Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1845-02-13
BY G. A. & Up. CHAPMAN.

gIby and the mass OF the pupils artlcuIated with
difficulty often with contortions of countenance most
unpleasant to the beholder; and it is added in
Their place, were in general only ineligible to those
who were in the daily habit of hearing them. ST.
mlar proportion of favorable and unayorable results
was found in other institutions.
"St if any thing approaching to this result could
be- as general rule attained we should be decidedly
in favor of teaching articulation. But this is the
case. In few other instances the utterance was
sufficiently ineligible but DR.. Minor also witness
ed the attempts at speaking of some who inca
pable CT utterIng any tones which did not CRATE
harshly the ear and was informed that the at
tempt to teach articulation frequently failed alto
getber.
1.-The deaf and dumb says Mr.. Mann, 'as we'll as
the man possessed of all his senses, has natural i'm
pulse TO express his feelings thoughts, &c. by sounds
The deaf and dumb have, indeed, in common with
most animals that possess arynx, natural impulse
to express their feelings by sounds They laugh cry,
groan, and scream. But what bearing this fact has
on the question of the expedency of teaching them
to utter sounds which nature could teach item
to utter, cannot discover With equal truth we
may observe that the possessed of all his senses
has, as well as the deaf mute, natural impulse to
express his feelings, thoughts, &C. by gestures
Would this be argument for teaching in ge-
neral to converse by means of signs made with the
fingers
alt has, says Mr.. Mann, IAN extraordinary hu-
| manzing power-the remark having been often made
and with truth, that all the deaf and dumb who have
learned to speak have far more human expression
of the eye and countenance than those who have only
been taught to write very extraordinary power
indeed Il would be difficult TO disprove a remark
expressed in terms vague, and evidently depend
ing on the imagination but much doubt whether
any not previously possessed with the idea of the
humanizing pOsecr of speech, would have observed
this more human expression. If the habit of watch
ing the motion of anothers lips gives any popularity
of expression to the eye, 1t must be expression DIFF
that of hmm ho1r,r
ther articulation has any other effect on the eyes of
the deaf and dumb, leave those skilled in the
occult sciences 1t is impossible that the habit
exercising the muscles Of articulation instead of those
of pantomImic expression, by favorng fuller deve-
lopment of the former set of muscles may create
perceptible difference Of expression in those deaf
mutes who taught articulate If this is more
human look, then should expect the greatest bab-
blers to have the most human look. Whether this
more human expression is sufficient equivalent for
panies il, to say nothing of the labor of giving this
last finishing touch to the human face divine we
leave the reader to Judge
ssTill the advocates of artificial articulation can
discover some mode of enabling the deaf and dumb
from birth to conceive words sounds the question
between them and US, accurately considered mar
rowed down the choice of an alphabet. We teach
the written alphabet; they would teach the
labal and oral alphabet Both are addressed to the
eye and both may be aided by sensations of the move
ments-in the case, of the fingers in the other,
of the lips, tongue, and arynx. We admit that the
latter alphabet 1cep acquired, would be, under
certain circumstances, much the most convenient but
we hold that its attainment is all cases very diff
cult, many doubtful, and, in not few, i'm
practicable. We prefer, therefore, teach alpha
bet which be learned with ease, which is within
the capacity of ALL and which is in this country al
most universally Ineligible as the other.
$ ave admit that all deaf mutes Of ordinary capa.
city may learn to utter sounds which, 10 those accus
toned 10 hear them, may Indicate which of limited
number of ideas is intended but this mode of inter
: course would, in many cases. be not only very dsa
greeable to strangers but would TO them be very offer
u even less Ineligible than the language of gestures
We also admit that all may acquire the ability read
few strongly marked words the lips of their &C.
quaintances The latter however seldom fail to Learn
from the deaf mute many If his signs as arr
necessary for the ready express of simple and IA
mar ideas and these signs being far more distinct
visible at many times the distance, and with mocl
less Light the deaf mute will use them in preference
+ 1t is by that those who read even yer,
; readily on the lips of their acquaintances,
Il Nth any the lips of strangers We may add
d that to read on the lips at all, beyond few simple
!, phrases and familiar words, demands thorough skill
I in language, which many deaf mutes can never at
/ tain under any system of instruction
ave may further remark, that teachers of articu
laton obliged begin while the organs of speech
are still pllable, and thus to receive pupils at muc
earlier age tIan our INSTITUTIONS ind eXpedlenL or ad
/ vantageous. 1t would appear by Mr.. Mann's
that they begin before their pupils are conscious tina
they exhale air and know that they receive pu
o pills at the ages OF SIX or while nsti
tutions do not except IN cases. receive any unde
the age of ten and institutions not till twelve
E. As six seven years the utmost allowed for pu
y pills supported by legislative bene6cence and som
of States allow but four, it evident that pupils admit
ted at early age IS necessary successfu
instruction articulation must leave Just when the
have reached the most favorable period for menta
: improvement for the learning of trades and for tn
N formation of moral character Though the secon
point may be sufficiently cared for by their friends
u yet the cases very few in which pupils, WHO leay
an institution at twelve or thirteen, will possess
nj much accurate knowledge, correct and we'll es
tablished moral principles as those who leave it, ate
equal term Of instruction, at the age of sixteen
s. eighteen. On the whole, present prospec
that the teaching Of articulation will be introduce
n into our institutions at ALL and that exercise in Wi
d. ever be made general, we cannot believe. Our ow
experience and the still costly experience of tn
nd Partisan school, loudly admonish not to abandon
t. system which have practised practised fc
y quarter of century, and which has been found
On all the reasonable expectations formed from
e, Ito adopt a system which believe to be founde
he an erroneous philosophy and the results of which
Judging from all the evidence before us, we believe
have been, average al least less favorable than Ii
r. results attained under our pan.'
sL The result of the late foot races in N. York sho
n that countrymen match for the Engiishme
In that kind of work We supposed the fact to ha'
nd been satisfactorily established years ago. The who
IN experience of two wars proved that, although Il
or Americans the best at fighting, the English we
" he all