The Sun.
London, England, 1821-02-19 00:00:00

WED KLY RETROSPECT.

The Winos .of the past week—we speak thus
because the Whigs of different weeks are very
different people; or at least appear to be so—the
Whigs of the past week remind us strongly of
poor GOLDSIIIIIII'S Village Schoolmaster—
For e'en, though vanquisti'd, he ironid argue still."

And thu3 hare they gone on, floundering from
Fibject to subject, from division to division, un-
t:tt " beaten and flying" they desist from their
attempts at impossibilities, and, like their proto-
type alluded to allow the public, on Saturday.
a halphotittoy from political clamour and contest !
Their weekly—some readings say 64 weakly"-
-versatility of" TALI:NT" has been indeed most ex-
traordinary. To begin with Monday's business,
-we find,—taking our Sorter Whiggiantr, as it

Is ere, at random—three rather incongruous sub

jorts iii immediate succession and unison, on all
a which they have made attempts to enlighten
the public mind—" Ropernakers"—" Corn wash
—" Liturgy"--then come others of more impor-
tance, and which deserve a more detailed notice.

The Allied Powers are, for the present, allow-
ed a short armistice, under the idea that as they
had taken new ground by passing the Po, so
might the Whigs take new ground in passing their
political llubiconbut, as yet) they have not
passed the Poi for so must we Understand from
tie various contradictory accounts, and thus is the
p!an of the political campaign in abeyance.
They have found out, however, that Ministers
have committed a breaeh of neutrality in refusing
licenses for troops, arms, and ammunition, to be
embarked for the assistance of the Carbonari of
j.s.rr.u.S ; who, like our own Carbonari from the
coalpits in Staffordshire, are in vigorous opposi-
tion to the laws of their country. They have
r.lso discovered that the K ing of NAPLES is in
durance at Laybach, yet neither the Knight er-
rent, nor the other liberators of the perjured
traitor of the hundred days have yet advanced a
s:ep in favour of what they wish us to believe is
"Vhig Royalty in distress ! Perhaps these liberal
ani liberating heroes may reserve their prowess
for deeds nearer home. There is a Radical now
in the King's Bench ! To subscribe to his fine,
must be patriotic—but to free him from the
bounds of ." Spike Hall" would out ORLANDO
even Fcatoso himself !

It has certainly been amusing to see the Whigs
play round a bold " Address to the Crown" like
11;es round 'a
candle, afraid of burning oaf their
wings entirely, yet singeing them so often with
rrotions short of such a decisive measure—with
legalities, illegalities, expediencies, and various
o!her mode's of catching stray votes and exciting
popularprejudice. It is most extraordinary that
in the :several modes adopted for bringing the.
question of the Liturgy before the Parliament,
the Public, all within the week,—that in the
various reasons assigned for voting with the de-
cided minorities upon these questions, not cue in-
-o,ividual has had the boldness to say that he would
Note for the motion in a full and fair belief of In-
nocence ! But, surely, if such were the belief of
any one of the Speakers, Or of the Motion-makers,
it would have been the shortest, the plainest and
the most -convincing argument that could have
been brought forward. This, at least, needs no
comment ; especially when we look at the Law
Proceedings against the Press, that Press so
lztely eulogized by the answer-makers of Ham-
mersmith.

It-is worthy of remark too, that the institutors
of these proceedings have had recourse to that
species of legal redress in case of libels, which
Patriotic Writers and speakers have so often de-
nounced as unconstitutional, grannie, and even
" infamous'-'—for such has been the language
Qften used in regard to -Indictment for Libel,
instead of proceeding by Action. for Damages !
Perhaps one of the most remarkable features of
Whig politics, ...for the rzeek, has. been the seces-
sion of certain individuals from certain divisions..
Even the
.attack upon the Ordrionce, where the
great guns of• opposition . were so much wanted,
was allowed to be made with pop-guns and pa-.
teraroes, squibs, crackers, and false fires, instead
of the heau artillery of the Leaders and others !
Let any man read the minority lists, and explain
if he cop!
Are we to suppose that, so many assaults being
repulsed, the-siege is now to be turned into a
blockade, or a war of posts mid partizans, whilst
the Generals look on in silence :--or must we be-
lere the grand army to be broken up, and the
guer7illas,to have the choide of helping
themselves as they can ? • ;
in fact, the- popular feeling is now, and that
most manifestly, taking so decided a turn, that
it may be prudent for those, who-wish to lead, to
make as decent a retreat as possible, and thus to
raise the siege for the present without beat of
drum!

We cannot close without noticing something
like an attack upon one of our most interesting
pvtblic Establishments—the BitiTfilf Nicisrxm ;
or at least upon the mode of conducting it. On that
:•.übject, we -can speak from long experience that
the apparent strictness of the regulations is the very
point which promotes the comfort and convenience
of those who partake of its .advantages—and
of those 'advantages every, one .May .partake
who really wishes to make the proper use-of
them. Beyond that, we 'presume, no facility
of admission could be given With ,propriety.—
Merely to look at the hook; or at• those-engaged•
in reading them, could only gratify, vulgar cu-
riosity. Let those, who really wish .to read, fairly
make their application, and they fincl'a
cility of admission, and an attentiveness •of sup-
ply, which at once set at nought'all anirtiadver
kionl and prove complaint unfounded. I.G.N.

FOREIGN LITERATURE._

(No. XVI.)
DEAF AND DUMB.

MEMOIR on the INSTRUCTION of the DEAF and DUMB,
read at the Sittig of the Royal Academy of Sciences, Arts,
and Fine Leite-rs of Caen, on the 27th of April. 1820, by
the Abh6 JAM ET, Member of that Academy, and Founder
of the Institution for the Deaf and Dumb, to the Town of
Caen.

Providence has endowed us with two exct
lent organs for acquiring knowledge and express
ing our thoughts the organ of hearing and
that of speech. But, man is sometimes born
deprived Of both these organs. CapriciOns and
cruel in some or her works, Nature occasionally
sends into the world a few unfortunate beings,
who seem condemned to a life of solitude among
their fellow-creatures, since they an neither
hear nor be heard, and because they cannot, in
other words, either communicate or receive ideas,
and all the faculties of the mind, and we may al-
most add the affections of the heart, are with
them in a state of torpor. Figure to your imagi-
nation for a moment the Deaf and Dumb in a
state of nature ! Does this man belong to hu-
manity who walks about involved in profound
silence, who comprehends nothing, and knows
not even whether other men understand each
other ; whose mind nothing can reach, and who
appears to be simply an animated automaton ?
the Abbe Sicard has drawn the picture of the
Deaf and Dumb in this primitive state, and he
does not hesitate to class him, with respect to
moral and intellectual powers, even below the
savage.
But is it not possible to animate this living
marble with the breath of intelligence ? Cannot
the tender affections and generous sentiments be
implanted in this cold and insensible heart ?
Cannot we go a step farther, and create a mind
in this man, so miserably defective ; who seems,
like the brute, to be governed only by instinct
and passion ?
A man of genius appears, and resolves the
problem. " Every language," he says, "is only
" a collection of signs, in like manner as a series
" of drawings in Natural History is a collection
" of images, a representation of a great number
"of objects. As we designate every thing by
" words, and paint them by colours, so we may
" conceive them by gestures or signs. Objects
" have forms, copy them ; sensible actions strike
" every beholder—they can be sketched and de-
scribed by imitative gestures. Words are only
;c conventional signs, and why should not ges-
tures be so likewise ? We can, therefore,
establish a language of gestures, a language of
actions, as well as a language of sounds, a spoken
language."
Impressed with these noble ideas, the Abbe de
'Epee created this language of action—this pro-
digious language of signs ; and the Deaf and
Dumb is no longer an isolated being in the midst
of society. He interchanges thoughts and senti-
ments with other men ; the Universe is to him
no longer silent ; his senses are, we may be per-
mitted to say, made perfect, and nothing can es-
cape his knowledge, whether relating to
rights, his duties, or the great ends of his crea-
tion. _ _ GC

The imagination can form no conception of the
extraordinary pains and patience bestowed, and
the wonderful genius displayed, to attain these
great results. The Abbe de l'Epee, however,
was only the creator, but did not proceed farther.
It was reserved for the Abbe Sicard to bring the
work of his master to perfection, to form pupils
who should become masters in their turns, and to
witness the foundation of Institutions for the
Deaf and Dumb in the Capitals of every Eu-
ropean State, most of which owed their birth to
his celebrated School.

M. Jamet was not the pupil of either the Abbe
de l'Epee or the Abbe Sicard. Impelled by the
goodness of his heart to undertake the education
of a female who was deaf and dumb, he read
their works, simplified many of their combina-

dons, and restored an unfortunate creature to
society from which she seemed to be separated
for ever. This success encouraged this benefi-
cent and modest man, and he established, in the
Convent du Bon Suuveur, where humanity al-
ready possesses so many excellent Institutions, a
School for the Deaf and Dumb.

The design of this Memoir is to make public
he origin and progress of the art of instructing.
hese unfortunate beings. He informs us that be-
'ore the Abbe de l'Epee, and even since his
law, the Founders of several of these Institu-

tions directed their main efforts to teach the Deaf
and Dumb to speak. He relates the plan of a
German savant, who fancied that he should he
enabled to teach them to speak by placing before
their eyei plates representing the mechanism of
the organ of speech. ". This German savant,"
says the Author, " caused engravings of thirty-six
'4 heads to be made, with the cheeks laid bare, so
" as to expose the interior of the mouth, and per.
" mit his pupils to see the action of the organs
C 4 of speech when articulating different sounds.
The lips, teeth, tongue, glottis, and larynx
" were represented in the various positions which
44 they assume in the pronunciation of simple syl-
" fables, and also of some compound-words.--
" He carried his plan still farther, and, not con-
" tent with placing these drawings before the
" eyes of the Deaf and Dumb, he had figures in.
" relievo cast, and hoped, by means of these ar-
" tificial organs, to make them comprehend the
" admirable mechanism of the organ of speech,and
" untie the tongue. The pupil stood before the
4C glass, and exercised himself in articulating
44 sounds, and putting Ilk organ of speech in po-
" sitions similar to those represented by these
figures, which were placed opposite to him."
M. Jamet attacks, with powerful arguments,
this very singular system, which did not, how-
ever, survive its author, notwithstanding several
instructors of the Deaf and Dumb in Germany still
confine their labours to the articulation of sounds.
C 4 A circumstance which I have heard has appeared
" to.me surprizing," says our Author, " and, if it
" be true, borders on the miraculous. lt,is said
" that at Berlin there is . a M. llabermass,, born
" deaf and dumb, who, under the superintend-

cc ance of the Masters teaches the pupils to
" speak, and to distinguish the various inflections
" of the voice in the articulation of sounds."
The Author then details with uncommon pre=
cision the different methods followed in the in-
struction of the Deaf and Dumb, and subjects
them to the test of the soundest criticism, and
after having shewn all that the Abbe de l'Epee
effected for these unfortunate creatures, and what
remained to be done after him, the Author ar-
rives at the Abbe Sicard. We said in the be.:
ginning of this Article, that this extraordinary
man brought the work of his master to perfec-
tion. M. Jamet goes Still farther, and he does
not scruple to call him a creative spirit, and to
declare that he invented a plan different from
that of the Abbe de I'Epee, and far superior to
it. Ile observes :
" Yet there is something still wanting in the
" mode of instruction pursued by the Abbe
" Sicard ; which is, that the Deaf nd Dumb
" should be able to speak the language which he
• studies. The pupil of M. Sicard has indeed
cc a written language, but it is not a ma-
• nual language, for he can only converse
" in it with a pen, or a pencil in his hand.
" Whilst he is taking his lesson, he can comma-
" nicate with his master ; writing is an easy
" mode of mutually communicating their ideas,
" but beyond that, the master can no longer dis-
cc course with him, except in a vague and fatigu-
e ing manner; he stands in nend of a ready and
" sure means of conveying his ideas, and very
ct often fails in making himself understood."
We may be permitted to mention a fact which
confirms the judicious observations of M. Jamet.
At a public sitting in the month of July 1818,
which was attended by a great many foreigners,
the Abbe Sicard was desirous of proving that his
pupils could easily discover the difference be-
tween the adjective and substantive, and that
they were equally capable of distinguishing the
proper signification from the figurative sense of
the same expression. He made a sign to one of
his pupils, who, at this sitting, had shewn great
ability and knowledge, to write these words, an
unripe apple, instead of which he wrote a bitter
apple. M. Sicard repeated the same sign, and
the young man wrote, a sour apple. Three other
Deaf and Dumb were called in succession, but
they could not guess the meaning of their master,
and wrote, a sharp apple, a bad apple, a rotten
apple, and an acid apple. The Abbe Sicard was
obliged to have recourse to the most skilful of
his pupils, M. Massieu, to whom he conveyed his
meaning by a more expressive sign, and M. Mas-
sieu immediately wrote, an unripe apple.
It was not, certainly, owing to any want of in-
struction that the Deaf and Dumb pupils of the
Abbe Sicard did not comprehend him. The dif-
ferent interpretations which they gave to his sign,
impress us with a favourable idea of their intel-
lectual capacities, but he spoke to them in a lan-
guage which they did not understand, except
when it was committed to writing ; and the mo-
tion of the hand was not sufficiently precise to
convey to them the meaning of their master.
It is this manual speech, if we may be allowed
the expression, that M. Janet has endeavoured
o bring to perfection t " I do not confine my-
self, like the Abbe Ale l'Epee," he says, " to
make my pupils write at the dictation of signs;
nor do I, like the Abbe Sicard, convey my
meaning by a great many gestures. I make
use of signs and gestures when I wish to make
the Deaf and Dumb comprehend the true sense
or the various significations of words, but once
understood, we never again have recourse to
that mode of conveyance. A single sign, simple
and concise, answers every purpose. In the
conversations which my pupils hold with each
other, or their master, this sign supplies the
" place of the sound of the voice ; it is a manual
CC word almost as simple as the oral word."
The extract just quoted will manifest that M.
Jamet has not restricted himself to the plans of
his predecessors ; he has sought and invented
new combinations, and his method, more simple
than that of the Abbe Sicard, appears on that
account alone to be better and preferable. We
shall endeavour by a few examples to give our
readers an idea of the two plans.
M. Sicard, to express in the language of signs
the word historian, proceeds, Ist. to make signs
of actions, wars, victories, peace, conflagrations,
conspiracies, revolutions, misfortunes of every de-
scription, institutions, prosperity, decline of go-
vernments, &c. ; secondly, signs of the past, the
grand, the astonishing, and the remarkable ;
idly, signs expressive of the desire to know the
memorable events of ancient times ; and lastly,
M. Sicard desires his pupils to describe the per-
son who records these events, and causes the his-
tory to be printed.
With M. Jamet, it is quite enough to express
the word historian in the language of the Deaf
and Dumb, that the fore-finger of the left hand
shoal(' be held above the shoulder, pointing
backwards to indicate past events of every kind,
while the right hand writes the word down.

Again, to render the word, to prophecy,
M. Sicard desires his pupils, Ist, to represent
those extraordinary men mentioned in the Old
Testament, who were inspired by God to foretell
events which would take place, a knowledge of
which had been communicated to them ; and,
2dly, to represent the same persons making
known the orders, commandments, and laws of
God.

M. Jamet, to signify the same word, desires
the fore-finger of the left hand to be held for-
ward, as indicative of the future, while- the right
hand writes it down.
Hence it is evident that the signs created by
the Author are not only extremely simple, but
that the Deaf and Dumb can also execute them
almost as quickly as we can pronounce the words.
The persons who were present at the exhibitions
of M.Jamet had, indeed, cause to admire his won-
derful system.

We have thus endeavoured to give an outline
of the e urio u s and interesting Memoir of M.Jamet,
and we have the satisfaction of adding, that this
noble friend of humanity has been long in pos-
session of the public veneration and the esteem of
the learned and scientific world ; and that his la-
bours continue to 'be crowned with the most

signal success.—(Journal des Debats.)