Banyer, . 50.00 John Stafford, 10.00 Levi Platt, . 20.00 John W. Yates, . 15.00 P. S. Van Rensselaer, 25.00 George C. Sharpe, 10.00 James Stephenson, . 20.00 Joseph Russell, , . 10.00 Matthew Gregory, 20.00 Sheppard & Boyd, 5.00 Isaac Hamilton, 10.00 Winne & Fonday, 8.00 G. W. Porter, 10.00 John Van Zandt, 10.00 W. H. Jepson, . . 25.00 J. A. & H. Ten Eyck, 5.00 R. Tillotson, . 15.00 Daniel Steele, 5.00 Peter B. Porter, . 10.00 Smith & Warren, - . 10.00 Simeon De Witt, 10.00 W. J. & A. Marvin, 20.00 Charles Z. Platt, 10.00 Elias Willard, . 5.00 R. Webster & Co., 25.00 R. H. King, . . , 5.00 A. S. Griswold, 20.00 J. & G. Sargeant, 5.00 SUBSCRIPTIONS TO ASYLUM. 159 Benjamin Knower, Stafford, Spencer & Co. John D. P. Dowe, Sundry Donations, Galen Batchelder, Walter Clark, Richard Marvin, D. Van Schelluyne, Gideon Hawley, Nathaniel Davis, Edward Brown, James B. Douglass, John Trotter, Charles Smyth, . Peter Boyd, H. Bleeker, Philip Parker, E. & E. Hosford, John Ely, Jr., T. Sedgwick, A. & W. Thompson Cornelius Truax, Daniel Hall, Peter E. Elmendorf, John Chester, S. P. Schuyler, . Herman V. Hart, H. W. Delavan & Co., John Reid, Elisha Russell, G. Y. Lansing, $10.00 10.00 10.00 9.00 5.00 10.00 5.00 15.00 10.00 10.00 5.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 6.00 15.00 10.00 5.00 5.00 20.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 10.00 20.00 20.00 5.00 100.00 10.00 1.00 10.00 Isaac W. Staats, C. W. Groesbeck & Co, John H. "Wendell, John Meins, Peter Gansevoort, J. Spencer, P. Van Loon, Robert Hyslop, William Maynell, J. & A. P. Baird, , Augur Wells, B. & J. R. Bleecker, E. R. Satterlee, S. P. Jermain, Benjamin AUyn, Joseph Alexander, William Hale, G^. V. S. Bleecker, John Bryan, John W. Rockwell, King & Denniston, S. S. Lockwood, #5.00 5.00 5.00 3.00 5.00 3.00 10.00 10.00 2.00 10.00 2.00 20.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 10.00 10,00 10.00 10.00 10.00 5.00 5.00 OTHER TOWHS IN NEW YORK. Henry R. Storrs, Whitesboro', $10.00 Misses Jay, . . . 20.00 W. Jay, Bedford, . . 5.00 John Knickerbocker, Waterford, 10.00 Daniel Stone, Madrid, . 3.00 W. D. & E. Ross, Essex, . 2.00 BURLINOTON. George Aaronson, Barbaroure, Hannah Watson, Eliza J. Shippen, Ann Keen, Lydia Riche, William Griffith, Elias Boudinot, Mrs. S. V. Bradford, Joseph Bloomfield, George Delwin, Isaac Collins, James Brown, Joseph Miller, NEW JERSEY. Six persons, $50 each, - $300.00 $1.00 John Bishop, - - 5.00 . 3.00 R. M. Smith, - . 10.00 15.00 H. & E. Sykes, - I.OO 2.00 Stephen C. Ustwick, - 1.00 2.00 Charles Ellis, - - 5.00 6.00 Lemuel Hawell, - - 2.1 10.00 H. Smith and daughter, 5.00 500.00 Charles Kinsey, - - 5.00 50 00 A little girl, - - .50 2.5.00 James Gummel, - - 1.00 20.00 Samuel B. Myers, - 2.00 5 00 Samuel Stockton, - 1.00 5.00 Stephen Morris, Jr., - 1.00 2.00 John Gummeres' pupils, 17.60 160 SUBSCRIPTIONS TO ASYLUM. John GummSres, , $3.00 William Bridway, - $5.00 John Ackerman, - 1.00 William Woolman, - 2.00 John Roberts, 1.00 John Neal, , - - 3.00 James Sterling, 5.00 J. McHoarme, - 5.00 R. Johnes, 5.00 H. Carr, . - 5.00 Benjamin Moore, . 1.00 John Hulme, - 1.00 Burr Woolman, 2.00 C. & F. Stockton, - 2.00 John Quioksall, 1.00 Joseph Pierce, - 2.00 Thomas Aikman, 2.00 Joseph B. Burr, - 2.00 Samuel R. Gummeres, 2.00 Samuel Bowker, - 1.00 M. M. Moore, 20.00 David Pancoast, - 1.00 Margaret Smith, - 5.00 Caleb Gaskill, - 2.00 John Wilson, - 5.00 Lydia Hoskins, - 1.00 Esther Reed, 5.00 Lydia Harris and Susan Kingsley, 5.00 William Coxe, 10.00 Joshua M. Wallace, , 15.00 Susanna Macarron, 2.00 William B. Griffith, . 3.00 Anna Lippincot, 1.00 Mary Lippincott, - 1.00 Charles H. Wharton, 4.00 Ira Mason, - 1.00 John Hoskins, 5.00 P. Barker, - 3.00 Peter Powell, 2.00 William Newbold, . 50.00 C. Laryclera. 1.00 John Cox, - 10.00 •R. King, - - 5.00 Z. B. Stout, - 11.00 J. R. Smith, - 5.00 Clayton Newbold, - 50.00 Abigail Stopes, 1.00 John Wetherell, - 10.00 George Allen, 1.00 John H. Lunnose, - 1.00 Pupils, Academy, 5.00 Henry D. Sewal, - 10.00 Joseph Smith, 10.00 Sundry donations. - 18.00 L. J. Smith, 5.00 L. Hann, Schooley's Mountains, 6.00 PENNSYLVANIA, PHILADELPHIA. Collections, transmitted by Richard Paxton, John Rose, Charleston, S. D. Crocker, do. W. Johnson, do. F. S. Crocker, do. J A. Yates, do. Henry D.Ward, Columbia, R. Latta, Yorkville, S. C, Rev. W. Mead, Millwood, Frederic county, Va., Mr. Woods, Georgia, Oliver Sturges, Savannah, Robert Beverly, Virginia, W. Gumming, Petersburg, James Dunlap, do. Jacob Howell, - $5.00 y F. Nichols, 5.00 $1 ,634.56 Charles Chaunoey, - ■ 50.00 OTHF.R STATES. c, $10.00 C. J..Catlett, Alexandria, $10.00 5.00 Rev. Dr. McLeod, Charles- 10.00 ton, S. C, 20.00 5.00 W. Parker, Savannah, Ga., 10.00 10.00 John Oliver, Baltimore, Md., 20.00 S.C. , 50.00 Robert Oliver, do. 200.00 5.00 J. B. Nicholson, U. S. Navy, 10.00 J. Bolton, Savannah, Ga., 10.00 5.00 Mr. Byatt, South Carolina, 20.00 - 20.00 Jacob Guerard, Beaufort, S. C. ,, 10.00 Ga., , 5U.00 John La Roche, do. 10.00 20.00 Edward Winslow, Wilming- Va.; , 10.00 ton, N. C, 25.00 10.00 Jacob Wood, Potosi, Ga., 20.00 SUBSCRIPTIONS TO ASYLUM. 161 Joseph Copman, Savannah, Ga., 5.00 Mr. Richards, do. 20.00 George Dodd, Charleston, S. C, 5.00 Dr.A.Sherman, Knoxville.Ten., 10.00 Mr. Beach, South Carolina; 5.00 FOREIGN COUNTEIES. S. V. S. Wilder, Paris, 100.00 Mr. Ridgway, StafFords're,Eng., 5.00 Mrs. Hannah More, England, 44.44 M. E. Levy, Havana, - 50.00 Zachary Maoauley, do. 22.22 Mr. Benning, Isle of Trinidad, 5.00 Mr. Labouchere, London, 15.00 Sundry donations, - 385.00 The above list of subscriptions and contributions to the American Asylum, although not complete, exhibits the extent of the ground visited, and the number of individuals who became personally interested in the success of the enterprise. The following summary taken from the treasurer's annual exhibit, presents the resources of the institution, exclusive of the payments of pupils, for buildings and current expenses, up to the sale of the lands donated by Congress. The charities of individuals and religious societies diminished in number and amount, as the permanent funds increased, and ceased alto- gether in 1825. Donations by individuals* to send Mr. Gallaudet to Europe up to June ] I, 1817, $12,016.80 it It a ti K 1818, 3,131.19 U il li It 11 1819, t7,538.43 u u 11 11 It 1820, 447.00 a li 11 It 11 1821, 250.70 a u 11 11 It 1822, 82.50 a ti 11 11 11 1823, 18.61 11 ti 11 u 11 1824, 11.15 Contributions taken up in Keligious Societies in 1819, . . 2,646.12 li u 11 1820, . 72.66 11 u It 1821, • 18.75 $26,233.91 Donation by state of ' Connecticut in 1816, 5,000.00 $31,233.91 * The names of the original subscribers, in the order of their subscription, may be seen in the act of incorporation, passed May, 1616. t This sum includes a legacy of $2,000, left by Mr. Lewis, of New London. 12 162 ACT TO INCORPORATE THE ASYLUM. The following is the original act of incorporation. AN ACT TO INCOKPOEATE THE CONNECTICUT ASYLUM, FOE THE EDUCATION AND INSTEUCTION OF DEAF AND DUMB PEESONS. Sec. 1. Se it enacted by the Governor and Cotmcil and House of Representa- tives in General Court assembled. That John Caldwell, Nathaniel Terry, Daniel Wadsworth, Mehitable Wadsworth, Susan Tracy. Ward Woodbridge, Henry Hudson, Daniel Buck, Mason F. Cogswell, Joseph Battell, William H. Imlay, Charles Sigourney, David Porter, David McKinney, Isaac Bull, Thomas S. Williams, John Morgan, Samuel Tudor, Jr., John Butler, George Good- win, John Beach, James Ward, Roswell Bartholomew, George Smith, Joseph Rogers, Moses Tryon, Jr., Nathan Strong, Jr., Charles Seymour, James H. Wells, Jonathan W. Edwards, William W. Ellsworth, William Wat- son, Russel Bunce, Eliphalet Terry, Seth Terry, Lynds Olmsted, Thomas Lloyd, James B. Hosmer, Joseph Trumbull, Samuel Tinker, Horace Burr, Rus- sell Talcott, Christopher Colt, Eliphalet Averill, Nathaniel Patten, Joseph Wells, William Ely, Spencer Whiting, Barzillai Hudson, Jr., Jonathan Law, George Goodwin, Jr., Daniel Crowell, Charles Goodwin, Michael Shepard, Caleb Goodwin, Dudley Buck, Aaron Chapin, Jared Scarborough, Barzillai Hudson, Jacob Sargeant, Peter Thatcher, Talcott Woleott, Nathaniel Spencer, and their associates, be and they hereby are formed into, constituted and made, a body politic and corporate, by the ntme of" The Connecticut Asylum for the Education and Instruction of Deaf and Dumb persons," and by that name they and their successors shall and may have perpetual succession ; shall be capable of suing, and being sued, pleading, and being impleaded in all suits of what nature soever; may have a common seal, and may alter the same at pleasure, and may also purchase, receive, hold and convey, any estate real or personal, the annual income of which shall not exceed five thousand dollars. Sec 2. And be it further enacted. That the said Asylum may from time to time, elect a president, and such other officers as they may find necessary or convenient, may elect additional members, and the said Asylum may make by- laws, respecting the number, qualifications, and duties, of their officers ; the mode of election and admission of members, the time, place, and manner of holding their meetings, and the number necessary to make a quorum, and all other by-laws which they may deem necessary for the due regulation of said Asylum, not repugnant to the laws of this state or of the United States. Sec. 3. And be it further enacted. That the first meeting of said Asylum be held at the State House in Hartford, on the second Monday of June next. Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That this act or any part thereof, if found inadequate, or inconvenient, may be altered, amended, or repealed. A SERMON DELIVERED AT THE OPENING OF THE CONNECTICUT ASYLUM FOR THE • EDUCATION AND INSTRUCTION OP DEAF AND DUMB PERSONS, APRIL 20th, 1817, BY EEV. THOMAS H. GALLAUDET. Just two years have elapsed, sincg the first steps were taken toward the establishment, in this city, of an Asylum for the instruction of the deaf and dumb. Those who then embarked in this enterprise, felt it to be their duty to commend its future prospects to the protection of that Arm, which moves so easily the complicated springs of human action, and wields, with unerring wisdom, the vast machinery of providence. Their united supplications as- cended from the lips of one, whose venerable presence has so often filled this sacred desk, and whose spirit perhaps now witnesses the fulfillment, in some good degree, of his wishes, and the answer of heaven to his requests. His* voice no more guides our devotions, nor animates us in the path of duty t But his memory is cherished in our hearts, and, on occasions hke the present, while we mourn his absence and feel his loss, let it be a source of grateful consolation to us, that the undertaking, of which this evening is the anniver- sary, began under the hopeful influence of bis prayers. It has met indeed with difliculties, and still labors under embarrassments, which are incident tO' almost all the untried efibrts of benevolence. Yet, in its gradual progress, it has been encouraged by the smiles of a kind providence, and is at length enabled to commence its practical operation. At such a season, the directors of its concerns have thought, that a remem- brance of past favors, and a conviction of future dependence on God, ren- dered it proper again to unite in solemn acts of religious worship. These acts they have made thus public, from a grateful sense of the general interest that has been expressed toward the Asylum, and it is at their request that the speaker rises to address this respectable assembly. He enters upon the duty which has thus devolved upon him, not reluctantly, yet with difBdenoe and solicitude, principally fearing that the cause of the deaf and dumb may suffer, and yet hoping that God, iu whose hands the fee- blest instruments are strong, will deign to make our meditations not only pro- ductive of benefit to the unfortunate objects of our pity, but of eternal good to our own souls. And, my friends, how soon would the apologies of the speaker, and the implored candor of his hearers, pass into forgetfulness, conlct we feel that we are in the presence of Almighty God, and that the awful des- tinies of our immortal existence are connected with the events of this passing hour. May the Spirit of Grace impress these truths upon our hearts, while • Rev. Nathan Strong, D. D., in whose church this sermon was delivered. 164 ADDRESS ON THE OPENING OF THE ASYLUM. ■we take as the guide of our thoughts that portion of scripture which is con- tained in the 35th chapter of Isaiah, and the 5th and 6th verses. " Then the eyes of the Hind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing ; for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert." These words depict a part of the visions of futurity which gladdened the eye of Isaiah, and irradiate his writings with so cheering a lustre, that he has been called " the evangelical prophet." His predilections are assuming in our day, some of their most glorious forms of fulfillment. For although they had a more direct reference to the time of our Saviour, by whose miraculous ■ energy, the ears of the deaf were opened, and the tongue of the dumb loos- ened, yet, without doubt, as might be proved from the general scope and ten- or of the prophetic writings, they equally allude to the universal diffusion of thB gospel in these latter ages of the church, and to its happy influence upon the hearts of all mankind. The same Saviour, who went about doing good, is also the Lord of this lower creation. He once performed the acts of his kindness by the mere word of his power ; he now is mindful of the necessi- tous, and makes provision for them, through the medium of his providential dispensations. It should be matter, therefore, of encouragement to us, that the establishment, which is now ready to receive within its walls the sons and daughters of misfortune, however humble may be its sphere of exertion, is not oveflooked'in the economy of the Redeemer's kingdom ; that its probable influence is even shadowed forth in the sayings of prophecy ; and that it forms one link in that golden chain of universal good-will, which will eventually em- brace and bind together the whole family of man. Let it awaken our grati- tude to think, that our feeble efforts are not disregarded by the great Head of the church, and that we are permitted thus to cast our mite into his treasury. In the chapter, from which the words of my text are taken, the prophet has described the blessings of the Redeemer's kingdom, in the richest colors of oriental imagery. He portrays, by the strongest and boldest figures, the joy that will be diffused throughout the earth, when the gospel of Jesus Christ shall have been proclaimed to all people, and its principles made the universal rule of thought and conduct He would thus teach us the intimate connexion, even in this world, between holiness and happiness, and excite our efforts toward hastening on the latter day glory of the church, by pla- cing before us the advantages that will result from it. Every exertion, then, of Christian benevolence, which forms a part of the great system of doing good, is entitled, so to speak, to the encouragements which the prophet holds forth. I shall not, therefore, depart from the spirit of the text, if, on the pres- ent occasion, I attempt to describe some of the benefits which will result from the exertions which are making for the improvement of the deaf and dumb, and thus show how it wiU happen, that in this department of Christian ADDRESS ON THE OPENING OF THE ASYLUM. 165 benevolence, " in the wilderness shall waters break out,, and streams in the desert." The whole plan of my discourse, then, will be to state several advantages which will arise from the establishment of this Asylum, and to propose several motives which should inspire those who are interested in its- welfare, with re- newed zeal, and the hopes of ultimate success. The instrnctiou of the deaf and dumb, if properly eoMducted, has a ten- dency to give important aid to many researches of the philanthropist, the philosopher, and the divine. The philanthropist and the philosopher are- deeply interested in the business of education. The cultivation of the human miQd is paramount to aU other pursuits ; inasmuch as spirit is superior to mat- ter, and eternity to time. Youth is the season in which the powers of the mind begin to develop themselves, and language, the grand instrument by which this development is to take place. Now it is beyond all doubt, that great improvement has been made in the mode of instructing children in tfee use and power of language. To what extent these improvements may yet be carried, time alone can determine. The very singular condition in which the minds of the deaf and dumb are placed, and the peculiar means which are necessarily employed in their instruction, may furnish opportunities for obser- vation and experiment, and the establishment of principles, with regard to the education of youth, which will not be without essential service in their general application. How much light also, may in this way, be thrown upon what are supposed to be the original truths, felt and recognized to be such by the mind, without any reasoning process. Many speculations, too, which now are obscure and unsettled, respecting the faculties of the human mind, may be rendered more clear and satisfactory. How many questions, also, may be solved, concerning the capability of man to originate of himself, the notion of a God and of a future state, or, admitting his capacity to do this, whether, as a matter of fact, he ever would do it. What discoveries may be made re- specting the original notions of right and wrong, the obligations of conscience, and, indeed, most of the similar topics connected with the moral sense. These hints are sufficient to show, that aside from the leading and more important uses of giving instruction to the deaf and dumb, their education might be made to subserve the general cause of humanity, and of correct philosophy and theology. But I pass to conaiderations of more immediate advantage ; and one is, that of affording consolation to the relatives and friends of these unfortunate. Parents ! make the case your own ! Fathers and mothers ! think what would be your feelings, were the son of your expectations, or the daughter of your hopes, to be found in this unhappy condition. The lamp of reason already h'ghts its infant eye ; the smile of intelligence plays upon its countenance ; its little hand is stretched forth in significant expression of its wants ; the delight- ful season of prattiing converse has arrived ; but its artiess hspings are in vain anticipated with paternal ardor ; the voice of maternal affection falls unheard on its ear ; its silence begins to betray its misfortune, and its look and gesture 166 ADDRESS ON THE OPENING OF THE ASYLUM. soon prove, that it must be forever cut off from colloquial intercourse with man, and that parental love must labor under unexpected difficulties, in pre- paring it for its journey through the thorny world upon which it has entered. How many experiments must be made before its novel language can be un- derstood ! How often must its instruction be attempted before the least im- provement can take place ! How imperfect after every effort, must this im- provement be ! Who shall shape its future course through life ? who shall provide it with sources of intellectual comfort ? who shall explain to it the invisible reaUties of a future world ? Ah ! my hearers, I could spread before you scenes of a mother's anguish, I could read to you letters of a father's anx- iety, which would not fail to move your hearts to pity, and your eyes to tears, and to satisfy you that the prospect, which the instruction of their deaf and dumb children opens to parents, is a balm for one of the keenest of sorrows, inasmuch as it is a relief for what has been hitherto considered an irremedi- able misfortune. The most important advantages, however, in the education of the deaf and dumb, accrue to those who are the subjects of it, and these are advantages, which it is extremely difficult for those of us, who are in possession of all our faculties, duly to appreciate. He, whose pulse has always beat high with health, little understands the rapture of recovery from sickness. He, who has always trod the soil, and breathed the air, of freedom, catmot sympathize with the feelings of ecstasy, which glow in the breast of him, who, having long been the tenant of some dreary dungeon, is brought forth to the cheering influence of light and Hberty. But there is a sickness more dreadful than that of the body ; there are chains more galUng than those of the dungeon — the immortal mind preying upon itself, and so imprisoned as not to be able to unfold its intellectual and moral powers, and to attain to the comprehension and enjoyment of those ob- jects, which the Creator has designed as the sources of its highest expecta- tions and hopes. Such must often be the condition of the uninstructed deaf and dumb ! What mysterious darkness must sadden their souls ! How im- perfectly can they account for the wonders that surround them. Must not each one of them, in the language of thought, sometimes say, " What is it that makes me differ from my fellow men ? Why are they so much my superi- ors ? What is that strange mode of communicating, by which they under- stand each other with the rapidity of lightning, and which enlivens their faces with the brightest expressions of joy ? Why do I not possess it, or why can it not be communicated to me ? What are those mysterious characters, over which they pore with such incessant delight, and which seem to gladden the hours that pass by me so sad and cheerless ? What mean the ten thous- and customs, which I witness in the private circles and the public assemblies, and which possess such mighty influence over the conduct and feelings of ' those around me ? And that termination of life ; that placing in the cold bosom of the earth, those whom I have loved so long and so tenderly ; how it makes me shudder ! — What is death ? — Why are my friends thus laid by and ADDRESS ON THE OPENING OF THE ASYLUM. 167 forgotten ? — Will they never revive from this strange slumber ? — Shall the grass always grow over them ?— Shall I see their faces no more forever ? — And must /also thus cease to move and fall into an eternal sleep ! 1" And these are the meditations of an immortal mind— looMng through the grates of its prison-house upon objects on which the rays of revelation shed no Hght, but all of which are obscured by the shadows of doubt, or shrouded in the darkest gloom of ignorance. Apd this mind may be set free, may be enabled to expatiate through the boundless fields of intellectual and moral research — may have the cheering doctrines of hfe and immortaUty, through Jesus Christ, unfolded to its view ; may be led to understand who is the Au- thor of its being; what are its duties to him; how its ofienses may be par- doned through the blood of the Saviour ; how its affections may be purified through the influences of the Spirit; how it may at last gain the victory over death, and triumph over the horrors of the grave. Instead of having the scope of its vision terminated by the narrow horizon of human hfe, it stretches into the endless expanse of eternity ; — instead of looking, with contracted gaze, at the little circle of visible objects, with which it is sur- rounded, it rises to the majestic contemplation of its owngpunortal existence, to the sublime conception of an infinite and supreme intelligence, and to the ineffable displays of his goodness in the wonders of redeeming love. Behold these immortal minds ! Some of them are before you ; the pledges, we trust, of multitudes who wiU be rescued from the thraldom of ignorance : pursue, in imagination, their future progress in time and in eternity, and say, my hearers, whether I appreciate too highly, the blessings which we wish to be made the instruments of conferring upon the deaf and dumb ? For the means of anticipating these blessings, the deaf and dumb owe much to the hberahty of generous individuals in our sister states ; whose benevolence is only equaled by the expanded view which they take of the importance of concentrating, at present, the resources of the country in one establishment, that, by the extent of its means, the number of its pupils, and the quahfications of its instructors, it may enjoy the opportunity of maturing a uniform system of education for the deaf and dumb, and of training up teachers for such remoter places, as may need similar establishments. This state, too, has we trust, given a pledge that it will not abandon an Asylum, which its own citizens have had the honor of founding ; and which claims a connexion, (a humble one indeed,) with its other himiane and ht- erary institutions. In this city, however, have the principal efforts been made in favor of this undertaking. Here, in the wise dispensations of his providence, God saw fit to afflict an interesting child -mth this affecting calamity, that her misfortune might move the feeUngs, and rouse the efforts, of her parents and friends in behalf of her fellow-sufferers. Here, was excited, in consequence, that spirit of research, which led to the melancholy discovery that our own small state probably contains one hundred of these unfortunates. Here, were raised up the original benefactors of the deaf and dumb, whose benevolence has en- 168 ADDRESS ON THE OPENING OF THE ASYLUM. abled the Asylum to open its doors for the reception of pupils, much sooner than was at first contemplated. Here, the hearts of many have been moved to offices of kindness, and labors of love, which the objects of their regard will have reason ever to remember with affectionate gratitude ; and here is witnessed, for the first time in this western world, the affecting sight of a little group of fellow-sufferers assembling for instruction, whom neither sex, nor age, nor distance, could prevent from hastening to embrace the first oppor- tunity of aspiring to the privileges that we enjoy, as rational, social, and im- mortal beings. They know the value of the gift that is offered them, and are not reluctant to quit the delights of their native home, (delights doubly dear to those whose circle of enjoyment is so contracted,) nor to forsake the en- dearments of the parental roof, that they may find, in a land of strangers, and through toils of indefatigable perseverance, the treasures of wisdom and knowledge ! How can the importunity of such suppliants be rejected ! Hard is that heart which can resist such claims upon its kindness. Nor, we trust, will motives be found wanting for /utore exertions in behalf of these children of misfortune. It is always more blessed to give, than to receive. Efforts of charity, prudently and usefully directed, never fail abundantly to repay those by whom they are made. This is true, not only with regard to individuals, but also public bodies of men. That town whose character is one of benevolence and good-will toward the unhappy, enjoys, in the opinion of all the wise and good, a reputation more exalted, more val- uable, more noble, than it can possibly gain by the most extensive pursuits of commerce and the arts ; by the most elaborate improvements in trade or manufactures ; by the richest displays of its wealth, or the splendor of its edifices ; by the proudest monuments of its taste or genius. It gains, too, the smiles of Heaven, whose blessings descend upon it in various forms of divine munificence. While the hearts of its inhabitants expand in charity toward others, and the labors of their hands are united in one common object, they learn together the pleasure of doing good, — they find, at least, one green spot of repose in the desert of life, where they may cull some . fruits of paradise, and draw refreshment from streams that flow from the river of God. They feel that they are fellow-pilgrims in the same wilder- ness of cares and sorrows, and while they look to that country to which they are all hastening, while they tread in the footsteps of Him who went about doing good, how quickly do their differences of opinion soften ; the lines of sectarian division melt away ; and even political jealousies and animosities retire into the shades of forgetfulness. Yes, my hearers, godliness hath the promise of this life, as well as of that which is to come. The spirit of Christian benevolence, is the only one which will change completely, the aspect of human affairs. It has already begun to knit together the affections, not only of towns and villages, but of nume- rous sects throughout the world, and seems to be preparing to embrace within its influence, even states and kingdoms. On its hallowed ground, a respite is given to political and religious warfare ; men lay down the weapons of ADDRESS ON THE OPENING OF THE ASYLUM. 169 contention, and cherish, for a season at least, the diyine temper of peace on earth, and good-will toward men. Every charitable effort, conducted upon Christian principles, and with a dependence on the supreme Head of the church, forms a part of the great system of doing good, and looks forward to that delightful day, when the earth shall be filled with righteousness, and peace, and Joy in the Holy Ghost. While, therefore, my hearers, I would endeavor to excite an interest in your hearts in behalf of our infant establishment, by portraying its advan- tages, and addressing to you motives of encouragement with regard to its future progress, drawn from topics of a more personal and local kind, permit me to place before you thp purest and noblest motive of all, in this, and in every charitable exertion — the tendency it will have to promote the welfare of the Redeemer's kingdom. It was the future advent of this kingdom which filled the heart of the prophet with rapture, when he wrote the chapter which has been read in our hearing. Do we participate, in any degree, of his spirit ? Do our efforts for doing good, however humble may be their sphere of influence, proceed from a wish that thus we may be made the instruments of advancing that happy period, when the heathen shall be given to Christ for his inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession ; when, through the influence of his gospel, and the efiicacy of his grace, " the wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose ;" when " the ransome(J of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion, with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads ; when they shall obtain joy and glad- ness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away." It is Jesus Christ whom we are thus bound to love, to imitate, and to obey. We jfre stewards, but of his bounty : we are laborers in his vineyard. Whatsoever we do, should be done in his name. For it is by this test, that all our efforts to do good will be tried at the great day of his dread and aw- ful retribution. Let us not fail then to make a suitable improvement of this occasion, by inquiring, whether our benevolence toward men, springs from love toward the Saviour of our souls ; whether our humanity is something more than the offspring of mere sympathetic tenderness ; for it is a truth which rests on the authority of our final Judge, that, without the principle of divine love within our breasts, we may bestow all our goods to feed the poor, we may give our very bodies to be burned, and yet by all this be profited nothing. While we seek, therefore, to soothe the distresses and dispel the ignorance of the unfortunate objects of our regard ; while we would unfold to them the wonders of that religion, in which we profess to believe, and set before them the love of that Saviour, on whom all our hopes rest ; let us be grateful to God for the very superior advantages which we enjoy ; consider how imper- fectly we improve them ; be mindful, that after all we do, we are but un- profitable servants ; and thus, feeling the necessity of our continual reliance 170 HYMNS ON THE OPENING OF THE ASYLUM. upon Jesus Christ, trust alone to 7iis righteousness for acceptance witli God. That this may be the sure foundation, to each one of us, of peace in this world, and of happiness in the next, may God of his mercy grant. Amen. THE FOLLOWINO HYMNS, COMPOSED FOR THE OCCASION, MADE A PART OF THE EELIGIOTJS EXEECISES OP THE EVENIKO. HYMN FIRST. Isaiah, 35th Chap. The wild and solitary place Where lonely silence frown'd, Awakes to verdure, light and grace. With sudden beauty cro"wn'd. Through the long waste, neglected soil, A stream of mercy flows. And bids its thirsty desert smile. And blossom as the rose. Ye feeble hands your strength renew ; Ye doubtful hearts believe ; Unclose your eyes, ye blind, and view ; Ye sad, no longer grieve. Behold ! the deafen'd ear has caught Salvation's raptured sound ; Praise to the speechless lip is taught, The helpless lost are found. Say then, with joyful voice aloud, Jehovah's work we see. He hath his way within the cloud. His footsteps on the sea. But righteous is he to perform, His word is truth indeed ; And 'mid the sunshine or the storm. His purposes proceed. HYMN SECOND. While in this glad, inspiring hour, We praise Almighty grace and power. While strains of grateful music rise. E'en with their tone remembrance sighs. He, who implor'd with zeal divine, A blessing on this great design. Now sleeps in dust ; and sad we bend To mourn the pastor and the friend. HYMNS ON THE OPENING OP THE ASYLUM. Yet, oh ! if angels clotli'd in light, E'er hover round this vale of night ; If mortal wanderings ever prove Their watchful glance of guardian love ; Perchance, he views his earthly home. This lonely flock, this holy dome, And while our humble prayers arise. Aids with his harp the sacrifice. But who can speak his boundless joys, "When those who heard their Shepherd's voice. Shall meet iiim in a world of rest, And join the spirits of the blest. HYMN THIRD. Ye happy, rescued throng, Escap'd from gathering night. Who mourn'd in .darkness long. While all around was light. As through the cloud The day-star gleams. Oh ! love the hand That gave its beams. And ye whose soften'd souls Each generous feeling prove. Whose prayers and labors aid This ministry of love ; Jehovah's name Conspire to raise ; His was the work, Be his the praise. 171 A DISCOURSE DELIVEEED AT THE DEDICATION OF THE AMEKICAN ASYLUM, FOK THE EDUCATION OF DEAF AND DUMB PERSONS, MAY 22, 1821. BY REV. THOMAS H. QALLAUDET. " For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens' 2d Corinthians, 5th chapter, 1st verse. The faith of Paul in the promises of God, was an anchor to his soul, both sure and steadfast, amid all the sorrows and troubles of life. Experience had taught him not to look to human aid for support, nor to seek repose in earthly comforts ; for both, he well knew, like the temporary shelter of a house, might fall beneath the arm of violence, or crumble into ruin from the natural progress of decay. He felt himself a stranger and a pilgrim on the earth ; his home was in heaven, rendered sure to him by the declaration of his divine master, "in my father's house are many mansions, if it were not so, I would have told you, I go to prepare a place for you." To this final rest from aU suffering and sin, Paul looked forward with such delightful anti- cipation, that even his affliction appeared but light and momentary, and he considered it as working out for him a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. The faith which enabled him to do this, he thus describes : " While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen : for the things which are seen are temporal ; but the things which are not seen are eternal. For we know that if our earthly house of this taberna- cle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." By the expression, " earthly house of this tabernacle," I apprehend the apostle intended something more than the mere human body, and referred rather to our residence in this world, which from its transitoriness and uncer- tainty, might well be compared to a tabernacle or tent, and thus be fitly con- trasted with the permanency and stability of the heavenly state. Thus you see what was the true source of the apostle's consolation under affliction and of the zeal and hope which animated him in the midst of his trials ; he re- garded things temporal, as he would the accommodations of a house, which, with all its conveniencies and comforts, is nevertheless destined to inevitable dissolution ; he fixed his affections on things eternal, on his home in the heav- ens, on that building of God, whose foundation is sure, whose walls are im- perishable, and the beauty, order, and magnificence of which, infinitely sur- pass all our conceptions. These sentiments of the apostle, and the spirit which dictated them, seem to me, my brethren, peculiarly suitable for us to imbibe on the present ocoasion. We see before us a little group of our fellow-be- DISCOURSE AT THE DEDICATION OF THE ASYLUM. 173 ings, who are called in the mysterious providence of God to endure afflic- tion. This affiction may become comparatively light to them, and; as It were, enduring but a moment, could it be made instrumental of working out for them a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. They are just intro- duced into an earthly house well calculated for their accommodation ; but it becomes both them and all of us, who feel interested in their welfare, to keep constantly in mind, that this goodly edifice with its various sources of instruc- tion and improvement, is one of the things, which though seen perhaps with grateful satisfaction is still temporal, the worldly advantages of which may prove uncertain and must be transitory, and at which, therefore, we ought not to look with any sense of a strong and undue attachment, but rather, raise the eye of our faith, and persuade these sufferers to do so likewise, to a bet- ter home, to that building of God, the house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. When I say that the worldly advantages of this Asylum may prove uncertain, do not understand me as wishing to disparage their true im- portance and value. To do this would be alike unwise and ungrateful. It would be unwise ; for godliness hath the promise of this life as well as of that which is to come, and it is only a misguided enthusiasm which can aim to pre- pare youth for a better world, without, at the same time, training them up to a faithful discharge of all their duties in this. It would be ungrateful ; for every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused if it be received with thanksgiving; and we might as well close our eyes upon the budding beauties of the season, which the kind Author of Nature is now unfolding to our view, as to shut our hearts against that general aspect of convenience, and that prospect of future comfort to the deaf and dumb, which the same Giver of every good and perfect gift, deigns to shed over the establishment which we wish this day to dedicate to Him who has thus far fostered and protected it. But the brightest hopes of spring sometimes fall before an untimely frost, and human establishments of the fairest promise, have often been so perverted from their original design, as to become the nurseries of error, or so conduct- ed in their progress, as to promote the views of personal interest ; or so decked out with the pomp and circumstance of greatness, as to serve rather for the ornaments with which ambition would love to decorate itself,.than as the plain and useful instruments which the hand of unostentatious charity would em- ploy to dispense her simple and substantial benefits to the suffering objects of her care. Believe me, these are the rocks on which this institution may be shipwrecked. Its very prosperity should serve as the beacon of its danger. Many of you, my brethren, recollect when your interest for the deaf and dumb was first excited by a single individual of their number, thus afflicted, as it were, by Providence, for the very purpose of turning her calamity into the source of blessings upon her fellow-sufferers ; — and now, when about six years only have elapsed, since she was regarded as almost a solitary instance of this calamity among us, I see her in the midst of a considerable circle of those whom she was destined to reUeve, many of whom, with herself, have already completed the fourth year of their education, while they this day are 174 DISCOURSE AT THE DEDICATION OF THE ASYLUM. assembled in their own house, reared by the charities of individuals and the munificence of both state and national bounty, with means of comfort and instruction, far surpassing the most sanguine hopes that were indulged by the friends of the Asylum at its commencement. My brethren, such unex- ampled prosperity is dangerous, and those to whom the guardiansliip of this institution is entrusted, will do well to watch against its insinuating effects. Man, whether in his collective or individual capacity, is a fallen and de- generate being. He is always prone to look at the things which are seen and are temporal, and to neglect those which are not seen and are eternal. And this explains a most singular problem of human nature. You will find mdi- viduals whose hearts overflow with all the charities of life — kind, gentle, ami- able, honorable — willing to practice almost any self-denial and to expend almost any bounty, in the furthering of plans for the relief of the temporal distress of their fellow-men. And they wiU erect the most princely establish- ments to furnish the sickness of poverty with a couch of ease, and to afford the wandering stranger a home, and to soothe the sorrows of the widow and supply the wants of the fatherless, and to control or mitigate the worst of all human evils, the maddening diseases of tte mind ; and yet they can do all this and think nothing of the souls of these sufferers, make little or no pro- vision for their spiritual necessities ; and while every thing is done to render the earthly house of their tabernacle convenient and comfortable, they are not warned that they must soon leave it ; they are not urged to secure a resi- dence in a better home, " in the building of God, the house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." In saying this, far be it from me to decry the offices of humanity ; but why not blend these offices with the nobler charity which the gospel inspires. While men will lavish all the skill and experience that their bounty can procure to heal the diseases of the body, why perform only, half the cure, why leave the patient to languish under a more dreadful malady, the corruption of a depraved heart; why not take ad- vantage of the composure and self reflection, which his very hour of bodily suffering brings with it, to soothe the pangs of his conscience, to allay the tor- ments of remorse, to ease him from the burden of sin, to refresh his parched soul with the well-spring of eternal life, to point him to that physician in whose gift is immdrtal health and vigor. My brethren, look at this fact — it is to be found on the pages of all the histories of mere philanthropy ; and shows the danger to which all establishments of benevolence are exposed. Forgive me, then, for dwelling on this perhaps unwelcome topic. But I do feel that the solemnities of this day, if they have any meaning, call upon all who are interested in the welfare of the estabUshment, to keep steadily in view its simple, original design, that of making it the gate to heaven, for these poor lambs of the flock ; for, without such means of instruction, they must continue to sit in darkness, and in the region of the shadow of death, ignorant of the immortality of their souls, of their accountabihty to God, of their future state of being, of the destinies which await them, of the corrup- tion of their own hearts, of the necessity of repentance toward God, and of DISCOURSE AT THE DEDICATION OF THE ASYLUM. 175 faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and of the influence of that Holy Comforter, which can alone renew them in the temper of their minds and prepare them for the inheritance which is incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away. Besides, by thus making the spiritual benefits of the institution paramount to all others, its temporal advantages will be best secured. For the former afibrd the surest foundation of the latter. If it is thus devoted to the cause of Christ and to the building up of his kingdom among the deaf and dumb, such a feeling of dependence on God, of accountabOlty to him, and of reli- ance on his providential support, will be produced among those who manage its concerns, as to give the most consistency, energy and success to all their measures and operations for its welfare. It will then be placed, if I may so speak, under the more immediate protection of the Saviour, it becomes enti- tled to His covenant promises, it forms a department of His vast and increas- ing empire in this lower world, and He stands pledged to overshadow it with the arm of His mighty and irresistible protection. Again, by devoting this institution to the cause of Christ, the moral influ- ence of the truths of the gospel will have an important and salutary effect even upon its purely intellectual and temporal departments, and the govern- ment of the pupils. Truth is often said to be omnipotent. It is the instru- ment which the Father of spirits employs to enlighten the minds and purify the hearts of His intelligent creatures. But truth is one, and there is prob- ably a real connexion between all kinds of truth, both human and divine ; for the Author of those operations of nature which furnish the data from which physical truths are derived, and of those dispensations of providence and grace from which moral and religious truths are derived, is one and the same Almighty Being, directing and controlling the vast movements of His power, and the mysterious processes of His wisdom, and the inflexible dispensations of His justice, and the engaging displays of His goodness, upon one harmoni- ous plan, all tending to one result, the brightest illustration of His glory, and the best good of all who love and serve him. Now in this plan, moral truth holds a higher rank than intellectual, and has a nobler influence on the mind ; and I apprehend that the youth whose understanding is early opened to the reception and influence of the truths of the gospel in all their beauty and sim- plicity, wUl make the fairest and most rapid progi-ess, even in his attainment of merely human knowledge. Sin darkens the understanding as well as de- bases the heart. Had man remained in his primeval state of innocence, prob- ably much of that very obscurity which attends the researches that philosophy has been attempting to make, for ages, in the discovery of physical truth, and which has been attributed simply to the limited powers of the human faculties, in this imperfect state of being, would never have existed, and much that now appears mysterious, would then have been clear. But there is a view of this subject somewhat more practical, which gives it, if not a more elevated, at least, a more heart-felt interest. How much of the successful education of youth in any department of knowledge depends upon the docility 176 DISCOURSE AT THE DEDICATION OF THE ASYLUM. of the pupil, and on the influence which the instructor has over him. How is this docility best to be cultivated ? How is this influence to be maintained so as to combine respect with love ? No precepts like those of the gospel difluse over the opening character that tender ingenuousness of feeling which is so lovely in youth : it is like the dew of heaven, whose mild lustre sheds a fresher charm over the budding flower, refreshes its infancy, and nurtures its growth into all the fullness of its maturer beauties. The faculties of the child expand in their most desirable form, nay its very acquisitions of knowledge are most rapid, when the afiections of its heart are properly cultivated, and they cannot be so without making use of the doctrines, and precepts, and ex- ample of that Saviour who was the friend of the young and helpless. Educa- tion, could it be conducted upon strictly gospel principles, would soon prove by actual experiment, that the influence of the religion of Jesus Christ, in fact elevates and ennobles all the powers of the understanding, while it puri- fies and hallows all the afi'ections of the heart. And, in the same way, it would not be difiicult to show, that if it is to be one of the leading objects of this institution to form its pupils to those habits of useful employment which win qualify them to contribute to their own future support, and to prepare them to sustain the various relations, and discharge the various duties of life, with credit to themselves and comfort to their friends, that this is best to be accomplished, by leading them to seek first, the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and then all these things shall be added unto them. I have been led to these reflections, my brethren, from considering what appeared to me to be the real nature of the occasion which has brought us together. It is to dedicate this Asylum to Almighty God. It is not simply to consecrate this buOding, or any particular part of it, to the services and ceremonies of religious worship, although we indulge the hope that this will form an im- portant feature of the establishment, and give the pupils the opportunity of enjoying this privilege in a manner adapted to their peculiar situation. But we rather assemble here to dedicate the whole institution, in all its depart- ments, and with all its benefits, to the service and honor of Him who has so kindly reared and cherished it, and to invoke His blessing and protection upon it. On such an occasion, so solemn and so interesting, it is becoming, it is safe, nay we are under the strongest obligations, to surrender this whole in- stitution into the hands of Him, who retains a property in every gift which He bestows upon us, and under whose direction, and by the guidance of whose precepts, we can best secure and enjoy all our blessings. Hence I have endeavored in this discourse to show, that it is both the duty and inter- est of those to whom the guardianship of this Asylum is entrusted, to keep its original and leading design steadily in view, to make the religious welfare of the pupils its great object, and to conduct all its other departments, not upon worldly or merely humane principles, but under the wholesome laws and maxims of the gospel of our Saviour. Let us, then, my brethren, all of us who expect to be engaged in its afiairs, or who are interested in its pros- PRAYER AT THE DEDICATION OF THE ASYLUM. 177 perity, now, in the presence of Almighty God, and with a humble reliance on His aid, proceed to dedicate this Asylum, in all its departments, and with all its interests and concerns, to the service of the Father of mercies, to the honor of the Redeemer's name, to the grace of the Holy Spirit, the Com- forter, invoking the continuance of the divine blessing upon it, that it may prove a rich, a lasting, an eternal benefit to the suffering objects of its care. Thus built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone, it will be established upon the rock of ages ; and when these walls which the hands of man have erected, shall have mouldered into ruin ; when nothing but the winds of heaven shall sigh in melancholy murmur through the desolation of these goodly scenes which sur- round and embellish it ; when the last memorials of its founders and patrons and' friends, the lonely tombstones of their grass-grown graves, shall have crumbled into dust and ceased to preserve even their very names from ob- livion ; when its present and future inhabitants, the cherished objects of its care, shall have left, one after another, this earthly house of their tabernacle ; we will indulge the delightful hope, that it will have proved to each of them, the preparatory entrance, the outer court, of the building of God, the house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. And that this may prove the happy lot both of them, and of all who now surround them and show this interest in their welfare, may God of his infinite mercy grant. Amen. DEDICATORY PRAYER. Father of mercies, and God of all grace and consolation, enable us, at this time, to raise unto thee the united desires of our hearts, in behalf of those whose necessities thou hast not forgotten, and whom thou hast visited, in their calamity, with the kindest tokens of thy regard. We would rever- ently admire the overflowing abundance of thy bounty, and the countless ways in which thou dispeusest thy gifts to the sinful and sutFering children of men. We thank thee, for all that thou hast done, both in this and other parts of the world, to succor those who are deaf and dumb, and we do be- seech thee to bless them, and the institutions which cherish them, with the kindness of thy paternal care, with the light of thy gospel, and with the dew of thy grace. Especially would we acknowledge, with humble and devout gratitude, all the manifestations of thy goodness toward the Asylum estab- lished in this place. By the wonderful workings of thy providence, thou didst direct the attention of the benevolent to these children of suffering ; thou didst prepare and open the way for their relief; thou didst move the hand of charity to supply their wants ; thou didst provide the means of their instruction ; thou didst touch the hearts of the wise and honorable, and the rulers of the land, with compassion toward them ; and, now, to crown all thy other gifts, thou hast gathered them, as it were, beneath the shadow of thy wings, into this their own dweUing, in which, we humbly hope, both they and many of their fellow-sufferers, will be made partakers of stiU greater lo 178 PRAYER AT THE DEDICATION OF THE ASYLUM. and richer blessings. In all these things, we desire, O God, to see, to ac- knowledge, and to adore the hand of thy power, and the riches of (hy bounty. " Not unto us, O Lord! 'not unto us, but unto thy name, be all the praise and all the glory." And, now, O Lord ! what shall we render unto thee for all these thy benefits. We can only give back to thee what thou hast already given. Wilt thou, then,' enable us, by the aid of thy Holy Spirit, through the intercession of thy Son, and with faith in him, at this time, most solemnly to dedicate this Asylum to thyself. Almighty and most merciful God, in behalf of those whom thou hast call- ed, in thy providence, to direct and govern the concerns of this Asylum, we do now dedicate this whole institution to thee ; to thee, in all its departments of intellectual, moral, and religious instruction ; to thee, in all its privileges of worship, prayer, and praise ; to thee, in all its domestic regulations, and various means of comibrt and usefulness ; to thee, with all its benefits, both spiritual and temporal, — beseeching thee to accept the ofiering, and to make it subservient to the promotion of thy glory, to the honor of thy Son Jesus Christ, and to the building up of his kingdom in the hearts of aU who have been, who now are, or who may be, the objects of its care. O ! Thou Father of mercies, take now, we beseech thee, this Asylum, with all its interests un- der thy future protection. Defend it from every danger by thy Almighty arm. Give it all salutary favor in the sight of our fellow-men. Excite the prayers of thy own children in its behalf. Shed down upon all who are in- trusted with the direction and management of its concerns, in their several stations, and in the discharge of their respective duties, a spirit of wisdom and prudence, of patience and kindness, of fidelity and industry ; so that all things being conducted in thy fear, may meet with thy blessing, and result both in the temporal and spiritual good of those who resort hither for instruc- tion. May the pupils ever be taught the truths of thy gospel, in all their affecting simplicity and force. May the friend of the wretched, the Saviour of sinners, the Son of thy love, here abundantly display the riches of his grace, in gathering these lambs of the flock into his own fold, and in making them meet for an entrance into the spiritual land of promise, the Canaan of eternal rest. We would also remember before thee, O thou hope of the afflicted ! the many deaf and dumb in this and other lands, who are still enveloped ih the midnight of intellectual and moral darkness : we beseech thee, in thine abundant goodness, to make provision for their rehef, and to cause, that while the consolations of thy gospel are extending to almost every corner of the earth, these helpless may not be forgotten by their fellow-men. In imploring these blessings. Almighty God, we humbly confess, that we are most unworthy to receive them. For we are sinners in thy sight, and if thou shouldest be strict to mark our iniquities, we could not stand before thee ; — we would look to Jesus Christ alone and to his righteousness, for ac- ceptance with thee. ! for his sake, wilt thou hear us, and grant us an answer of peace. And to the Father, to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, be rendered everlasting praises. Amen. A SERMON ON THE DUTT AND ADVANTAGES OF AFFOEDING INSTKUCTION TO THE DEAF AND DUMB. BY KEV. THOMAS H. GALLAUDET. " But, as it is written, to wiiom Tie was not spoken of they shall see ; and they that have not heard, shall understand." Komans xv. 21. Prophecy inspires the Christian with courage in the cause of his Divine Miister. Its accomplishment assures him that the Lord is on his side. The former is like the dawning of an effulgent morn on the eye of the in- defatigable traveler, cheering him with the promise of alacrity and vigor on his way. The latter is the full-orbed splendor of the noonday sun, illumina- ting the region he has left, and yielding him a bright retrospect of the course which has thus far brought him so successfully on his pilgrimage. Such a resolution animated, such a hope gladdened, the breast of Paul, the faithful, the intrepid servant of Jesus Christ. He was sent to preach to the Gentiles. He took courage from the declarations of prophecy. He -mtnessed its ac- complishment ; and this furnished him with abundant support and consolation in his laborious and perilous service. " For I will not dare to speak," says he, " of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient by word and deed Yea, so have I strived to preach, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upoii another man's foundation : But, as it is written, to whom he was not spoken of, they shall see; and they that have not heard, shall understand." While contemplating this generous ardor of the apostle, let us consider his example most worthy of the imitation of us all. And would to God, my brethren, that his spirit were transfused into the breasts of aU the disciples of Jesus Christ ; for never, perhaps, in any period of the history of the Church has she stretched forth her hands, with more eagerness of supplication, for This Sermon was published at Concord, N. H., with the following prefatory note. NOTE. — The following Sermon was delivered at Burlington and Montpelier, Vermont ; Portland, Maine ; and Concord, New-HampShire ; during an excur- sion of the author, the object of which was, not to solicit pecuniary contribu- tions, but to excite in the public mind a deeper interest than has hitherto been been felt for the Deaf and Dome ; — and is now published at the request of the governor of Maine, and other gentlemen in Portland and Concord. Whatever may be derived from the sale of the Sermon, after defraying the expense of pub- lication, will be applied to the support of indigent pupils, at the Asylum, from the states in which copies of the Sermon may be sold. 180 A PLEA FOR THE DEAF AND DUMB. the undaunted and vigorous exertions, in her behalf, of all who dehght in her prosperity. Now her walls begin to rise, and her towers to lift their heads toward heaven", for many have come up to her help. Let not our hands refuse their labor in so glorious a work ; for soon she shall shine forth in all the strength and splendor of the New Jerusalem, becoming the joy and the praise of the whole earth. Paul toiled for her prosperity. The Gentiles arrested his attention and shared his labors. And his labors derived fresh vigor from the declarations and accomplishment of prophecy. If we, my brethren, have the spirit of Paul, the heathen of our day wUl not be neglected by us ; and prophecy will become to us, also, an abundant source of encouragement, that we shall not spend our strength among them for naught. -These two simple truths form the whole plan of my discourse. But loho are the heathen ? My heart sinks within me while giving the re- ply. Millions, millions of your fellow-men. Europe, Asia, Africa and Amer- ica contain a melancholy host of immortal souls who are still enveloped with the midnight gloom of ignorance and superstition. They who adore the idol which their own hands have formed ; who wor- ship the orbs of heaven ; who sacrifice their own flesh to a vindictive deity ; who bathe in the stream, or who pass through the fire, to purify themselves from sin ; who hope to gain paradise by practicing the most cruel bodily aus- terities ; who bid the widow burn on the funeral pile of her deceased hus- band, while her own offspring lights its flames ; who sing their profane incan- tations, and revel in brutish madness during their nightly orgies, at the insti- gation of some miserable wretch, claiming the name of wizard or magician ; who never heard of that name, the only one given under heaven by which man can be saved. These are some of the heathen. Who are the heathen f I direct your observation nearer home. . I point you to thousands within your own country, and villages, and towns, and cities, who have grown up, in this favored land, without any correct knowledge of the God who made them ; of the Saviour who died to redeem all who trust in Him ; of the Spirit which is given to sanctify the heart ; of the Book of Eternal Life, which unfolds to us all that can alarm our fears or animate our hopes with regard to a future world. These are some of the heathen. But are there still other heathen ? Yes, my brethren, and I present them to the eye of your pity, an interesting, an affecting group of your fellow- men ; — of those who are bone of your bone and flesh of your flesh ; who live encircled with all that can render Hfe desirable ; in the midst of society, of knowledge, of the arts, of the sciences, of a free and happy government, of a widely preached gospel ; and yet who know nothing of aU these blessings ; who regard them with amazement and a trembling concern ; who are lost in one perpetual gaze of wonder at the thousand mysteries which surround them; who consider many of our most simple customs as perplexing enigmas; who often make the most absurd conjectures respecting the weighty transac- A PLEA FOR THE DEAF AND DUMB. 181 tions of civil society, or the august and solemn rites and ceremonies of reli- gion ; who propose a thousand inquiries which cannot be answered, and pant for a deliverance which has not yet been afforded them. These are some of the heathen ; — long-neglected heathen ; — ^the poor deaf and dumb, whose sad necessities have been forgotten, while scarce a corner of the world has not been searched to find those who are yet ignorant of Je- sus Christ. Has the tear of pity bedewed your cheek, while perusing the terrific his- tory of Juggernaut, rolling, with infernal pomp, his blood-stained car over the expiring victims of a superstition which surpasses all othfers in its impure and cruel rites ? Do you sympathize with the missionary who has taken 'his fife in his hand and has gone to fight the battles of the cross against these powers of darkness ? Do you contribute your alms, and offer up your pray- ers, for the success of the enterprise in which he has embarked ? Do you greet with the smile of welcome, and the kindest ofiices of friend- ship, the savage islanders whom providence has cast upon our shores ? Do you provide for their wants, and dispel, by the beams of gospel truth, the thick darkness which has, heretofore, shrouded their understandings ? Do you make them acquainted with the name of Jesus, and open to them the prospect, through His merits, of a bright and happy immortality ? May the Lord reward you abundantly for these labors of love. Prosecute with still more ardor such efforts in the cause of Christ. Fan this missionary flame, uutU it shall burn in every Christian breast, and warm and invigorate the thousands whose bosoms glow with united zeal to diffuse the " light of the knowledge of the glory of God, as it shines in the face of Jesus Christ," to those who still sit in the vast and remote regions of the shadow of death. Far be it from my purpose to divert your charities from so noble an object. Palsied be the hand that attempts to build up one part of the walls of the spiritual Jerusalem by prostrating another in ruins. I would not draw forth your sympathy in behalf of one project of benevolence by decrying others. I vrill not impeach the sincerity of your exertions to enlarge the extent of the Redeemer's kingdom throughout the world, by telling you that charity begins at home ; that we have heathen enough in our own land ; that we had better give the gospel to our own countrymeuj before we exhaust our resour- ces upon those whom an ocean divides from us. No, my brethren, I hold a very different language. I only put in a claim for one portion of the heathen. I only ask that the same stream of a diffu- sive benevolence, which, fed by a thousand springs of private hberality, is roUing its mighty and fertilizing tide over the dreary deserts of ignorance and superstition and sin that he in the other hemisphere, may afford one small rivulet to refresh and cheer a little barren spot in our naiive land, which has hitherto lain forgotten, thirsty, desolate. I only cravea cup of consola- tion, for the de^f and dumb, from the same fountain at which the Hindoo, the Mnc&n, and the savage are be^nning to draw the water of eternal life. 182 A PLEA FOR THE DEAF AND DUMB. Do you inquire if the deaf and dumb truly deserve to be ranked among tlie lieathen ? With regai-d to their vices they surely do not ; for a land Providence, who always tempers the wind to the shorn lambs of the flock, has given to the condition of these unfortunates many benefits. Possessing indeed the general traits of our common fallen nature, and subject to the same irreg- ular propensities and desires which mark the depraved chai-acter of man, they have, nevertheless, been defended, by the very imprisonment of their minds, against much of the contagion of bad example ; against the scandal, the abuse, the falsehood, the profanity, and the blasphemy, which their ears cannot hear, nor their tongues utter. Crael is that hand which would lead them into the paths of sin ; base, beyond description, that wretch who would seduce them, by his guileful arts, into the haunts of guilt and ruin. Thus, they have been kept, by the restraining grace of God, from much of the evil that is in the world. Yet they need the same grace, as all of us need it, to enlighten the dark places of their understandings, and to moidd their hearts into a conformity to the divine image ; they require too an interest in that Saviour who was lifted up, that he might draw all men unto Him. I tread not upon dangerous ground, when I lay down this position ; that if it is our duty to instil divine truth into the minds of children as soon as they are able to receive it ; if we are bound by the injunction of Christ to convey the glad news of salvation to every creature under heaven ; then we fail to obey this injunction, if we neglect to make His name known to the poor deaf and dumb. I have said that they are heathen. Truly they are so as it regards their knowledge of religious truth. The experience of more than seven years' fa- miliar acquaintance with some of the most intelligent among them, has fully satisfied my mind, that, without instruction, they must inevitably remain ig- norant of the most simple truths, even of what is termed natural religion, and of all those doctrines of revealed religion, which must be the foundation of our hopes mth regard to our eternal destiny. ^ I have seen the affecting spectacle of an immortal spirit, exhibiting the pos- session of every energy of thought and feehng which mark the most exalted of our species ; inhabiting a body arrived to its age of full and blooming ma- turity ; speaking through an eye, whose piercing lusti'e beamed with intelli- gence and sparkled with joy at the acquisition of a single new idea : — I have seen such a spirit, oh 1 it was a melancholy sight, earnestly contemplate ' the boundless store Of charms which Nature to her votary yields; The warbling woodland; the resounding shore ; The pomp of groves and garniture of fields ; All that the genial ray of morning gilds ; And all that echoes to the song of even ; All that the mountain's sheltering bosom shields ; And all the dread magnificence of heaven ;" A PLEA FOR THE DEAF AND DUMB. 183 while such an amphitheatre of beauty, and order, and splendor, raised not in this mind which viewed it the notion of an Almighty Hand that formed and sustained the whole. I have asked such an one, after a few glimmerings of truth had begun to dissipate the mental darkness in which it had been shrouded, what were its meditations at the sight of a fiiend on whom death had laid his icy hand, and whom the grave was about to receive into its cold and silent mansion. " I thought I saw," was the reply, " the termination of being ; the destruction of all that constituted man. I had no notion of any existence beyond the grave. I knew not that there was a God who created and governs the world. I felt no accountability to Him. My whole soul was engrossed with the gratifica- tion of my sensual appetites ; with the decorations of dress ; the amusement of pleasure ; or the anticipations of accumulating wealth, and living in gayety and splendor." I have seen, it was a vision of deUght, the same spirit, when it first re- ceived the notion of th^ Great Creator of the universe. I dare not attempt to describe its emotions, at such an interesting moment. For I believe, my brethren, it is impossible for us, who have grown up in the midst of a Chris- tian people, and who were taught in our tenderest years the being and attributes of God, to form any just estimate of the astonishment, the awe, and the delight, which the first conception of an invisible, immaterial, omnipotent, omniscient, and infinitely wise, just, benevolent and holy Being, is calculated to inspire, when it breaks in upon a mind, that in the range of all its former thoughts, had never once conjectured that there was a Maker of this visible creation. With what mingled emotions of wonder, and rapture must the bosom of Columbus have been agitated, when the new hemisphere burst upon his view ; opening to his imagination its boundless stores of beauty, wealth, and plenty. And yet how does such an event, magnificent and sublime, indeed, compared with all sublunary afiairs, dwindle into insignificance, when con- trasted with the first conception that an immortal mind is led to form, not of a new world, — but of the God who created all worlds. I have seen the same spirit agitated with fearful solicitude at the prospect of meeting that God, at whose bar it was taught, we must all appear ; — and anxiously inquiring what' must be done to secure the favor of so pure and holy an Intelligence. I have seen the same spirit bowed beneath a sense of sin, and casting itself upon the mercy of God through a Redeemer whose character and oflices it had just begun to understand. And I have seen it, as I fondly trust, cdhsoled and soothed and gladdened with the hope of an interest in Jesus Christ, and of being made meet for the inheritance of the saints in light. A little while ago this immortal mind had its vision bounded by the nar- row circle of temporal objects : now, its ken embraces the vast extent of its immortal existence, with all the momentous reahties of that unseen world whither it is hastening.— r/ien, oh! what a degradation ! it was kindred to 184 A PLEA FOR THE DEAF AND DUMB. the beasts of the field : now, wliat an exaltation ! we hope that it is allied to the spirits of the just made perfect ; that it is elevated to communion with its God! And now, my brethren, will you deem my plea too urgent, when I call upon you to imitate the example of the apostle of the Gentiles ; when I solicit your sympathy for those who as truly sit in darkness and in the region of the shadow of death, as those did among whom Paul labored ; or as those heathen of the present day, to whom missionaries and Bibles are sent ? For the moral waste-ground is alike desolate, whether it lies beneath an Asiatic or African sun, or whether it is found near at home, sadly contrasted with the gospel verdure which surrounds it. Paul was constrained to preach to those among whom Christ had not been named. Oh ! aid us, then, while we long to make the same name precious to the deaf and dumb. Is encouragement needed in so generous a work ? Let me present to your view the same sources of support which animated the efforts of the apostle, — I mean the encouragement of prophecy. " But, as it is written, to whom he was not spoken of they shall see ; and they that have not heard shall understand." The fullness of prophecy stamps it with the character of divinity. Stretch- ing, as it does, through a long line of events, and embracing, within its scope, not only the immediate transaction to which it more directly referred, but those remote occurrences which are unfolded in the progress of God's provi- dential dispensations ; it eludes in its development the keenest conjectures of the mortal who ventures too rashly to explore all its secret premonitions ; while in its wonderful accomplishments, so obvious and striking when they have actually taken place, it demonstrates that it could not have sprung from any other source than the Omniscient Mind. Thus many of the psalms which alluded more immediately to the mighty monarch who penned them and his illustrious son, have been seen to have a more important reference to One mightier than David, and more illustrious than Solomon. Thus our Saviour's woful denunciation of ruin against the magnificent city which witnessed His ministry, and sufferings, and death, bears also, with por- tentous presage, upon the goodly structure of the whole visible creation, whose final catastrophe is to be more terrible than the awful overthrow of Jeru- salem. And thus, we may suppose, the same prophecy which Paul took up as the support of his labors among the Gentiles, looked forward to events which are now passing before our eyes ; and which are yet to pass, until all the inspired predictions shall have' received their full and glorious accomplishment. For, if Isaiah, from whose writings the words of my text were originally taken, had spread before his illuminated vision the Gentiles of Paul's time, why may we not reasonably conclude that, the Gentiles, the heathen of our day, were also A PLEA FOE THE DEAF AND DUMB. 185 included in his cheering predictions ? And as a portion of these heathen, is it too bold an inference to suppose that he alluded to the deaf and dumb ? " But, as it is -written, to whom he was not spoken of, they shall see, and they that have not heard shall understand." I wish, therefore, my brethren, while pleading the cause of the deaf and dumb, to call forth your charity in their behalf from the most exalted and encouraging of all motives; — that in aiding them you are but carrying into eifect the wiU of God ; that you are co-operating with him ; and that He is pledged to crown your labor with success, inasmuch as His own prophecy cannot otherwise receive its accomplishment. And it is already receiving its accomplishment. I do not exaggerate the truth, when I say, that they already begin to see, to whom he was not spoken of; that they somewhat understand, who have not heard. For it is a most singular trait of the language of gestures and signs, that it is sufficiently significant and copious to admit of an apphcation even to the most abstract, intellectual, moral and religious truth. On this point I was once myself skeptical ; but doubt Jias yielded to actual observation of the fact; and incre- dulity can no longer urge its scruples among those who have become familiar with the deaf and dumb. Were the occasion a proper one, I should not deem it a difficult task to satisfy you, upon the acknowledged principles of the philosophy of the human mind, that there is no more intrinsic or necessary connection between ideas of whatever kind, and audible or written language, than between the same ideas, and the language of signs and gestures ; and that the latter has even one advantage over the former, inasmuch as it pos- sesses a power of analogical and symbolical description which can never be- long to any combination of purely arbitrary sounds and letters. But I choose the rather to place it on the more safe and palpable ground of observation, and of fact. No one who has conversed with the intelligent laborer* in this novel department of education, himself bom deaf and dmnb ; no one who has witnessed the almost magical facility with which he conveys, by his own ex- pressive language of signs, truths the most difficult and abstract, to his com- panions in misfortune ; no one who has observed the ingenious, and often subtle inquiries which they are prompt to make on the various subjects which have been communicated to their minds ; can withhold his assent from the acknowledgment of the position, that all important, intellectual and religious truth may be taught them by the language of signs, and even before they are capable of reading and understanding ours. Do not suggest then, my brethren, that I call you to lavish your effiarts upon a fruitless and unpromising soU. It has long indeed been overrun with the thorns and briers of ignorance ; but help us to plant and to water, and *Mr. Laurent Glare, a native of France ; a distinguished pupil of the Abbe Slcard, and for many years an assistant in the school of his illustrious master at Paris, and now one of the instructors in the Asylum at Hartford. 14 186 A PLEA FOR THE DEAF AND DUMB. under the blessing of Him who giveth the increase, it shall become like the garden of God, and put forth blossoms, aind bear fruit, which may yet flourish with immortal beauty in the paradise above. And while we would thus endeavor to prepare the deaf and dumb for a better world, we will not neglect the means of making them happy and use- ful in the present life. How many of their hours are now consumed by a torpid indolence, and vacuity of thought ! How cheerless is their perpetual solitude ! How are they .shorn off from the feUowship of man ! How igno- rant are they of many of the common transactions of life ! How unable are they to rank even with the most illiterate of their fellow-men ! How inacces- sible to them are all the stores of knowledge and comfort which books con- tain ! How great a burden do they often prove to their parents and friends ! How apt are they to be regarded by the passing glance of curiosity as little elevated above the idiot or the beast of the field ! We would soothe and cheer these lonely, forsaken, and hapless beings. We would give them the enjoyment which active industry always affords. We would teach their judgment to distinguish, their imagination to portray, and their memory to retain, the various objects which fhe boundless stores of human and divine knowledge present to their view. We would make some of them capable of engaging in useful mechanical employments ; others of holding respectable stations in private and public spheres of commercial transactions ; and those who discover a genius and taste for such pursuits, of cultivating the fine arts ; and all, of thus becoming valuable members of society, of contributing to the common stock of happiness, and of gaining a livelihood by their own personal exertions. We would introduce them to the delights of social intercourse ; to a participation of the privileges of freemen ; to the dignity of citizens of a flourishing and happy community : we would furnish them with one of the highest solaces of retirement, that which may be drawn from the fountains of science and literature ; and books should supply them with a perpetual source of instruction and delight, gladdening many an hour of solitude which is now filled up only with indolence or anxiety. We would render them a comfort to their friends, and the prop of the declining years of those who have hitherto only bemoaned the sad continuance of their condition without any hope of relief. We would shield them against con- tumely ; and almost render them no longer the objects even of condolence and pity. Thus they would soon have a common cause of gratitude with us, for all the temporal blessings which Providence sheds down upon this vale of tears. And how woifld the feeble powers of him who thus attempts to plead be- fore you the cause of the deaf and dumb, yield in efiicacy to the sight of these children of suffering, could I but place them before your eyes. Then I would make no appeal to your sympathy. I would only afford it an oppor- tunity of having fuU scope, by the interesting and affecting spectacle which would excite it. I would point you to the man of mature age ; to the blooming youth ; and to the tender chUd ; all eager to gather a few sheaves A PLEA FOR THE DEAF AND DUMB. 187 from that abundant harvest of knowledge, with which a kinder Providence has blessed you. I would explain to you, if indeed nature did not speak a language too forcible to need explanation, the lamentation of one bemoaning the long lapse of years which had rolled by him without furnishing one ray of knowledge or of hope with regard to his immortal destiny. I would bid you mark the intense and eager look of. another, who was just catching the first rudiments of religious truth. And your tears should mingle with theirs who would be seen sympathizing, in all the fullness of a refined and suscepti- ble imagination, with the anguish of the venerable patriarch about to sacrifice his son ; or the grief of the tender Joseph sold by his unrelenting brethren ; or the agonies of Him, who bled to redeem both you and them from sin, and sorrow, and suifering. Yes, the deaf and dumb would plead their own cause best. But they can- not do it. Their lip is sealed in eternal silence. They are scattered in lonely soUtude throughout our land. They have excited but little compas- sion ; fw uncomplaining sorrow, in our cold-hearted world, is apt to be neg- lected. Now, they see some dawning of hope. They venture therefore to ask aid from those who extend their generous charities to other objects of compassion ; and crave, that they may not be quite overlooked amid the noble exertions that are making, it is to be hoped in the spirit, and with the zeal, of the great apostle of the Gentiles, to fulfill the animating prophecy ; that, ".to whom he was not spoken of they shall see ; and they that have not heard shall understand." And can you wish, my brethren, for a sweeter recollection to refresh the slumbers of your nightly pillow, or the decKning moments of a short and weary life ; — than to think, that you have succored these children of misfor- tune, who look to you for the means of being delivered from a bondage more galling than that of the slave ; from an ignorance more dreadful than that of the wild and untutored savage ! ! One tear of gratitude, glistening in the eye of these objects of your pity ; one smile of thankfulness, illuminating their countenance, would be a rich recompense for all you should do for them. To think that you had contributed to rescue an intelligent, suscepti- ble, and immortal mind, as it were, from non-existence ; that you had imita- ted that Saviour who went about doing good ; that you had solaced the aching bosom of parental love ; that you had introduced a fellow-being to those enjoyments of society in which you so richly participate ; to the charms of books which had cheered so many of your hours of solitude ; and to the contemplation of those sublime and affecting truths of religion, which you profess to make the foundation of your dearest hopes,— will not this be a more grateful theme of remembrance, than to look back upon the wasted delights amid which pleasure has wantoned ; the crumbling possessions for which avarice has toiled, or the fading honors for which ambition has strug- gled ! These, fascinating as they may be to the eyes of youthful hope, or bewildering as they do the dreams of our too sanguine imagination, soon pass away, like the brilliancy of the morning cloud, or the sparkling of the early 188 A PLEA FOR THE DEAF AND DUMB. dew. The other will be as immortal as the mind ; it will abide the scrutiny of conscience ; it will endure the test of that day of awful retribution, when standing, as we all mvtst, at the bar of our final Judge, He will greet, with the plaudit of his gracious benediction, those who have given even a cup of cold water, in His name, to the meanest of his disciples ; to the least of these little ones, whom His mysterious providence has cast upon our care. May such an imitation of His example, in the spirit of His gospel, be to each of us the surest pledge, that we are truly His disciples ; and that we are meet for the inheritance of that kingdom, where there will be no more sin to bemoan, or suffering to relieve. Amen. TESTIMONIAL OP THE DEAF MUTES' OF NEW ENGLAND TO MESSRS. GALLAUDET AND CLEKC. [The following account'of the interesting exercises which took place at Hartford, on the 20th of September, 1850, on the presentation of silver plate to the Eev. Thomas H. Gallatjdet and Mr. Laurent Clekc, by their former pupils in the American Asylum, — was drawn up by Prof. Kae, and published in the American Annals of the Deaf and Dumb, for October, 1850.] The idea originated with Mr. Thomas Brown, of New Hampshire, one of the earliest and most intelligent of the pupils of the Asylum. He said to the writer of this article, in his graphic language of signs, that his spirit could find no rest, until he had devised some method of giving expression to the grateful feeling which filled his heart, and which the lapse of years served only to in- crease. He had but to suggest the thought to others of his former associates, when it was eagerly seized and made the common property of them all. In the vivid simile of the orator of the day, the flame of love ran, like a prairie fire, through the hearts of the whole deaf-mute band, scattered though they were, in various parts of the country ; and measures were inunediately adopted for the furtherance of the object. A committee was chosen to pro- cure the necessary funds, and in a very short time, the handsome sum of six hundred dollars was obtained ; whoUy from the deaf and dumb themselves. The entire credit of the transaction belongs to them. The plan was not known, we believe, to any other person, until it had been matured and placed beyond the chance of failure. After due consultation, it was decided to procure a massive silver pitcher for Mr. Gallaudet, and another of the same size and workmanship, for Mr. Clerc — each pitcher to be accompanied by an appropriate salver. Upon one side of the pitchers is an engraved scene, representing Mr. Gal- laudet's going to France in the year 1817, to induce Mr. Cleec to come to America to instruct the deaf and dumb. There are figures of the gentle- men, and ships and waves illustrating the passage across the ocean. The building of the Hartford institution is likewise represented. On the other side is seen a picture of the interior of the school, with teachers and pupils and apparatus. In front and between these scenes, is the head of the Abbe' SiCAKD, of Paris, the instructor of Messrs. Gallaudet and Clerc, and said to be a correct likeness. On the necks of the pitchers are chased the different coats of arms of all the New England states ; and on the handles are representations of mute cupids, and also closed hands, indicating the sign of the mutes for the first letter of the alphabet. 190 TESTIMONIAL TO MESSRS. GALLAUDET AND CLERC. The inscriptions are as follows. On the pitcher destined for Mr. Gallau- DET, was engraved : PKESENTED TO EBV. THOMAS H. GALLAUDET, PIKST PKLNCIPAL OP THE AMERICAN ASYLUM, AS A TOKEN OP GKATEPUL RESPECT, , BY THE DEAF MUTES OP NEW ENGLAND. MOVED BY COMPASSION POE THE UNPOETUNATB DEAP AND DUMB OP HIS COUNTRY, HE DEVOTED HIMSELP TO THEIR WELPAKE, AND PROCURED POR THEM THE BLESSINGS OP EDUCATION. HARTFORD, CONN., SEPT. 26TH, 1850. On the salver : TO REV. THOMAS H. GALLAUDET, FROM HIS FRIENDS, THE DEAP MUTES OP NEW ENGLAND. HAKTPOED, CONN., SEPT. 26TH, 1850. On the pitcher designed for Mr. Clerc, was engraved : PRESENTED TO LAURENT CLERC, A. M., AS A TOKEN OP GRATEFUL RESPECT, BY THE DEAP MUTES OF NEW ENGLAND. LOVER OP HIS KIND, HE LEFT FRANCE IN THE YEAR 1816, TO PROMOTE THE EDUCATION AND WELFARE OP STRANGERS, WHO, LIKE HIMSELF, WERE DENIED THE GIFT OP SPEECH, HARTPOKD, CONN., SEPT.'26TH, 1851. On the salver : TO LAURENT CLERC, A. M., PROM HIS FRIENDS, THE DEAF MUTES OF NEW ENGLAND, HARTFORD, CONN., SEPT. 26tH, 1850. In the mean time, the committee of the subscribers had made known their object to the principal and instructors of the American Asylum, and re- quested such co-operation on their part as might be necessary ; a request which was most cheerfully complied with. The directors of the institution, with equal heartiness, entered into the spirit of the occasion, and hberally offered the hospitalities of the Asylum to the whole body of its former pupils, who might come together at the time, and for the purpose specified. These directors and instructors were scarcely less eager than the deaf mutes them- selves, to pay their tribute of affection and respect to Mr. Gallaudet and Mr. Clerc, the American fathers of their profession ; one of whom is still actively engaged in the duties of the post which he has so long and so hon- orably fiUed ; while the other, though devoting his later years to another TESTIMONIAL TO MESSRS. GALLAUDET AND CLERC. 191 work of benevolence, has never ceased to be regarded with a kind of filial reverence, by every teacher of the deaf and dumb. The twenty-sixth day of September, to be memorable henceforth as one of the " feast-days" of the deaf mutes of New England, was selected for the public presentation ; and the usual school exercises of the Asylum were sus- pended, during the half-week in which that day occurred, that the undivided attention of its officers might be paid to the entertainment of those who should come to be present at the ceremony. The number of these visitants was even greater than any one had ventured to anticipate. A book prepared for the purpose, received the names of more than two hundred deaf and dumb persons, not now connected with the Asylum. Every state in New England was largely represented ; and from as far south as Virginia, several of our former pupils, after an absence of many years, returned to tread once more the old familiar ground. We were happy also to have the presence and co- operation of the president and nearly all the professors of the New York In- stitution for the Deaf and Dumb ; and not a Httle of the interest of the occa- sion was owing to the friendly and hearty manner, in which they entered into its spirit. Most of the momiog of the day appointed for the ceremony, was spent by the graduates of the Asylum, in the chapel of the institution, where friendly greetings were interchanged, and brief addresses made. Had we room for it, it woidd be pleasant to " report" many things that were said on this occa- sion, but our limits forbid. One young man, after repeatedly declining the calls of his friends for a speech, at last, yielded to their urgency, and went upon the platform. He told the audience, that it would gratify him much to address them, but he found it quite impossible to collect himself for the pur- pose, for his thoughts were all in the silver pitchers ; and saying this, he sat down. At half past two o'clock, P. M., the procession was formed at the Asylum, and proceeded to the Center Church, in the following order : Marshals of the day. Male Pupils. Masters of the Shops. Family Guardian and Matron. Female Pupils. Former Female Pupils. Committee of Arrangements. Subscribers' Committee. President of the Day and Chaplain. Orator and Presenting Committee. Messrs. Gah.audet and Cleec. The President of the Asylum and the Governor of the State. The Directors of the Asylum. The Principals of Deaf and Dumb Institutions. The Faculty of Deaf and Dumb Institutions. Former Male Pupils. Citizens and Strangers. 192 TESTIMONIAL TO MESSRS. GALLAUDET AND CLERC. The exercises at the church commenced at three o'clock precisely. In the absence of the Hon. T. S. Williams, president of the board of directors, Lewis Weld, Esq., the principal of the Asylum, gave an explanation of the design of the meeting in the sign language, to the deaf mutes present, and welcomed them back to the institution. He then read the same explanation to the hearing public present. MR. weld's REMARKS. In the absence of the honorable president of the Asylum, which we all much regret, I have been requested by the committee of arrangements to open the exercises of this occasion with a few remarks. And -first of all, in the name of the. directors and officers of the institution I would say, we welcome most cordially our former pupils to this most gratifying festival. We honor them and thank them for proposing it, especially sympathizing with them in their chief object — that of showing their grateful, respectful and affectionate regard for their earhest teachers — the pioneers in the practical and successful instruction of the deaf and dumb in the United States. We are also highly gratified with the filial regard they evince toward the Asylum, their alma mater, and we rejoice in the renewed evidence they now exhibit of the exalted benefits of education to the deaf and dumb. Again We welcome them to our institution. We welcome also the officers and pupils of other institutions ; some of whom were once associated with us in our labors of love or as recipients of our instructions. We welcome also the other friends of our cause, — all indeed who honor it by their presence this day. The idea of this festival originated more than a year since with the deaf and dumb gentleman who has been selected by his fellows as the President of the day. He communicated with others on the subject, and the result is this most respectable assemblage of deaf and dumb persons, contributors to the substantial testimonials of regard they are about to offer to Mr. Gallaudet and Mr. Clerc. Prayer was then offered by the Kev. Dr. Ha WES. Mr. Thomas Brown, of New Hampshire, the President of the day, then addressed his former fellow-pupUs by signs ; which address was read by Mr. Weld. MK. brown's remarks. My deaf and dumb friends : The object of our assembUng here is chiefly to pay our grateful respects to our early benefactors — to those, to whose assiduous labors we owe our educa- tion, and the hopes and happiness it has afforded us. Let me congratulate you on our happy meeting. How interesting to us all is the occasion, as one for the renewal of former friendships, and the expres- sion of grateful acknowledgments to our best friends and benefactors. Let us ever remember them, and love the great and good institution with the sincere love of children. TESTIMONIAL TO MESSRS. GALLAUBET AND CLBRC. 193 Mr. Fisher Ames Spofford, the orator of the day, now took the stand As his address had not been written, a translation was made by the Rev. Thomas G-allaudet, of New York, for the benefit of the hearing part of the auditory, as he proceeded. Gentlemen and Ladies : You hare assembled here in this building, truly a large assemblage, for the purpose of witnessing an interesting ceremony. If the remarks I now shall shall make fa you lack point, I trust I shall be excused from the peculiar- ity of the occasion. I feel a delicacy in expressing my ideas before so many to whom I am unknown, upon such an interesting topic. * « * We are assembled to express our love and gratitude to the founders of this institution, the first estabhshed in this country. There are present former pupils of the establishment, who left it ten, fifteen and even twenty years ago, from distant parts of the country. We once more warmly greet each other. We have experienced great pleasure in being allowed to assist in contributing for the object of this day, and thus testifying our gratitude to our instructors and to the founders of this institution. Their glorious example has been fol- lowed, and now, for the education of our fellow-sufierers, there are twelve or thirteen similar places of instruction, aU arising from this institution. Thirty- three years ago, the deaf mutes in this country were in the darkness of the grossest ignorance. They knew not God. They knew nothing of the maker of heaven and of earth. They knew nothing of the mission of Jesus Christ into the world to pardon sin. They knew not that, after this life, God would reward the virtuous and punish the vicious. They knew no distinction be- tween right and wrong. They were all in ignorance and poverty, with no means of conveying their ideas to others, waiting for instruction, as the sick for a physician to heal them. But their time of relief had come. In this city, a celebrated physician, Dr. Cogswell, had an interesting daughter, who had been deprived of her hearing. Though her father and her friends looked upon her with pity, yet her' deprivation of hearing has proved to have been a blessing to the world. Had she not been left by God sitting in darkness and ignorance, the success- ful efforts that have since been made for our instruction,, might never have been attempted. Mr. Gallaudet was an intimate friend of the family,.and devoted himself to contrive some means for her instruction. Dr. Cogswell's inquiries soon established the fact that there were many other persons, in, the same unfortunate condition,, a number sufficient to form a school, if a, system of instruction could be discovered. Some gentlemen of Hartford sent Mr. Gallaudet abroad for this benevolent purpose. He visited the London Institution, but circumstances prevented the acquisition of their plan of in- struction. The same thing took place at Edinburgh. But at Paris, all the faciUties that he needed were given him by the Abbe' Sicard, the principal of theii Institution. Here he: spent some time, acquired the knowledge of their mode of instruction, becamei acqtiai»tad with Mu.. Clbrg, ami with 15 194 TESTIMONIAL TO MESSRS. GALLAUDET AND CLBRC. Abte' Sioard's leave, returned with him to this country. Mr. Clerc, at first, feared that he should be in a strange land without friends. But he soon found that by his amiable virtues and accomplished mind, he made friends here, among his pupils and in the best society of the city. Funds were im- mediately raised. Instructions were commenced in the building now called the City Hotel. The first class of pupils numbered seven. After a year, a building in Prospect street was taken, and then measures were adopted for the erection of spacious accommodations on Lord's Hill, the present buildings of the Asylum. Thirty-three years ago, there were no educated deaf mutes sent out into the world — now, a large number. What a change does this fact present ! Who have been the instruments of this change ? Messrs. Gallaudkt and Clekc, under the smiles of heaven. Our ignorance was like chaos, without light and hope. But, through the blessing of God, light has shone through the chaos and reduced it to order. The deaf mutes have long wished to express their gratitude to these benefactors. Mr. Brown first conceived the idea, and addressed letters to all for their consent. All enthusiastically agreed. The idea flashed over the whole, like the fire on the prairie. The wishes which we then expressed, are now carried out, in the offering before us, and the perfume of friendship which they convey to our old instructors, will be as fra- grant as the offering of the spices in Persian temples to the sun. Our thanks are hkewise due to the founders of this institution, on which Heaven has smiled. Some may say that deaf mutes have no gratitude ; that they receive favors as the swine do the acorns of the forest that are shaken down for them, but it is not so. We all feel the most ardent love to these gentlemen who founded this Asylum, and to these our earliest instructors. This gratitude will be a chain to bind all the future pupils together. Those who succeed us as pupils will be told of the debt of gratitude they owe to the founders of the American Asylum. Our ship, moored by this chain of remem- bered gratitude, will float safely hereafter, and never be wrecked on the rocks of pride and envy. I close with earnest prayers for the happiness of our in- structors, both in this world and the next. The applause at the conclusion of this address, among the deaf mutes, weis long and loud. Geokge H. Loeing, Esq., of Boston, formerly a teacher in the Asylum, in the name and for the behalf of the old pupils, now presented the pitcher to Mr. G-ALLAtiDET. His address was then read to the audience by Mr. Weld. MK. LOEmG'S ADDEESS TO ME. GALLAUDET. Accept this plate which I offer to you in the name of the subscribers, former pupils of the American Asylum, as a token of their profound gratitude and veneration. Thirty-five years ago, there was no school for the education of the deaf and .dumb in this country. They had, for a long time, been neglected, as their ease was considered hopeless. TESTIMONIAL TO MESSRS. GALLAUDET AND CLERC. 195 An interesting child, the daughter of a much esteemed physician, in this city, was deprived of her hearing by severe siolsness. In consequence of this misfortune, she was the object of the. parents' constant tenderness and solici' tude. They used every means they could contrive to teach her the simplest rudiments of written language, and, in the attempt, they partially succeeded. The physician had read that there were schools in Europe, in which the deaf and dumb were successfully taught to write and read, and this fact he com- municated to you, and proposed to you to go to Europe to acquaint yourself with the art of teaching the deaf and dumb, for the benefit of your unfortunate countrymen. Moved by compassion for the deaf mutes in general, and sus- tained by several benevolent persons, you embarked for Europe, and after encountering many difficulties, you accomplished the object of your mission in France. In returning to America, you brought back an intelligent and well educated deaf mute, for your coadjutor in your labors. He demonstra- ted, by his intelligence and conversation, the truth that deaf mutes are capa- ble of being taught to write and read. The public were induced to second, by their liberal contributions, your efforts to establish a seminary for the education of the deaf and dumb. On this occasion, a public demonstration of gratitude on the part of the educated deaf mutes is due to those benevolent persons who contributed by their benefactions, to the establishment of the American Asylum in this city. We lament some of them who have since died, and we wiE endeavor to show ourselves grateful on all occasions to those who survive. It is fortunate, and it was also by a kind dispensation of Divine Providence, that you adopted the best method of instruction for the deaf and dumb. By this method we have been instructed in the principles of language, morality and religion, and this education has qualified us to be useful members of society. For these blessings of education, we have felt ourselves obliged to you ; we have long wished to make you some permanent testimonial of our gratitude, and have happily succeeded in getting one prepared. In present- ing it to you, we all offer our earnest prayers for your welfare in your declin-. iug years, and for your reward in the other world. Mr. Gallaudbt then made a reply to the deaf mutes, in the sign Ian, guage, a copy of which he subsequently read. MK. GALtAUDE'l's REPLY. My former pupils and friends: I rejoice to meet you once more. From twenty to thirty years have passed, since we were together in the Asylum for deaf mutes in this city. How happy you then were in receiving instruction, and myself and fellow laborers in imparting it. Our separation has been long. Some of our num^ ber, both teachers and pupils, have gone to the spirit world. She has gone, the beloved Alice, my earliest pupil, who first drew my at- tention to the deaf and dumb, and enkindled my sympathy for them. We will ever cherish her memory, and that of her father, one of your best and 196 TESTIMONIAL TO MESSRS. GALLAUDET AND CLERC. long tried friends. We will never forget that to them, under the divine guidance and blessing, we owe the origin of those ample provisions which have been made for your benefit. For God saw fit to visit her, at a tender age, with your common privation. And on whom else, so intelligent and lovely, could his mysterious, yet benign providence have sent this privation, to produce, as it did, so deeply and ex- tensively, the interest needed to be felt in her and her fellow-sufferers, in order to lead to prompt and effectual action in their behalf In whom else, so beloved and respected as was her amiable father, an orna- ment to his profession, and filling a large sphere of usefulness and philan- thropy, could the same providence have awakened such a lively sympathy for a cherished child, as quickly to extend itself to others enduring the same privation, and to make the necessary movements for their relief. In what other community, more distinguished for its intelligence, enterprise and benevolence, could the same wonder-working providence have placed this father and daughter, and the esteemed family of which he was the head, so as to excite among the prominent citizens, the devising of the plans, the raising of the means, and the adoption of the measures, which were necessary to carry forward so novel and arduous an enterprise to its consummation. The same providence cast my happy lot in this community, near to this father and daughter, herself a playmate of my younger brothers and sisters, which led to my acquaintance with her, and then to my attempting her in- struction. This I did, from time to time as best I could, inexperienced indeed, but with no litfle enthusiasm and zealous perseverance. At length, I had the privilege of being employed to carry into effect, the benevolent designs of my fellow-citizens ; designs extending, as they have already done, in the estab- lishment of many kindred institutions in vai'ious parts of our country. See in these successive links of his providence, how God works out the chain of his beneficent movements. Let us be grateful if He condescends to use our hmnble and feeble instrumentality in these movements, if He makes any of us ever so small a link in this his chain of love. But there was another link stilL What should I have accomplished, if the same kind providence had not enabled me to bring back from France, his native land, one whom we stiH rejoice to see among us — himself a deaf mute, intelligent and accomplished, trained under the distinguished Sicard, at that time teaching the highest class in the Paris Institution — to be my coadjutor here at home ; to excite a still deeper interest in the object to which he came to devote his talents and efforts ; to assist in collecting those funds which were absolutely essential for the very commencement of the operations of the Asy- lum ; to be my first, and for a time, only fellow-laborer in the course of in- struction, and then to render necessary and most efficient aid in preparing for their work the additional teachers who were needed. Little did I think, when I engaged him in his own chamber in the institu- tion at Paris, thirty-four years ago, to come with me to this country, that after witnessing the signal success and prosperity of the institution to which our TESTIMONIAL TO MESSES, GALLAUDET AND CLERC. 197 mutual labors have been devoted — his, how long and assiduously you well know — both of us advancing in years, and he, I trust, yet to enjoy a green old age ; little did I then think, that we should thus stand together, before such a gathering of our old pupils, in the presence of the officers, instructors and pupils of our beloved Asylum, and of the president and some of the in- structors of a kindred institution, surrounded by a crowded assembly of patrons and friends, our fellow-citizens and others, and on an occasion hke this. You, in the ardor of your generosity, have made this occasion. I rejoice in it, especially as manifesting your heartfelt attachment and gratitude to my old friend and fellow-laborer. May he long live to enjoy this attachment and gratitude, and that of hundreds of others, to whom he has already been, or will yet be, the source of so much benefit. As for myself, I beg you to accept my cordial thanks for the part with which you indulge me, in the touching interest of the scene. I thank you all. I thank your committee individually. In him, from whose hands I have just received the testimonial of your grateful regard, which you have been pleased to present me, I recognize one of my very earliest and youngest pupils — one whom I taught for a long course of years, and who now, in the maturity of manhood, is reaping the rich reward of his faithful use of the means of im- provement which he then enjoyed. This testimonial of your affection I shall ever cherish with emotions which I cannot here express. As I look at it from time to time, should my life be spared for a few more years, I shall think of all the past in which you were concerned, with a melancholy pleasure — of this day, as standing out with a strong and memorable prominence, among the days of my earthly pilgrimage — and of you and your fellow-pupils vrith a father's love. I shall ever pray that God may shed down upon you his choicest blessings, and prepare you, by his grace in Christ Jesus, for the holiness and happiness of heaven. You look round in vain, for some of your earliest friends in this city, and of the Asylum. Their forms, their kind and benignant faces, their labors for your welfare, their benevolent ofiices, as it were of a parental and maternal care, are fresh in your memory, but we mourn to see them not among us. You owe them and their survivors a debt of gratitude, which you can best repay, by seeking to do good, as they did, to every member of your large deaf-mute family, by honoring the institution at which you were educated, in a course of honest, virtuous and useful occupation, and by endeavoring, as you have the influence and the means, to sustain its reputation and promote its welfare. Yet a few of these your earliest friends are spared to greet you this day, and to honor this occasion with their presence. I know how much you thank them for all they have done for you. What a pleasure to see them ; and what a pleasure to them, in their declining years, to witness in your prosper- ity, and that of so many others who have been educated here, the blessing of God upon their cares and efforts in this cause of benevolence^ How many others, too, of our fellow-citizens, their juniors in age, who 198 TESTIMONIAL TO MESSRS. GALLAUDET AND CLBRC. have also devoted tlieir cares and efforts to the same object, are here to-day, to participate with them in this greeting and in this pleasure. Yes, be grateful to these your benefactors, and to all who have been con- cerned, in whatever way, in furnisliing you with the means of improvement and usefulness, and of imparting to you the blessed truths of the gospel of Christ. They richly deserve your gratitude ; but let its highest and most devout expressions ascend to Him who is the sole,'etEcient author of every good gift which we enjoy. Recognize his hand in all our blessings. Let Him have the warmest love of your hearts and the cheerful obedience of your Hves. Mr. LoEiNG then, in the same feeKng manner, addressed Mr. Clerc, .offering to him a similar gift. This address was likewise read by Mr. Weld. MR. losing's address TO MR. CLEEC. Accept this plate, which I present to you in the name of the subscribers, former pupils of the American Asylum, as a testimonial of our heartfelt gratitude for the great benefits of education which you have bestowed upon us. When Mr. Gallaudet had initiated himself in the art of teaching the deaf and dumb, under the illustrious Sicard, he proposed to you to come to America, to establish a school for deaf mutes ; and you did not hesitate to leave your beautiful country. You accompanied Mr. Gallaudet in his travels to raise funds for the benefit of the deaf and dumb, and interested the public, by your intelligence and conversation, in favor of that unfortu- nate and neglected portion of this country. When the lamented Mr. Henry Hudson and yourself were in Washington, soKciting Congress to grant some bounty to the American Asylum, your intelligence and talents effectually pleaded in favor of that institution, so that Congress made that hberal grant of land which has since secured ample funds to the Asylum. You alone have continued in your profession since the estabhshment of the Asylum.- We are touched with a tender interest for you, when we see you growing old in your benevolent labors. We could not think of letting you make your exit, without offering you some substantial memorial of our high esteem and affectionate regard. May you spend the remainder of your life with comfort, and receive your reward in the other world. Mr. Clerc replied by signs and his address was then read by Mr. Gal- laudet. ME. CLERC's EEPLY. Dear Pupils and Friends: This is the most pleasant day we have ever had : I do not speak of the state of the weather, but the day you have appointed to come and see us after so long a separation from each other; and glad indeed, are we to see you again. If we, your teachers, have done you any good, as you are pleased to say we have done, we are satisfied and ask nothing more : but you have TESTIMONIAL TO MESSRS. GALLAUDET AND CLERC. .199 chosen to present most valuable and valued gifts, both to Mr. Gallaudet and myself, in memory of our having been the first to teach the deaf and dumb in America, and as a testimony of your gratitude for the instruction you have received. I thank you for my part of this beautiful present : I accept it, not that I think it due from you to me ; but on account of the pleasure it affords me to see that our exertions to render you better, have not been made in vain. In fact, what were you before your instruction ? Without communication with other men, and consequently without any means of learning from them any thing purely intellectual, never would you have been what you are now ; nor would the existence of God, the spirituahty of your souls, the certainty of another life, have been made known to you. The religion of Christ would have been for you a material religion, a religion of sense and not of faith. You would have been able to say no prayers ; you would have attended church with your friends without deriving any benefit whatever either from prayer-book, or from sermons preached by clergymen. Strangers in mind and in heart to all the doctrines, to all the mysteries, to all the precepts of the gospel, you would have passed your whole Kves in a kind of excommu- nication like that of the reprobate, shutting your eyes upon the continual miracles of divine mercy, and opening them only on justice. Your unfortu- nate parents, deprived of the advantage of implanting in your solils what in- struction has inculcated on yoiir minds, would have lamented your birth. But instead of this, what a happy fate you have in exchange ! And to whom are you indebted for it ? Never, my dear friends, could we have thought of the deplorable destiny to which the misfortune of your deafness had con- demned you, on your coming forth into being, without coming to join our- selves to those, who, in 1815, laid the foundation of the first school for the deaf and dumb in this country. And who were those benevolent persons who first thought of you ? They were the citizens of Hartford in general, and the directors in particular, who were like fathers of yours. Therefore, to them all, under God, is your gratitude due, and great indeed it must be. Most of the directors whom you have knowi;, alas ! are gone. The few who still remain, and the new ones who have been chosen to replace the departed, are still your friends and the friends of all the other deaf and dumb who are now with us, and who are to come hereafter. Some, if not all of those noble directors, are, I believe, among us in this church. If you please, we will rise and bow to them as a feeble mark of our gratitude toward them. Again, let us rise and bow to these ladies and gentlemen who, also, have been your earliest or latest friends. Your gratitude is not the less due to the governors and legislatures of New England, who have supported, and still support you at the Asylum. If there be any of these benevolent individuals here present, and if I could point them out to you, I would also request you to rise and bow to them ; but not being able to do so, let us give them three cheers by clapping our hands three times. yOO TESTIMONIAL TO ^lESSRS. GALLAUDET AND CLERC. You have also another debt to pay: I mean that which you owe to certain citizens of the states . of Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jer- sey and Pennsylvania, who, also, in the autumn of 1816, gave us handsome donations for'your benefit. We have not yet done: there is still another debt due, — it is that which you owe to the general govej'nment of the United States, for the grant of land it made us in 1819, '20, the proceeds of the sale of which enabled our land directors to purchase the lot and erect the build- ings where the American Asylum is now in operation. Three more cheers by three more claps of your hands, therefore. I shall not speak of the gratitude you also owe your teachers, guardians and matrons ; for I doubt not that you have already expressed it, either on leaving the Asylum or on seeing, them again at a subsequent period. I presume my dear friends, you would hke to know how many deaf and dumb persons we have taught since the school commenced in the spring of 1817. "^'^ell, I will tell you. On examining our records a few days ago, I found the number to amount to 1,066, (one thousand and sixty-six,) including those who are present at the institution, viz., 605 boys and 461 girls. The number is rather small in comparison with the number of the deaf and dumb in New England; but we have done as weU as our means would allow. It is, however, gratifying to know that much has also been done elsewhere ; for besides our own, there are now nine or. ten other schools for these unfortu- nate beings in the United States, most of whose teachers have been qualified by us, and of course, employ the same method of teaching and system of signs ; so that wherever you may chance to go, and whomsoever you may happen to meet, you will not be strangers to each other. How many of your fellow-pupils have died since you departed, I cannot say exactly : I hope, nevertheless, the number is not greart. As far as I have been able to ascertain, upward of one hundred have married, the gi'eatest part among themselves, and the remainder have wives or husbands who can hear and speak. Thanks be to God, with a few ex- ceptions, they all are blessed with children enjoying all their faculties, which will be a great consolation to them in their old age. The fact that a few of them have deaf and dumb children like themselves, must not be wondered at : we are not more privileged than other men ; for we also are condemned to undergo some of the chastisements which , divine providence sees fit to inflict on us poor sinners. You, young men, are all above twenty-one years old. You are freemen. You vote, and I know that many of you feel interested in political matters, and belong to one or the other of the two great parties which unfortunately divide our fellow-citizens. I do not pretend to dictate to you on this subject, as I am persuaded that you act according to the dictates of your conscience and best judgment ; allow me, however, to recommend to you to vote only for good men, for honest men, for men who love their country, their whole country. But let me return to you, my dear friends, and repeat that I am very TBSTIMOiNiAL^ TO MESSRS. GALLAUDET AND CLERC. SOU, happy to see you pace more". YS)» are gplng to return to your homes soon.; My best wishes for your health and- temporal eoraforts acoempany you, and; my prayer is that when we must leave this world, we may all be ushered into another where our ears shall be' unstopped and our mouths opened— where our happiness shall have no alloy, shall fear no change and know no end. Your old teacher and friend, Laukent Clerc; A prayer in the language of signs was then offered by the chaplain of the day, Mr. Job Tukner, of Virginia ; and with this, the public exercises were concluded. At an early hour in the evening, the deaf and dumb asspmbled at the Asylum, to spend a short time in social intercourse, and to partake of the rich and plentiful entertainment provided for them by the officers of the in- stitution. They were met by the difectote and instructors, with their famiT lies, together with a few invited guests, among whom, apparently not the least interested of the party, was the governor of the state. More would, have been added to the number, had not the capacity of the buildings prer- vented any additional exercise of hospitality. A more happy assemblage it was never our good fortune to behold. Frir- mer friends and fellow-pupils met again, sifter years of separation, with coun- tenances, in many cases, so changed as to be bc^ely recognizable, to recall' 'old times' and ;o!d scenes; to exchange fragments of personal history ; and!) to brighten anewthe chain of friendship and gratitude that bound them toi- one another, and to the institution in which theirtrue life begam And it was most pleasant to see the joy that beamed from all their faces, and gawe-' new' vigor and animation to their expressive language of signs. On Friday morning, at nine o'clock, the graduates of the Asylum assem- bled once more in the chapel, for a final interview. Various addresses were' made, sentiments offered, and resolutions passed ; all of them appropriate to« the occasion, and some of them well worthy of reproduction in this place.. The three following sentiments, personal to the gentlenaen whom the dbaf ' and dumb tad met to honor, were presented m writing by a former pupil' of the Asylum. Mr. Gallaudet. While we revere him as a father, may we accord toi . hira that homage which he so richly merits for his parental zeal and kindness,, made manifest through a series of years in the deaf and dumb Asylum;: andJ for his anxious solicitude for those who see, yet "hear not." Mr. Clekc. May we cherish with profound regard the scholar andl phi- lanthropist, by whose lucid and comprehensive mind the deaf and dumb; are- illuminated, enlightened, and taugbt to reflect and communicate intelligently: on the works of nature and of nature's God. Messrs. Gallaudet and Clerc. Having jointly toiled in imparting, to> the deaf an.d dumb, their relative duties . to society and to man, and theiivr 16 202 TESTIMONIAL TO MESSRS. GALLAUDET AND CLERC. greater obligation to God ; may these our benefactors, when called hence, enter the abodes of bliss, where all can unite in " everlasting praise." The following resolutions of thanks to various individuals were next adopted. Resolved, That the thanks of this convention be, and hereby are, tendered to Messrs. Brown, Homer and Marsh, for their unremitting exertions as a com- mittee to obtain subscriptions ; "and for the alacrity, courtesy and ability with which they have, in their several states, discharged the dutfes pertaining to their commission. Resolved, That the heartfelt thanks of this convention be presented to Fisher A. Spofford, for the able address which he has delivered to us. Resolved^ That the officers and faculty of the Asylum be respectfully request- ed to accept our best regards and thanks, for their kind and hospitable enter- tainment of us during the ceremony, as a token of grateful expression to our first benefactors. Resolved, That Mr. Baldwin, the steward, and Mrs. White, the matron, be requested to accept our warmest acknowledgments, for their kind attention during our stay in the Asylum. Probably no resolutions of a similar character, with less of form and more of genuine feeling in them, were ever adopted. On Saturday morning, most of our deaf and dumb friends, although with great apparent reluctance, were obliged to leave the Asylum, to separate from •each other and to return to their respective homes. A few of them, however, remained over the Sabbath, to attend the religious services which are always held on that day in the chapel of the institution ; a privilege which seemed to afford them the highest pleasure. Indeed, we have often remarked that among all the advantages which the deaf and dumb enjoy at our institutions for their benefit, there is not one, the loss of which most of them regret so much in after life, as the worship and religious instruction of the Sabbath, in their own language of signs. They seem to feel themselves more isolated from society on that day, than on any other of the week; and while they are obliged to suspend their daily business, with no resource but reading, which to most laboring persons, whether deaf and dumb or otherwise, is rather a task, than an enjoyment, it is not strange that the hours should hang very heavily upon their hands. It appears to us that more effectual measures should be taken, in every place where even a few educated deaf and dumb persons are living in convenient neighborhood with each other, to secure at least one meeting of a religious character on every Sabbath-day. It is a fact of sufficient interest to be noted here, that this gathering of deaf and dumb persons was probably the greatest, in point of numbers, that ever took place any where in the world. So many deaf mutes were never before assembled at one time and in one town, as in Hartford, on the twenty- sixth day of September, 1850. More than two hundred graduates of the Asylum were on the ground ; and these, added to the two hundred pupils now PUBLIC APPRECIATION OP MR. GALLAUDET's SERVICES 203 connected with the institution, give a sum total of oyer four hundred of the deaf and dumb, simultaneously assembled beneath one roof. So far as our infor- mation extends, there is no parallel case in the whole history of this class of persons. We cannot refrain, also, from expressing our great satisfaction at the gen- eral appearance of intelligence and respectability which they presented. There was every evidence among them of industrious habits and comfortable circumstances in respect to worldly condition ; and if any observer had been previously inclined to suspect that the benefits of education to this class of unfortunates were sometimes overrated, he could not have failed of receiving the refutation of his error. To their old instructors, the whole spectacle was of the most gratifying character. They* remembered the time when these now educated and intelli- gent men and women first came to them, to receive instruction. They recalled the look of blank ignorance and apparent imbecility which their countenances then wore ; their slow and feeble progress in the simplest ele- ments of human knowledge; the constant and monotonous labor of months and years, in the attempt to dispel the darkness which enveloped them, and to open their minds to truth and their hearts to feeling: and now the bread cast upon the waters was found again ; the seed sown in a rugged soil, had sprung up and was bearing its hundred fold. No price is too great to pay for such results as these ; neither is there any place for discouragement in any labors of benevolence, when time shows that such great and happy changes can be accomplished. [In this connection the following incidents and correspondence may be in- troduced from the Proceedings of the Second Convention of the American Instructors of the Deaf and Dumb, held at the American Asylum, August 27, 28 and 29, 1851. At the close of a paper read before the convention by W. W. Turner, on the establishment of a High School for the Deaf and Dumb, the following mention of Mr. Gallaudet was introduced, which was received with evidence of deep feeling by the convention.] " Who will undertake this enterprise ? This is a difficult question and one which we are not prepared to answer. If the educated deaf mutes of our country were called upon to make the selection, their eyes would turn to him whom they have been accustomed to regard in a peculiar sense as their father and the founder of institutions for their benefit in this country. In confirmation of their choice our eyes turn involuntarily to the chair which he should have occupied on this occasion. To this election of grateful hearts there comes back no response. Our father, our teacher, our guide, lies low and helpless upon the bed of sickness, it may be upon the bed of death. If 2P4 PUBLIC APPKECJIATJON OE IVfB, GALLAUDEt's SEKYICES. lii? work is 49''^? it lias b^en -v^ell ^PJ^^ii ^^ tl^e name pf Gallaudet will stand conspicuoi^s and l^iglj upo^ the ro]l of fame among the names of those yho hayp been public benefactors and friends of suffering humanity." On the following day, Rev. Thomas Gallatjdet, of the N^w York Institution, with the nnanimovi? leave of the convention, read the following letter fi;om his fethpr, addressed to the members of the coavention, as follows,:- — Hartford, August 28, 1851. To the president, officers and members of the convention of those interested in the cause of instruction of deaf mutes, now in session in this city: Gentlemen :: — With deep regret I pejceive that the state of my health is such as to prevent my enjoying the pleasures and the privileges of participat- ing if'iih you in the objects of the convention. Look to God for his wisdom and grace, and may it be richly imparted to you. Accept the assurances of my personal regard and best wishes for your success in your various oper- ations. Yours, sincerely, T. H. GALLAUDET. The above communication was ■wjritten at the dictation of my father, by myself. ' THOMAS GALLAUDET. The letter of Mr. Gallaudet was ordered to be entered in full upon the minutes, and a committee consisting of Mr. Weld, principal of the Asylum, and Mr. Cahey, of the Ohio Institution, was subsequently appointed to pre- pare an answer to the note of Mr. Gallaudet, and submit the same to the approval of the convention. This committee reported the following letter. To the Rev. Thomas H. Gallaudet, LL. D., Reverend and Dear Sib : — The convention of teachers and other friends of the deaf and dumb, now assembled at the American Asylum, have heard with the deepest regret of that protracted and severe indisposition un- der which you are labormg ; and by which they are deprived of your presence, your counsel and co-operation, in the business of their meeting. The teachers of the deaf and dumb throughout our land regard you, hoa- ored sir, as the father of the cause to which they are devoted, and those of us who were induced to engage in this good cause through your personal agency, who received an initiation into, the art of deaf-mute instruction im- mediately from yourself, or under your direction, feel that we have a peculiar claim to regard you in the light of a parent and to offer you the affection iity homage of sons. While as mdividuals and as a convention, we all sympatliize with you and your inmiediate family in your present afflictions, and earnestly desire their removal, and that your life, health and usefulness may be greatly prolonged, we would also render our devout thanks to Almighty God, that he has made you an instrument of so much good, ^specially to the deaf and dumb, and PUBLIC APPRECIATION OF MR. GALLAUDET's SERVICES. 205 other subjects of peculiar misfortune ; so that multitudes will have occasion in all future time to rise up and call you blessed. We thank you for the kind wishes expressed in your note of yesterday, and assure you of our earnest desire to promote in every way in our power the best interests of that department of education and philanthropy to which our respective institutions and ourselves individually are devoted. With sentiments of affectionate regard as well as of the highest respect, we are, dear sir, ever youi's. In behalf of tie convention, ' LKWIS WELD, 1 „ .„ J. ADDISON CAKEY, \ ^'""'»^'««- Oh receiving intelligence bf his death, resolutions eipressjve of the Ibsb sustained by the cause of Christian benevolence, and of condolence with the family, were passed by the directors bf the Aitie'ricati Asylum, the mariagera of the Connecticut Retreat, the trustees of the State Normal School, the Gallaudet Society, composed of pupils bf the State Normal School, tie New York Historical Sbciety, and flie directors of the New York Institutibn fbr the Deaf and Duirib. It was the intention of many citizens of Hartford, who felt a deep interest in the original movement to pay a suitable tribute of respect and appreciation to the life and services of Mr. Gallaudet, to erect by general subscription: an enduring monument, or statue in the grounds of the Asylum, simiilar in some respects to that erected to the Abbe' lie le Epe e, at Versailles, or that which has been proposed to Heinicke, in Hamburgh But intimations hav- ing been received from deaf mutes in various sections ,of the country, that those who have been most benefited by his benevolent labors, were already moving in the same direclaon, it was thought best to leave this matter in their hands. DISCOURSE DELIVERED AT THE DEDICATION OF THE CHAPEl. OF THE CONNECTICUT KETRBAT FOR THE INSANE, JANUARY 28TH, 1846. BY REV. THOMAS H. OALLAUDET, CHAPLAIN. As scripturar authority for the leading sentiment of my discourse, I have chosen that portion of the divine word which you will find recorded in the gospel of St. Mark, the 4th chapter, and 28th verse ; — "first the blade, then the ear, after that the full com in the ear." Every where the law of growth is manifest. The majestic oak is evolved from the minute acorn. The mightiest intellect was once an infant in the cradle. Rome, in its proudest day of power and splendor, is to be traced back to a small band of struggling adventurers on the banks of the Tiber. The Christian religion, now wide-spread throughout the earth, was first propo- gated by a few obscure and illiterate Judeans. Man is prone to be restless under this law of growth. It works too slowly for him. He would hurry on the tardy wheels of Providence, and, if possi- ble, of time, to consummate his projects in a day. He strains his eye, that he may anticipate the future. He stretches his arms too far and too fast, that he may grasp, at once, the object of his wishes ; and prematurity is but the precursor of disappointment. The most successful enterprises, great in their design, extensive in their scope, and permanent in their influence, are those which have sprung from comparatively small beginnings, expanding as an accumulating experience has imparted to them wisdom and strength. The history of benevolent institutions bears singular testimony to these truths ; as if God would thus teach those who project them to feel their de- pendence on his aid, to look to him for guidance, and to move forward as his providence points out, and opens the way. Happy are they if they follow these instructive lessons. Let it not, then, be to us a source of regret, or of discouragement, that such has been the history of that institution within whose walls we are now assem- bled ; that there has been, " first, the blade, then the ear, and after that, the full corn in the ear." Let all who are interested in its welfare, regard its unostentatious infancy and its gradual growth, as the surest providential indi- cations of its increasing and abiding vigor. It has worked its way into public favor, not to lose it. It has proved its usefulness by a series of inestimable blessings conferred, through its instrumentality, upon the numerous objects of its care. It has gained the confidence of an intelligent Christian community, DEDICATION OF CHAPEL FOR THE INSANE. 207 by those progressive tokens of the divine favor which have shown, year after year, that it has been under an Almighty guardianship. Had I time to go into details, I am sure that the history of the Ketreat, in these respects, would fully establish the truth of what I have said. But I can only glance at the most striking facts, (unknown perhaps to many of you,) which mark its origin and earlier progress. With its later history not a few of my audience are so familiar, that it is the less necessary for me to re- hearse it. Our medical brethren, who are always ready for such labors of beneficence, are entitled to the praise of first moving in this philanthropic enterprise. The subject came before them at the session of the Medical Society, in October, 1812. A committee was appointed, and inquiries were made, principally of the clergymen in the different towns, with regard to the number of insane persons in the state. But few returns were rendered, and these imperfect ones. In April, 1821, at the county meeting of the Medical Society in Hartford, the subject was again considered, and the fellows of the Society from the county, were instructed to bring it before the Medical Convention, at their session the following May. This was done. A committee of three was appointed, and reported a plan of operation. This plan was adopted promptly and unanimously. In pursuance of it, a committee of five was chosen, — Doctors Eli Todd, Thomas Miner, William TuUey, Samuel B. Woodward, and George Sumner, to prosecute the necessary inquiries, to de- vise ways and means for raising funds, and to propose a constitution for the regulation and government of the institution. The labors of this committee were arduous, and their exertions indefatigable. Besides the individual at- tention which the members of it expended, they met monthly for combined counsel and fiction. They spared neither time nor effort ; — and one of them is still among us, to have his heart gladdened this day, by witnessing the rich results of th&se labors ; to see and admire the wide-stretching oak which a fostering providence has been maturing from the acorn, which he assisted in planting, while beneath its refreshing shade hundreds and hundreds of those whose deplorable condition he and his associates then so deeply commiser- ated, have been, and are still enjoying the shelter and the solace, the sympa- thy and the relief, which it kindly affords. This committee of fivp presented their report at the adjourned session of the convention, in October of the same year, 1821. Their report was ac- cepted, the proposed constitution adopted, and an appointment made of a conunittee of correspondence, consisting of seven members, Doctors Eli Todd, Eli Ives, Thomas Miner, WilUam TuUey, Jonathan Knight, Samuel B. Wood- ward, and George Sumner, together with county committees, of three for each county, to co-operate with them, in order to devise the means of procuring funds, to petition the General Assembly for a charter, and, if deemed expe- dient, to ask a grant of money from the treasury of the state. This convention, also, and I wish to direct your particular attention to the act, appropriated two hundred dollars of their funds, to assist the committee 308 DEMOATION OP CHAPEL FOR THE INSANE. in proseGuting' their labors. Tliiswas the first p in addition to those numerous advantages in a MR. GALLAUDET, ON TEACHERS' SEMINARIES. 219 social, political, and religious point of view, that would result from it, and which are, if I mistake not, so great, that if they could not be attained in any other way, a pecuniary sacrifice ought not for a moment to stand in com- petition with them. _ . , . , t l ■ i My reasoning is founded on two positions which, I think, can not be con- troverted ; — that the present modes of instructing youth are susceptible of vast improvement ; and that if these improvements could be carried into operation, by having a more effectual system of education adopted, and by training up instructors of superior attainments and skill, there would be a great saving, both of time and labor, and of all the contingent expenses necessary to be incurred. Suppose, for the sake of argument, though I believe it falls short of the truth, that eight years of pretty constant attendance at school, counting from the time that a child begins to learn his letters, is necessary to give him what is called a good English education. I do not fear to hazard the assertion, that under an approved system of education, with suitable books prepared for the purpose, and conducted by more intelligent and experienced instructors, as much would be acquired in five years, by our children and youth, as is now acquired in eight. Now with regard to those parents who calculate on receiving benefit from the labor of their children, it will easily be seen that, by gaining three years out of eight in the course of their education, there will be an immense saving to the state. This saving alone would, I apprehend, if youth were usefully employed, more than defray the additional wages which would have to be given to instructors of skill and experience, and who should devote themselves to their employment as a profession for life. But if even the advantage to be derived from the labor of children is not taken into the account, it is evi- dent that, for having the same object accomplished in five years that now consumes eight, you could at least afford to pay as much for five years of instruction as you now pay for eight. In addition to this, as it is the custom in many of our country towns for the instructor to board in the families of those who send children to school, there would be a saving also in this respect. There would be a saving, too,Vith regard to all the contingent expenses of the school, such as books, stationery, wood, &c. In a community constituted like that of New England, where so great a proportion of its population is devoted to agricultural and mechanical pursuits, any system of education which could save the public three years out of eight of the time and labor of all its children and youth, would, it is manifest, add an immense sum to the pecuniary resources of the country, and recommend itself to every patriot and philanthropist, even on the most rigid principles of a calculating economy. Besides, the grand objects of education — to prepare the rising generation for usefulness and respectability in life, and to train them up for a better and happier state of existence beyond the graven — would not only be accomplished in a shorter space of time, but they would be much more effectually accom- plished. At present, with all the time, and labor, and expense bestowed upon it, the work is only half done ; and the effects of our imperfect modes of instruction are to render youth far less competent to succeed in any pursuits in which they may engage, than if their education was conducted by intelli- gent instructors, on a well-digested plan, and made as thorough and complete as it might be. How often has the individual of native vigor of intellect and force of enter- prise to lament, through a long life of unremitted effort, his many disap- pointments in the prosecution of his plans of business, arising altogether from the defects of his early education ! And if this early education were prop- erly conducted, what an accession it would yield to the resources of the community, in the superior ingenuity and skill of our artists ; in the more accurate and systematic transactions of our merchants ; in the profoUnder studies and more successful labors of our professional men ; in the wider experience and deeper sagacity of our statesmen and politicians ; in the higher attainments and loftier productions of our sons of literature and sci- 220 MJl- GALLAUDET, ON TEACHERS' SEMINARIES. ence ; and, permit me to add, in the nobler patriotism, the purer morals, and the more ardent piety of the whole mass of our citizens. I know it is no easy^task to convince some minds that all these advantages yield just so many dollars and cents to the private purse, or to the public treasury. But my appeal is to those who take a more comprehensive view of what constitutes the real wealth of any community, and who estimate objects not by what they will to-day fetch in the market, if exposed to sale, but by their effects upon the permanent well-being and prosperity of the state. With such I leave the candid consideration of the remarks which I have offered in this and the preceding Essays ; in the mean while, cherishing the hope, that that Being who is now most wonderfully adjusting the various enterprises of benevolence, that distinguish the age in which we live from all others which have preceded it, to the consummation of His gracious designs for the universal happiness of man, on the principles which the gospel of Jesus Christ inculcates, and which it alone can produce, will, sooner or later, and in some way or other, rouse the attention, and direct the efforts of the Christian world to that department of philanthropic exertion, the neglect of which must retard, if not quite counteract, complete success in all others, — the education of youth." After the lapse of a quarter of a century, the author of the above remarks had the satisfaction of being present on the 15th of May, 1850, at New Britain, and of taking part in exercises appropriate to the open- ing of the " Normal School, or Seminary for the training of teachers in the art of instructing and governing the common schools of this state." The members of the school, during the first term, formed an Association for mutual improvement, to which they have given the name of the " Gallaudet Society," as an evidence of their appreciation of his early and long-continued labors to bring about the establishment of a Normal School in Connecticut. , The following Catalogue of all the Pupils of the American Asylum from its opening on the 15th of April, 1817, to the 1st of May, 1851, was pre- pared by Prof-0. D. Cooke, and revised by Mr. Weld and Prof Turner. 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C *-' en z ■ ■ - o> ;s- r o 3 c "^ ^ i £-■§ i s-,- " en -T ^ - en CD ^ '^ >- ^' ; a ■S^ a S 3.0 1 o S-,o -3 3 .3 ?; :5 2^ &5'B 5 ftd'-S'S 3cD23s.3rfc3^n=aj— .!-i) - 3 s - ^i- 1- a, ^^^^^ 2 t3 5 ^ oj 1-^ 3 2-|J-= - 3 = . . , p ■- CD "3 -a T3 "3 '^^U^^ - -3 £ b ■^' a S O K, O O B 3 _o; H A ^ — O o o 'm *^ 'm '*H 'iH 'S >» S 5 5 LIST OP PUPILS OF THE AMERICAN ASYLUM. 251 Classification in respect to residence. In the preceding list, the residence of each of the pupils of the Asylum is ^ven. It may sometimes be desirable to know how many each state has furnished. This information may be obtained from the following table : — From Maine, 135 New Hampshire, 134 Vermont, 139 Massachusetts, 336 Rhode Island, 25 Connecticut, , .171 New York, • . 23 New Jersey, 1 Pennsylvania, 4 Maryland, 4 District of Columbia, 3 Virginia, 8 North Carolina, 4 South Carolina, 18 Georgia, 26 Louisiana, 1 Ohio, 4 British Provinces, 18 West Indies, 2 Illinois, 1 Alabama, 1 Wisconsin, 1 Texas, 1 1,060 For a time, this was the only school for deaf mutes in the country. After the question whether such persons could be furnished with a knowledge of written language, was satisfactorily settled, and the value of the system be- came apparent, similar institutions were put in operation in the middle, southern and western states, which now receive and educate the deaf mutes within their limits : leaving us a narrower field of usefulness, and sufficiently accounting for the fact that comparatively few of our recent pupils are from the more distant states. Classification in respect to means of support. Supported by Maine, ... . . . .124 New Hampshire, 123 Vermont, 133 Massachusetts, 316 Connecticut, 132 Rhode Island, 10 South Carolina, 17 252 LIST OF PUPILS OF THE AMERICAN ASYLUM. Supported by Georgia, United States Government, The Asylum, Friends, .... Themselves, 19 1 2 178 5 The necessity of legislative assistance in extending the benefits of the Asy- lum to the deaf and dumb generally, very early prompted the directors and friends of the institution to eflbrts in order to secure so important a co-opera- tion. In this benevolent enterprise, the legislature of Massachusetts took the lead, and has uniformly manifested a liberaUty and perseverance worthy of all praise. In 1819, provision was made for the support of twenty pupils, which was from time to' time increased, until sufficient for the education of all the indigent deaf mutes within that state. It should be mentioned, however, in this connection, that the legislature of Connecticut, in 1816, made a grant of five thousand dollars, to the funds of the Asylum, which was some years afterward appropriated to the education of pupils from this state. The example of Massachusetts was followed in 1822, by New Hampshire; in 1826, by Maine and Vermont; in 1828, by Connecticut ; and in 1845, by Rhode Island. These states have continued their appropriations, and with increasing liberality, to the present time. As there vfas no similar institution in the southern states, the directors, anxious to extend the benefits of this system of instruction as widely as pos- sible, sent the principal of the Asylum, in 1834, with three pupils, to South Carolina and Georgia ; in the hope that he might be able to awaken such an interest on the subject in the legislatures of those states, as would lead to a permanent provision ibr the instruction of their own deaf mutes. This effort resulted in legislative appropriations nearly or quite sufficient for the pur- pose, to be expended at this institution. And although a few have been re- ceived from each of those states, yet ovnng to the apathy of parents, and their unwilHngness to send their children so far from home for so long a time, the expected advantages of this measure have not been fully realized. Each of these states has now a school for the deaf and dumb within its own limits. Classification in respect to age, when admitted. 7 yrs 8 it 9 a 10 (C 11 a 12 11 13 (( 14 a 15 a 16 a 17 li No. of Pupils. . . 4 31 52 75 76 125 86 102 94 70 56 Age. 18 yrs. 19 " 20 " 21 " 22 " 23 " 24 " 25 " 26 " 27 " 28 " No. of Pupils , 44 . 39 . 24 , 38 . 31 . 22 , 23 , 19 7 . 13 7 Age. No. of Pupil 29 yrs. . . 5 30 " . . 4 31 " . . 3 33 " . . 3 34 " 2 37 " . . 2 38 " 40 " 48 " 50 " 51 « . • • 1 LIST OF PUPILS OF THE AMERICAN ASYLUM. 253 The present pupils of the Asylum are comparatively younger than the former pupils. At the opening of the Asylum, there were many deaf and dumb persons of mature age anxious to avail themselves of the opportunity, for the first time offered them, of obtaining an education. At first, the bene- ficiaries of some of the states were required to be at least fourteen years of age when admitted. These causes, for a while, filled our classes with older pupils than could have been desired; although by the rules of the institution, only those under ten years of age were excluded. At present, the lower limit is fixed at eight years, which by many judicious teachers, is regarded as too young. Classification in respect to time under instruction. Time. No. of Pupils. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 H year and under. 75 91 107 280 243 128 36 10 2 1 The average time of instruction of all who have left the Asylum is about four years. This is quite too short a period for the purpose of acquiring a common educution; — such an education as will fit deaf mutes to read books easily, and to manage successfully the details of ordinary busi- ness. The patrons and friends of our pupils, as they have become better ac- quainted with the difiioulties to be encountered, and more interested in the subject of deaf and dumb education, have manifested a willingness to extend, in compliance with the earnest wishes of the officers of the Asylum, the time of their pupilage; so that five, years may now be regarded as the average term of instruction. It is hoped that the time is not' distant when the oppor- tunity of remaining at least seven years, shall be afibrded to all. Classification in respect to causes of deafness. Deafness congenital, 537 Caused by fever, .... . 32 (( spotted fever, . 48 " scarlet fever, . 91 (t typhus fever, 15 t( lung fever, 3 '( yellow fever, 1 (1 measles, .... . 16 u small pox, 2 (; whooping cough, . 14 254 LIST OF PUPILS OF THE AMERICAN ASYLUM. Caused by croup, 1 " inflammation in the head, . . • .31 " ulcers, " " . . . . 55 " dropsy, " " ... 13 " palsy, 2 " fits, ....... 6 " scrofula, 4 " erysipelas, 1 " mumps, ...... 1 " rickets, ...... 1 " accidents, 22 " disease not specified, . . . . 108 " unknown, ...... 56 The cause of deafness has always been a subject of much interest to those engaged in the care and instruction of deaf mutes. It has, in this institution, been made a matter of distinct inquiry in every case ; but owing to the negligence of. friends in some oases, and their ignorance in others, we have been unable to ascertain the cause in fifty-six instances. We cannot speak with entire certainty in regard to all the causes assigned, or supposed to be known. It not unfrequently happens that the parents themselves are entirely unconscious of the misfortune of their deaf children, until they arrive at the age of two or three years ; and are then led to suspect that they may be deaf by their not learning to speak. Having ascertained the fact of their deafness, they then inquire as to the cause, and in many cases form their conclusions upon very slight grounds. If there had been sickness in infancy, that is often regarded as the cause, whatever its nature may have been, or however unhkely to produce such a result. In some cases, where there had been local inflammation, without severe sickness, and even ulceration in the ears, parents decide that the deafness is congenital ; not supposing that local disease of so mild a character could produce such an effect. It has been our aim carefully to examine the evidence in these doubtful cases, and come to such conclusions as the facts would warrant. The result of our investigations is contained in the foregoing table. From this 'it appears that in a little more than half of the ascertained cases, deafness was congenital. We are aware that doubts have been expressed by medical and scientific men, -yhether deaf- ness is eyer in any case congenital. But these doubts are strengthened neither by analogy nor facts. Children, in many instances, are born blind, and no reason can be assigned why the eye should be diseased anterior to birth, or subject to malformation, rather than the ear. Besides, examinations' made after death, both in this country and in Europe, have furnished clear evidence on the one hand of such deviation from the normal structure, as to render hearing impossible ; and on the other, ^f such apparent perfection of all the parts of the ear, as not to be distinguished from others capable of per- forming their appropriate functions. The diseases assigned in the table, as causes of deafness, although difiering in many respects from one another, probably occasion this calamity in one LIST OF PUPILS OF THE AMERICAN ASYLUM. 255 uniform way ; that is, by inflammation. Some of them produce this effect in the fauces or throat, followed by ulcers, in the healing of which, the eusta- chian tubes are closed, and deafness ensues. Others produce inflammation in the internal cavities of the ear, which destroys the organs of hearing, by suppuration ; or in that part of the brain with which the auditory nerves are connected, incapacitating it for receiving impressions from sounds in the usual way. Most of the one hundred and eight who are said to have lost their hearing by disease not specified, might have been distributed under some of the other heads ; but their friends could give no other information respecting the cause than that assigned. Next to this, the most common causes of deafness are spotted fever and scarlet fever. The former of these diseases, however, has nearly ceased to be a cause. Classification in respect to the age at which hearing was lost. Age. Under 1 year, Between 1 and 2 years, " 2 and 3 3 and 4 and 5 and 6 and 7 and 8 and « 9 and 10 Age unknown. Most of the pupils who lost their hearing before five years of age, had lost nearly or quite all knowledge of articulation before coming to the Asylum, even when pains had been taken, on the part of friends, to preserve it. Many of those who could articulate to some extent, were very unwilling to practice it ; preferring the language of signs, although imperfectly understood by others, as a medium of communication. In these cases, it has been our aim not only to secure to them what knowledge of articulation they brought with them, but to perfect and extend it as far as possible, without interfering with our more appropriate work of intellectual and moral education. Classification in respect to deaf and dumb relatives. Families in each of which there is but 1 child deaf and dumb, 2 children, " 738 102 39 13 7 2 2 256 LIST OP PUPILS OF THE AMERICAN ASYLUM. Instances of deaf and dumb children in the foregoing list Different families. With one deaf and dumb parent, 4 " both parents deaf and dumb, ...... 2 " a deaf and dumb parent and grandparent, .... 3 " an uncle or aunt deaf and dumb, 14 " one or more deaf and diimb cousins, 23 " relatives more remote than cousin, ..... 26 " one great grandparent, 1 Two married couples have each one deaf and dumb child. Three married couples have three deaf and dumb children. One man, -with a hearing wife, has three deaf and dumb children. The number of those who have been pupils of the Asylum, now known to us as married, is 252. Of these, 61 have partners who can hear and speak ; while the remaining 96 have married among themselves, or other deaf mutes. The question is otlen asked, whether we believe deafness to be hereditary. The facts which we have collected and embodied in this report, lead to the opinion that it is hereditary in the same sense that insanity, soroftila and consumption are hereditary. To use a common expression, it runs in fami- lies ; sometimes affecting all the children, sometimes every other child, and sometimes only those of one sex. In only a few instances have we known it transmitted by parents to their children, and in only three instances, through three successive generations. Of the 144 families formed of our pupils who have married, there are deaf and dumb children in only five of them, while in other famihes of six or eight children each, aU can hear and speak. In conclusion of what we have to say on this head, we would remark, that while it would not be a matter of surprise if persons afflicted with congenital deafness should have deaf and dumb children, still it is far more probable that their children would hear and speak. The number of deaths which have occurred among all those who have been pupils at the Asylum so far as known to us, is 130 ; namely, 63 males and 67 females. Of these, 31 died at the Asylum; namely, 13 males and 18 females. CAUSES OF DEAFNESS. 257 Note. — The following statistics are taken from an article on the EducatiiDa. of the Deaf and Dumb, in the Penny Cyclopedia, by Charles Baker, Supers intendent of the Yorkshire Institution. , " The importance of an inquiry into the causes of deafness, induced the. di- rectors of the institution at Paris to issue circular letters, containing a series of questions, as follows, addressed to the parents of their pupils. 1. Was the child born deaf, or has he become So since his birth .' 2. In the first case, what circumstances preceded, accompanied, or followed his birth ? In the second case, at what age Was he found to be deaf? . 3. . Since the time of his birth till that when he lost his hearing, has he suffer- ed under any illness, or met with any accident ? , 4., Is the loss of hefiring to be attributed to this illness, or this accident ? . 5. Independent of deafness, has he any other infirmity ? 6. In this case, was this infirmity anterior or posterior to the deafness, and for how long ? 7. Had the child spoten before he lost his hearing ? 8. How many children are there in the family, and among them how many deaf mutes? 9. Are the father or mother deaf and dumb, or have they any other disease ? 10.- "What was the age of tiie father and mother at the time of the child's birth ?• 11. What is their occupation ? , . -;■'■,-' 12. Is the residence of the parents in a fiat, mountainous, or marshy coun.- try.?. Is it exposed to humidity, or to any other peculiar atmospheric influence ? . Lastly. The parents or the friends of the child are requested to give all the particulars which it is possible to furnish explanatory of the causes of deafness. " The following is a brief notice of the result of this inquiry. Out of 102 children whose parents furnished the required information, 52 were bora deaf, 3 7 became so after birth, and of the remaining 1 3 no positivfe infomiiatioii doidd be obtained. Of the 37 who became deaf after their birth, 7 lost their hearing during the first yeai, 13 in the second; 7 in the third, 1 in the fourth, 5 in the fifth, and 4 in the eighth year of their age. On examining into the causes of the deafness of these chUdien, 8 cases were found to arise fi'om vio^ lent convulsions during the period of dentition or from fright ; in 10, deafiiess supervened upon epidemic fevers-^cerebral, nervous, scarlatina, iiiflanimar tory, putrid, or catarrhal; 2 cases followed nieasles, 6 arose from verminous dis&ise, 1 from a deposit of matter under the ear, 1 from a violent sore fliroat, 1 from a fall, 1 from a cold, and 1 from ophthalmia caused by a scrofix- lous habit ;' 7 cases of deafiiess were attributed to virtJent diseases, of which the parents could not explain the nature; lastly', four childreto who were'not bom deaf lost their hearing without it being possible to refer the loss to any illness of a serious nature. Of these 102 deaf mutes, 21 belong tofainiliesin which there are other children afflicted with the same infirmity; 9 fhiniUeS contain each two deaf and dumb children among two, three, four, five; rii; and eight; 7 families have each three deaf mutes, ouf of three, four, s«ven, 22 258 CAUSES OF DEAFNESS. eight, and twenty-six children ; 3 families contain each four, out of four, sev- en and ten children ; 1 family has five deaf and dumb children out of eight, and there is 1 family which out of ten children contains seven deaf mutes : with the exception of one brother and one sister who lost their hearing after birth, all these children, belonging to families where there are several deaf mutes, are afflicted with congenital deafness. " Many cases of deafness are attended by circumstances which deserve to be especially recorded. One deaf mute from birth had a maternal great-grand- mother who was afflicted with the same malady ; another child, who lost its hearing at the age of four years, is the issue of a father who was also affected with deafness at the age of seven years, and there are several other parents who have labored under the same infirmity. In the family which numbers 7 deaf mutes out of ten children, the father had an aunt who was deaf from birth ; in another family, which contains two deaf mutes, the sister of the father married with the brother of the mother has five male children, of whom three are afflicted with congenital deafness. In one family, the father has been twice married ; by his first wife he had two children who can hear ; by his second he has one daughter born deaf and dumb. In a second family, the father has also contracted two marriages : he had three deaf and dumb chil- dren by his first wife, and four who hear by his second. In the family which contains 3 deaf mutes out of twenty-six children, the father has been married four times ; his last wife, who is affected with goitre, has had five children, three of whom are deprived of hearing. Lastly, in the family which, out of eight children, numbers five deaf and dumb from birth, all the five were born in a damp house, where the persons who had formerly resided had three chil- dren, two of whom were deaf and dumb. " We are enabled to compare the above results with the results of an in- quiry into a nearly similar number of cases obtained at one of the English in- stitutions, the Yorkshire Institution for the Deaf and Dumb. The details in the latter case are upon 110 pupils, and while they, in many respects, verify and corroborate the evidence already before us, in some important particulars there is considerable variance. It appears that all ordinary means are used to obtain correct statistical data at the Yorkshire Institution, not only on the physical influences which cause deafness, but also on the effects of moral and intellectual culture. A sufficient number of years has not yet elapsed since the institution was established, to enable us to draw any important inferences from the facts hitherto recorded. Prom November, 1829, to August, 1835, 110 pupils were received into the Yorkshire Institution: of this number, 7a were born deaf, 26 became so after birth, and of the remaining 9 no accurate information could be obtained. The statements as to the time at which deaf- ness was first perceived in the 26 above mentioned are very vague, but it is certain that a very large majority became so under the age of three years, and that only one occurred at five years of age. Respecting the diseases on which deafness followed, the information is full and complete, so far as the observa- ticm of parents and the attestation of the medical practitioners of the various CAUSES OF DEAFNESS. 259 families could make it. In 9 cases, the deafness is reported to have arisen from hydrocephalous and other affections of the brain, as inflammation, brain fever, &c. ; in 5 from general fever, scarlet fever, &c. ; in 4 from measles ; in 3 from convulsions and other fits ; in 2 from inflammation of the lungs ; in 1 from eold ; and in 3 cases from diseases which were unknown, or on which the friends of the children had no positive knowledge. Seventy-four of the 110 cases are in families where there are only these single instances of deaf- ness ; the remaining 36 belong to 27 families, and these 27 families contain 68 cases of deaf and dumb offspring. Seventeen of them have each 2 deaf and dumb ; seven have each 3 ; two have each 4 ; and one has 5, making in all 68. Ofthese27famiUes, 1 has 5 d. d. (5) out of 9 children ; 1 (9) 2 have each . 4 (8) 7 (14) 3 3 (9) 7 (21) 3 3 ( 9) 6 (18) 1 has 3 (3) 5 (5) 1 2 (2) 10 (10) 3 have each 2 (6) 8 (24) 1 has 2 (2) 7 (■7) 3 have each 2 ( 6) 6 (18) 2 2 (4) 5 (10) 5 2 (10) 4 (20) 1 has 2 (2) 3 (3) 1 2 (2) 2 (2) 27 68 , 161 This statement presents us with 27 families containing 161 children, of whom 68 were deaf and dumb. It has been mentioned that 26 of the 110 cases now under consideration are the effects of accident or disease ; 24 of these in- stances may be somewhat positively concluded to be in families free from con- genital deafness, from the fact that these are the only instances known in the families. The other case of two children, making the 26, is that of a brother and sister who are said to have become deaf after birth, in each case from in- flammation of the lungs at two and a half years of age : it is proper to remark that in this instance both the father and the mother of the two children died of consumption at an early age, and that both the children are subject to pul- monary complaints and other affections indicative of disease. " Out of the total number of children that have been received into the Yorkshire Institution, 8 were subject to goitre ; 7 to other scorbutic tenden- cies ; 5 to fits ; 2 to partial paralysis ; 2 to consumption, and 8 were of other- wise delicate constitutions: three have died; 1 of inflsunmation of the lungs, 1 of dropsy supervening on scarlatina, and 1 of a very gradual consumption. In five families, idiocy exists ; in several, goitre is found in the parents ; in 19, one or both the parents died early, or before middle age ; in several, deaf- ness exists in collateral bremches of the family ; in one case, where the father is deaf and diuub, he has two children who can hear, and one who is deaf and 260 CAUSES OF DEAFNESS. dumb. In anotherj the family consists of four children, two of whom are deaf and dumb, and twins. The number of families employed in agriculture in the district to which the operations of the institution extend, is 62,377 ; em- ployed in trade and manufactures, 140,856 ; other families, 73,333. Of the 110 pupils, 63 were from mining or manufacturing districts, chiefly from large towns, and 47 were from agricultural districts. Of these 110 pupils, 20 were found to be of decidedly superior intellectual powers; 61 were of ordinary talents ; 19 were inferior in mental endowments, and 10 were very low in in- tellect—compared even with those of the next grade, but not so low as to be considered idiots, for even these were able to connect simple ideas in writing, to comprehend all ordinary subjects connected with their daily exercises and wants, and were capable of moral improvement. In each of these ten in- stances, it is remarkable that causes exist whicl; partly account for this intel- lectual barrenness : in one instance, the child and^both parents are unhealthy ; in another, there exists paralysis of one entire side of the body, and doubtless of one side of the brain, as the child is of a very active temperament ; in the next case, there is a general feebleness of the constitution, (in this case, both the parents are healthy, and a very large family of children are remarkably so ;) in two instances, the children are subject to fits ; in another case, the child is a species of dwarf, being physically and mentally undeveloped, re- markably good-humored, and the moral sense good, considering the unfavor- able circumstances under which the child was brought up ; in the ninth in- stance, the pupil labored under St. Vitus's dance, and scorbutic affections ; and in the tenth, the mother has goitre, the father is dwarfish, and one of the brothers is an idiot. . " Such are some of the results which have been obtained at one institution, and we now submit the form in which the information is recorded- This form embodies particulars which, from the comparatively short existence of the institution, cannot yet be completed, and it is probably capable of im- provements which in due course will present themselves. At the same time it is a document which, as far as it goes, is satisfactory, and which even in its present form may serve as a model till something better is suggested. " The book in which the details are kept. is divided into columns varying in width according to the information to be written in them. The heads are as follows : — ^No. of Case, Name of Child, Description and Circumstances of Parents, Moral and Physical Habits of Parents and Family, Kesidence, Physical Character of the District, No. of Family, No. of Deaf and Dumb, Age of Pupil, When Admitted, Born Deaf or become so, and when. Under what Circumstances became Deaf, If otherwise Diseased and its Nature, No. of Years at School, Intellectual Character, Moral Character, Why left School, Deafness in Family, Cases of Consanguinity existing between Parents before Marriage, Business on leaving School, Additional Remarks. " The only statistical document which the publications of the London Asy- lum for Indigent Deaf and Dumb Children furnish is the following very im- CAUSES OF DEAFNESS. 261 portant one, extracted from their report for June, 1833, by which it is shown that 20 families, containing 159 children, number 90 deaf mutes. XT ^ . ., • .• No of No. of Namei. Parents. Description. Children. D. & D. Mary Martin Father a laborer, 10 7 James Wm. Kelly do. a porter, 8 7 Mary Aldum do. a broadcloth weaver 12 6 William Coleman, ...Mother a widow, 11 5 David Thompson Father a smith 10 5 Jaines Cousens, . k ........ . do. , a brickl's laborer, .8 5 George Franklin, Mother a widow, § .5 Silas Vokins, Father a laborer 7 5 Thomas Barnes, do. a cobbler, 6 ........ d Thomas Pounoeby do. a dyer...... Ii2 4 Henry Tatler, 46. a working jeweler 10. ...... .4 Abr'm Murgatroyd, do. a cloth weaver, 9.. 4 William Baynes do. a school master, 8. ...;.. .4 Mary Lovegrove, do. a laborer, .............. 8 .4 Elizabeth Cherry, do. a watch finisher,. 7 ...4 William Cockton, .;...; ..Mother a widow 6....W...4 Robert Mortime^, Father a cloth weaver, ■ . 7 .3 Francis Hancock,. do. a small farmer, 6 3 Susannah Rye, , ....Mother a widow, 3 all 3 Eliza Fox,... (an orphan) 3..,.. all 3 • ' ' 159 90 " In Be'bian's 'Journal de 1' Instruction des Sourds-Muets,' No. II., p. 11 7, 118, it is remarked that the canton of Yaud, in Switzerland, containing 122 parishes, presents a remarkable phenomenon. In 67 parishes there is not a single deaf mute ; in the other 55, there are 152, which is about one in every hundred of the population. In the district of Moudon there are 43 deaf mutes among 6602 inhabitants ; in Payeme only 25 in 6095 ; in Eaubonne 20 in 9688 ; and in Valle'e, 12 in 3938. The physical causes of this differ- ence are unknown, but of 1,52 deaf mutes 66 were found capable of instruc- tion. Most of the others (70) are also afflicted with cretinism ; age and dis- eases of various kinds unfit the others for instruction. Almost all are the children of poor parents, who could not contribute to the expenses of edu- cation." f LIST OF PUBLICATIONS BT BEV. THOMAS H. GALLAtTDET. Discourses on various points of Christian Faith and Practice ; most of which were delivered in the Chapel of the Oratoire in Paris, in 1816. N. York: 1818. Discourse on the Opening of the American Asylum, in May, 1817. Discourse at the Dedication of the American Asylum, in 1822. Plea in behalf of the Deaf and Dumb, delivered in the principal cities of New England. 1824. Early History of the American Asylum — in a Letter to the Editor of the North American Eeview. 1819. Papers on Deaf-Mute Instruction, published in the Christian Observer, London, for October and December, 1819. Papers " on Oral Language, and the Language of Signs," and " on the Lan- guage of Signs auxiliary to the Christian Missionary." Published in 1826. Annual Reports of the American Asylum, from 1817 to 1830. Recollections of the Deaf and Dumb, — in Annals of Education for 1838. Language of Signs, — in the American Annals of the Deaf and Dumb, Vol. L, Nos. 1 and 2. Remarks on Teachers' Seminaries, — first published in a series of articles in the Connecticut Observer in 1826, — and in the same year, in a pamphlet at Boston. Discourse on Female Education, — pronounced at the Dedication of the Hart- ford Female Seminary, in 1827. Public Schools, Public Blessings, — ^published by the Executive Committee of the New York Public School Society, in 1837. Schoolmasters' Manual, — an American edition of Dunn's Principles of Teaching. Hartford: 1838. An Address in behalf of the Sandwich Island Mission. 1819. An Address at^Jihe Annual Meeting of the Hartford Tract Society. 1820. An Address in behalf of the American Colonization Society. 1829. A Statement with regard to the Moorish Piipil, Abdahl Eahhaman. 1828. Lecture on the Principles of Association in giving dignity to Christian Character. 1833. The Every-Day Christian. Boston, Crocker & Brewster : 1836. The Child's Book on the Soul. 1830. The Child's Book on Repentance. The Child's Book of Bible Stories. Youth's Book on Natural Theology. PUBLICATIONS BY MR. GALLAUDET. 263 Scripture Biography, — published by the American Tract Society, yiz : — Adam to Jacob. 1838. Joseph. 1834. Moses. 2 vols. 1839. Joshua and Judges. Ruth and Samuel. David and Saul. 1843. Solomon. Josiah. Jonah. The Child's Picture Defining and Beading Book. Mother's Primer. The Practical Spelling Book, with Beading Lessons. The School and Family Dictionary and Illustrative Definer. Contributions to American Annals of Education, viz :— Philosophy of Language. 1830. Methods of Teaching to Read. 1830. Remarks on Seminaries for Teachers. 1831. Language of Infancy. 1831. / Family and School Discipline. 1837. do. Its Results on Society. do. Economy of the Family School. do. Its Moral Results. do. Responsibility of Parents and Teachers. do. The Parent, God's Vicegerent. do. The Happy Family, a type of Heaven. Hints to the Instructor. do. How to gain Moral Influence. do. Influence of the Bible on Education. On Attention. 1839. Contributions to Connecticut Common School Journal. Female Teachers of Common Schools. 1838. Training of Teachers. 1838. Co-operation of Society in improving Common Schools. 1838. What can be done to improve Common Schools ? 1840. Contributions to Mothers' Magazine. The Mother's Face. 1838. On the Evidence of Early Piety. 1838. Domestic Education at Table. 1839. On Family Devotion. 1843. The Prayer of Children. 1850. Questions for Christian Parents. 1851. ERRATA. Page 5, line 2 from bottom, for not usual, read not unusttal. Page 7, line 19 from top, for loveliness, read loneliness. Page 28, line 3 from top, for principles, Tend prejudices. ■l! :f I Bti:!;i:if".v,