The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1824-07-20

our population ana bnHhces. Al aH. "Nd'A M"
remain On this subject, WE trust the following eS-
tract from Report w tbe Directors ot thr
Hartford Asylum, exhibited Mas Ij, ls24, will
give Tie most clear and satisfactory conviction
Of the correctness 81 the course they have pur
sued and recommended and Of the necessity OF
contributing wbatever the benevoler-e Of our
State or its citizens may prompt, % that las.itu
ton, instead Of wasting our resources in fruit
less attempts % establish one among ~, which
Al present cannot oiTrr The least prospect NJ sue
cess
7" There i another topic, which though not
perhaps, properly forming part Of the report 81
the operations al the institution, Is, nevcrlheiees
connected 50 intimately with the interests ot .Hs
deaf and dumb generally, that the directors ai>h
I 70 await themselves Of SD good an opportunity ct
expressing their -entiment, upon i tn the Puh-
liz. ID doing tais thev profess he a~tRaied hy
Rh.t thev cn. raivt t0 NV iirra and c8~tprr
hensive views, with regard to the best mode o'
promoting thn education MI thc lfut and dumb
throughout our common country and while
they offer their thoughts with freedom ana
fraukness. they disci im AN alincs Of rivalry ~
competition toward other Institutions cither
now, or Vet 90 be in existence.
How far il is desirable 20 increase the number
OF establishments for the instruction Of the deaf
and dumb in our country, and especially in thi,
northern section % II, is au inquiry which GER
tainly deserves the patient and candid consider
alton Of all who take an interest III this untortu-
nate class NJ our fellow men. N rornirg an o-
pinion on this subject possibly the following rev
marks founded on considerable course Of ex-
perience and observation, may not be without
their use
Aschool for The deaf and dumb is so entirely
different from those for the education Of youth
in possession Of an -hcir faculties that il is diff
cult I'd give one correct idea respecting II. with
out actual inspection. A prominent feature Of
such a school ~. that one Instructor cannot sue
cesstully teach but comparatively small mum
Der at pupils and heECc, the instruction of this
class Of people, is attended not only with CON
siderable increase Of lahour, but Of expense II
I is one of the greatest difficulties which such a
school has to encounter, 10 procure individuals
of such an education, and more especially Of
such popularity Of talents and skill, to qualify
\ them for the employment Of teaching the deaf
and dumb AZ employment, which. strange rs IL
may seem 10 those not familiar with III demands
tor its successful prosecution, a certain natural
turn Of mind somewhat Ike that Nhough direct
ed 70 very different object which il called Z
genius for mechanical pursuits % addition to
/ this, training of several wears Is necessary 90
make one competent 10 the task Of undertaking
the complete instruction Of deaf and dumb per-
son in the common branches Of education. To
4 Induce one TO engage permanently in such an
employment 80 unlike that Oh an instructor IN
q school, academy, or college which il usually
considered a. but temporary, and introductory
Z 20 some professional pursuit, prospect not on
\ ly OF present but Of future support must be Of
\ Tered for nothing would be more embarras sing
TO the progress of an institution for the deaf aud
dumb, Than to have its instructors frequently
changing-inasmuch as each new instructor
must himself for some time, become 2 learner,
while the task OF teaching him devolves upon
\ his more experienced colleagues Hence the
department 81 instruction in such an establish
ment, j. attended with much greater expense
than i necessary for the education OF youth who
are in possession Of an their faculties
! In school for the deaf and dumb, if it is ever
to have any accession to its numbers, it is abso-
lutely necessary to have more than one well
qualified instructor; for pupils who have just
entered cannot possibly be introduced into a
class which has been sometime under course of
instruction. II pupils were admitted al all
! times, perpetual confusion and embarrassment
mast ensue- Once year seems to be, on the
whole, the most suitable period and since four
| or hVe years are absolutely necessary to give
the deaf and dumb even tolerablv correct
command OF language in a school Of such a
NInd, especially public one, intended for the
general good, there must be al least four or five
classes and as many instructors.
Besides It would be unwise 10 SUSPEND the fate
Of such an establishment on the precarious life or
health q an individual Temporary indisposi-
tIOn may occur. The occupation is an exceed
ingly laborous one, demanding a great deal of
patience and perseverance Several instructors
together keep alive each others interest aid
each other in difficulty make new discoveries.
or invent new modes of instruction and ti,us
give LIE and vigOur TO an institution, which, it is
10 be feared, under a solitary individual, even if
no other obstacles existed, would soon languish,
from the TACT, that human nature is 50 constitu-
teu' a. 70 make Loneliness, in any difficult pur-
SUIT, soon produce irksOmeuess and irrpsoIution
40 conduct an establishment for the deaf aud
dumb with success, the pupils should ~ assem-
o'td together. 10 have them board in private
iahllles would exceedingly impair II not quite
destroy, the efforts made for their improvement
ana government Now, they can be as we'll as
semDied IN considerable numbers, as in small ::
Tor there would be no difficulty in providing for
them, Il suitable accommodations and instruc-
tors we're furnished
Io have schools Tor the deafand dumb IN each
town ~ county, Or even state. would be attend
$50 III 'A ~ - lrtisb when w 0uA0 De so great. as
70 result, AZ last, in the entire abandonment Of
them 70 their native and hopeless ignorance
without such an expense instructors could not
De found, and traiLed, and supported tor such
purpose.
II might seem, indeed, at first sight, 10 Justify
the establishment OF such a school in any SEE
uon Of the country, that one hundred deaf and
uumo persons were found within III But these
one hundred have been accommodating ffty W
SIXTY years Many 81 them are too Young. and
some too old, 10 be Instructed Other causes
Too will prevent many from attending the
school But, even supposing that one hundred
were al assembled, and, in the course OF few
years, were educsted IT is obvious, that after
wards, provision would have 10 be made only
for the annual increase Of the deaf and dumb ft|
. Tor this only, that permanent institutions need
% be established; just a. our common schools
are necessary, not Tor tile whole popuiation, but
only tor the rising generation
It's the rising generation az fhe deaf / dumb.
for which permanent institutions are needed N
and a considerable extent OF territory must BE-
included 10 furnish a sufficient number Of pu-
oils 10 lusffy the time lsbour and enuemse nee