The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1846-05-21

WHICH SHOWS lloell III SlllllCo anu t0oIS'
There is hardly a person who can witness
this, for the frs! time, without deep emo
ton. 1t has been so Witnessed, and its et'
feet so felt, by scores Of Legislative bodies
and hundreds of audiences throughout the
country. 1t is certain that the simple
reading, by blind children, of a few lines
from a book did more to create and endcw
the institutions now existing In tins coun'
try than all other things put together;
and yet it is crtain that, until the Bible
was printed, only four years ago, the Pc
rusal Of the books then in existance was
hardly worth, TO a blind person, the labor
of learning 70 read, had it been certain
that no more would be printed. Our Din
rector has often said, when conducting
such exhibitions, that he should have been
practising an imposition upon the public,
if he had not hoped and expected the re-
suit would be such a multiplication and
Improvement Of books as would prove a
real resource and advantage TO the blind.
But notwithstanding so many AmerI~
can Institutions owe their existence main
ly TO a few leaves of embossed paper, yet
none of them, except that al Philadelphia
and our own, have ever made provision
for the multiplication Of books. Even the
press at Philadelphia has now stopped,
and our own has stood still much CT the
time during the last three years, for want
Of means to go on. We do not say this
in the slightest disposition to reprove {; we
know too well the expense and difficulty
of fitting up a printing establishments
We know that all the books for the coun-
try might be printed at ole institution,
and that the others would patronize the
enterprise as fully, and get their books
much cheaper. by purchasing than ny
manufacturing them; but the trouble Is,
THEY cANNoT BE BOUGHT, for THEY ARE
NOT IN EXISTENCE. There has not been
fifty works of any real or permanent value
10 the blind printed in the English Ian
guage; of these, four 6fths have been
printed at our press, and the rest at elias
gov and Philadelphia.
|! is known thalthe regular funds of the
Institution cannot be devoted, 10 any ex>
tent, to a work which is so general in its
character, and which belongs as much 10
all the institutions of the bind as 10 one ;
and Dr.. Howe, who has mainly carried
on the enterprise, made an appeal 10 the
benevolent through our last Report, and
proposed, if it were answered, 10 publish
some works of science, and to commence
the publication Of a cyclop@Iia of general
knowledge. The appeal was answered
generously by a very few individuals; and
an edition of Olmsted's Natural Philosos
ply, and of Smellie's Philosophy of Ma
tural History was printed. The first and
second volumes of the CycIopadia were
also completed but here the enterprise
was suspended for want Of funds.
The works thus published are probably
Of more value than any others ever print
ed for the blind Saving always the Bible,)
and the Cyclof edia, if it can ever be fin
ished, will be of still greater importance.
1t mus. necessarily be expensive, but we
trust that some benevolent and wealthy
person will furnish the means of carrying
it through. W. subjoin some extracts
from letters received from blind persons 10
different parts of the country, showing
their sense of the value of the books in
question.
Two other books of considerable size
have been embossed at our press during
the past year." The Book of Common
Prayer" which was paid for by gentle
men in New York ; and the " Guide 10
Devotion" a work published by the Pres
b~yterian Board Of Publication in Phila.
delphia. These books were printed here
merely 10 obl;ge the gentlemen interested
in them and at the absolute cost.
For a particular account Of The finances,
we refer the Board 10 the Report of the
Treasurer, which is herewith submitted.
The funds on hand, January /, 1916,
were $2O,787,26 ; besides the regular in
come, the Treasurer received s 5000 from
the estate OF John Parker; and the prop
erty on hand at this time is 1924, 6C4, 90.
Mr.. Peter r. Dalton, who so acceptably
filled the Office, having resigned it during
the last year, Mr.. r. B. Wales, Jun, was
appointed in his place pro tenn.
The various Inventories required by
Nv are herewith submitted.
1t will not be necessary for us TO 60 in>
10 a detail Of the system o finstruction pur'
sued during the last year, for it is only a
continuation Of that followed in former
years, and with The same general success.
The daily exercises m at six o.
clock in the morning with devotional SER
vice, and continue until eight in the even.
ing, the time being occupied with study,
work and music, alternately y. This is
found more advantageous than to crowd the
institution into two sessions of three hours
each. The rule is, 10 c%onfine pupils but
three quarters of an hour at time at any
study, and then. after a short recess, to
change the subject. This prevents any
feeling of WEAKNESS or safely and, as a
general thing, the scholars hear the bell
mhich calls ,hsm inLn school with ahnni