Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1845-01-09
For the Herald Of the Timel
The Deaf and Dumb.

TO the people of Rhode Island in behalf of
the "lnsane poor" have been responded to
in such away as to prove, beyond a.doub,,
that her citizens are no, unmindful Of the
calls of humanity when its proper objects are
brought fairly to their no,ice.
More than 100000 dollars has been volun.
tarily given aad subscribed for the establish
ment and maintenance of the "Bu,ler Asy.
lum for the Insane" A highly eligible site
has been purchased for its location, embracing
suffciency Of land, not only for the neces.
sary purposes Of exercise and amusement of
its inmates, but also to furnish them with
useful and profitable employment in its cult
walton.
1t will no doubt be erected and furnished
for the reception Of patients as soon as prac.
ticable-and in reference to useful urchitec-
ture and internal arrangements, will vie with
the best models of similar institutions in
this or in any other country and will require
nothing but the hearty CO. operation of the
public TO render it an ornament, an honor and
blessing to the State.
But there is yet another class Of unfortu-
mates amongst US, whose peculiar wants have
not yet been properly provided for, either
through individual or public beneGcence-
the "Deaf and Dumb"
We have been so long accus toned to hear
the terms "Degj" and Dumb" used in con-
neXion with ench other, that some of us
without reflection, have imbibed an idea that
they imply not only deprivation of hearing
and speaking, but that tho mind as well as
the tongue is "dumL" and is deficient in nat
ural understanding.
This is far from the case. Owing to the
inability to hear, the organs OF speech are
rendered useless and are never exerted but
they nevertheless exist as perfect in their
formation as in the most fluent speakers
Restore the hearing and these dormant pow
ers would be exercised, and aided by the I'D
monitons Of the ear would soon learn to
"syllable" the sounds thu, constitute speech,
as III tue case OF an INFANT.
So with the mind. Its primary powers are
not at all lessened by the defects in the or
guns of hearing. The natural kcenncss Of
its perception and scnsibitics are all the
same, and since the art of teaching the
"Dsat and dun,b" to communicate by signs,
has been perfected, it has been dbundanty
proved that this hitherto neglected and hope
less class of our fellow creatures, are as ca.
pable of intellectual culture and aitainmenls
as any others.-And although God, in his
inscrutable Providence, has deprived them Of
hearing, it must, in future, be through the
neglect of man if they are deprived of the
benefits of their understandings.
Until recently, the experience that man.
kind have been slowly accommodating for
ages, was beyond tie reach Of the Deaf and
Dumb. Their untutoral eye surveyed all
they could know or comprehend of nature
and the visible Incidents that occurred
around their pa,ornal threshold, were the
only indictments to mental action. What.
ever process their fettered reason might
have adopted for the acquisition of know
ledge, was incommunicaiable to others and
died with thcm.-Each hopeless creature
began the world anew, without the power oI
bene6ting themselves by n particle Of the
limited experience acquired by others, tc
light and cheer their lonely path. Long
might their struggling spirits strive to pcnc.
trate the veil that separated them from thcil
fellow creatures, but all in vain-ihey were
doomed, ut last, to give up in despair
conscious that they lacked something il
common with those around them, but utterly
unable to comprehend what that some thing
wns
But now many institutions a.c in success
ful operation, at which through the agency
Of simple signs, made with the fingers ant
hands, representing the different letters o
the Alphabet and the parts of speech, tn,
deaf and dumb are taugh, to communicate
readily with each othcr--,o read and TO write
WITH laClilly ,--hUd lnhS 'H'y HIc Hot oHll
enabled to profit by .hc knowledge Of lhe
associates, but the whole experience o
mankind as embodied in books is brongh
within their rchension-opening TO thei
ardent minds an inexhaustible field for in
telectual improvement ana enjoyment. Th,
poor despondng beings who have hitherto
moped in mental darkness, are now mad
conscious of possessing faculties capable O
never.endng Advancement. The innat
idens Of their nature and destiny which hav
hitherto noatcd darkly on their Dewlldcre
mngina,ions, now burs, forth into light on
Revelation points the longing but undefinc
desires Of their souls, to its eternal HON
with their Father in Heaven.
The only institution Of this kind in ,h
New England States is located at l!artfor
IN Connecticut, and is called the "hmercn
Asylum for the Education and instruction
the Deaf g. Dumb.' il has been in success
ful operation for abou, q years, dur ne whc
time it has received within its walls ncarl