Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1845-02-13
instruction of the Deaf and Dumb I'm
Articulation.

To THE EDITORS OF the INDIANA STATE SENTINEL:
MEssRs. EDlroRs believing that the following
extract from an article written by the Principal of the
New York Institution for the Deaf and Dumb, and
published in the one hundred and tweny-ffth No. OF
the North American Review will be quite interesting
to portion of the readers of your paper, especially
to those who curious on he subject Of tea, hing
articulation to deaf and dumb persons, hand it to
you tor publication at your first opportunity.
Yours truly, WIN. WILLARD.
eve have already noticed, with high commenda-
ton, this excellent report and we return TO 1t,
not for the purpose Of giving any further examna-
ton as whole, but in order to consider single to-
pic which Is incidentally brought into it, and
spect to which compelled TO dissent from the
opinions expressed by Mr. Mann. We refer to the
modes of instruction pursued in schools for the educa
zion of the deaf and dumb OF the zeal and success
with which Mr.. Mann has devoted himself to the
cause OF popular education, 1t Is unnecessary here TO
speak, We yield to IN the hearty appreciation
of what he has already accomplished and BID him
God speed In his future efforts. Upon subjects which
he has studied and understands, are disposed to
receive his opinions with high respect if not with
implicit aequiescence. Even upon the subject of the
instruction Of deaf mutes, with which he is evidently
not familiar, if he had based his conclusions upon
any actual result attained should bow in silence
to his verdict, however notifying it might be tn the
sefoye of our instructors or injurious to the repu
tatIon and usefulness Of our schools. But when we
fnd In document of suchgeneral interest, emanat-
ing fom such high authority, and destined for wide
circulation through the country sentence pronounced
upon the American institutions for the deaf and dumb,
apparently without examination, evidently with very
and defective views of THEN system of in
structiOn, the effect ct which will be lower those
Institutions In the public estimation and thus serious
y to impair their usefulness, cannot suffer it to
pass IN silence.
"We have usually thought that the superiority Of
an institution for education should be measured
by what 1t attempts but by what it performs. That
the German schools attempt more than our own we
admit but that IN the great majority of cases. they
accomplish more, we have no evidence. Mr. Mann,
at least, has furnished us no data whatever by which
compare the intellectual attachments and skill
IN language of the pupils in those schools with those
of the pupils In our own. And if, as we have good
reason To believe the German teachers of articulation
sacrifice, IN great measure, the development Of the
intellectual and moral faculties of their pupils to an
object that IS, cases. but very imperfctly at
tanned, may well doubt whether they gain as much
they lose, and whether their success in the OBJ
ject of educaten-the unfolding of the capacities for
happiness and usefuness-is great that of our
own teachers.
Among the American instructors of the deaf and
dumb. there have been men much distinguished
for talents learning, and zeal in the cause Of educa-
ton, Mr.. Mann himself II would have been the
part of fairness and caution to examine thoroughly
and carefully the favor and the results OF
system which such men have deliberately sanction
so conspicuousy, and upon very slight examinations
opinions which do grave injustice to them and the
scheme of instruction which they have patiently Ella
boraied.
at has not, therefore, been through ignorance or
indifference, that American instructors have neglected
to teach articulation. 1t has been excluded from the
of instruction after careful and mature delibe
ration, and in the New York institution, after actual
and patient experiment not because the object was
considered of little account but because the small de-
gree Of success usually attainabe judged to
very inadequate compensation for that expenditure
time and labor which the teaching of articulation
acis-for the many weariSome hours which must b.
spent In adjusting and re-adjusting the positions
the vocal organs-in teaching the seven sounds q
the letter a'-the hundreds of elementary sounds,
represented BY only twenty-six letters and the thou
sand capriciouS irregularities in the pronunciation
the same letters combinations Of letters. To thu
deaf and dumb child, the acquisition of IDEAS through
his own language OF gestures, task at cas-
and delightful; but as words can never be to hin
what they are to other men, the acquisition of Ian
guage OF words whatever signs are chosen to repre-
sent them, must for him remain labor that vii
task to the utmost his patience and his powers, ant
the skill and perseverance of his teacher Why, then
should we, prospect of doubtful advantage, dou
bic labor which already tasks minds TO the ut
most, and not few beyond their powers
ut may be alleged that the deaf mute who can on
ly read and write cannot take part in general con
Eersation among persons who hear, but is restrcte
IN such society to that conversation which may be ad
dressed directly TO him. Unless he has ready inter
prefer, this Is true; but general rule this Is Jus
as much the case with those who have been taught
ar,lculate and to read on the lips On this point
most OF the cases cited by alr. Mann fall unde
the old maxims, that the exception proves the rule
The notorious fact that the deaf however laborious
instructed, only distinguish words on the lips
those who speak directly to them, at small distance
In an advantageous light. and with peculiar slownes
and disnctness of utterance affected by rare in
stances OF the extraordinary cultivation of this fac
ulty, any more than the general laws of the huma
mind on the subject of computation with high mum
bers are effected by such instances that Of Zera
Colburn.
:" Dir, Mann asserts, that he has had .abundar
proof that the deaf and dumb can be taught to spea
as others speak, and substantially in all cases. o
this point we hold him to be widely in error. His a.
sertlon contrasts strkingy with the modest staemer
OF kruse, himself deaf mute and teacher in the il
sttutlon at Bremen, who, this point, thus guart
edy expressed himself: 1t is in many cases p0ssbl
IN the course of some years, TO bring the deaf an
dumb to such degree Of proficiency in this respec
that all who listen to them atteniiuey and patient
viii fully understand them and they can also Q
their part, come to understand, an some p,easur
what is said 70 them by the mere moyements of Il
mouth
'sOf the proportion of cases in which the wear
some labor Of teacher and pupil is either thus impe
fectly rewarded or quite thrown away, we may jude
from the testimony of Mademoiselle Morel, an inte
hgent and accomplished instructress of the Royal Ii
stltutlon of Paris, who few years ago, visited
raj Of the most celebrated schools for the deaf al
dumb In Germany. In the institution at Gmund
Wurtemberg, which has been the model school f
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