New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1846-03-18


This interesting pamphlet contains the following
statement:
p From the catalogue herewith returned 1t will be
tha, the present number of pupils ia two hundred bcn!
aree Increase the number of previous year anC
with the single exception OF the Institution OF London
much larger number of deaf mues than has ever beer
collected together in one school OF these there sup
ported By the State Of Ne|Y or one hundred and sixty
by the State of New Jersey three by the Corporation
of NeyyYork thirteen by their friends fourteen anc
By the Institution ten.
This large Increase is mainly owing TO the act &c
which the Board refer with high qualification passed al
the session of the Legislature making provision o'
four additional State pupils from each Senate DlstrcI
Thus increasing the number OF State beneciares from
one hundred and tweny.egbt 10 one hundred and sixty
The Elementary Lessons for the Deaf and
Dumb" prepared by the Principal OF the institution,
Mr.. Harvey P Peet, have been adopted as a text
book FOR elementary cassesin eight of the ten Ameri-
can Institutions for the Deaf and Dumb snd in some
OF the British Isles 1t has even found its way to
China, where it is used in the Missionary Schools,
for teaching the vocabulary and structure of our Ian
guage TO the youth Of the Celestial Empire
We observe also, with pleasure, that dwelling
houses are 10 be provided for the valued teachers OF
the School, so that the scene Of their abors shall be-
come in every sense, their home. Whoever under
stands the workings Of the affections the mental
powers will know that this generosity of treatment
is essential TO securing the best aid in these enter
prises But there is such frequent blindness or In
sensbility testified in similar cases that an instance
10 the contrary is pleasant 10 behold.
Fortunately the qualifications for teaching in these
Institutions are something positive. Either man
is we'll qualified for insructing the deafmue, or the
blind or he is not; his adaptation 10 such Office
IS, Nv oil
The agents aud arrangements in such institutions arc
10; likely 10 be affected by changes in politics, fash
ion, opinion, almost every thing else is in our
revolutionary country, and therefore something radi-
cally, positively, and progressively good may be
hoped in these departments.
In Mr.. Poets establishment, the speaking radiance
OF look in many of the pupils is sufficient voucher
for the benefits of that ministry which has lifted the
heavy pail from their young lives and defeated the
worst action of their fate That they have their
share in all the best gifts of this earthly life the fol-
lowing little composition by Of ,hcn, sufficiently
proves:
"Tr1E M1Sp-wha, is the Mind. and what does it en-
able US to do
spiritual il lmateria 1t immortal 1t Is nvisi-
BE- 1t is intangible 1t Is without color. 1t lie without
FORM II without weight 1t ia supposed to be stu
throne it sits 1t is the king OF the whole body II
gains ITSELF knowledge OF the external world by means
Of the five senses of the body It Is very aetIve. II
operates daily in acquiring knowledge OF all external
objects OF the world IL is very subtitle In ts nature
ia much quicker in its movements than lightning It's
operations othought aee,er than flash ofelecircity
The senses the attendants OF the Mind The nerves
of the brain are its The limbs and all parts o.
the body iis subjects They all obedien 10 the
Mind. They subservent TO it. The Mind possesses
the faculty of perception by the five senses. II enables
us tnuk conceive. imagine reflect remember. recos
nIze reco!lect and memorze the knowledge of past
events or deus 1t also enables 10 reason distin
gush measure and estimate the values of the worldly
goodsto count ell thiDgs-to compare things and 10
Determine, SC &c. We must thank Creator OF the
Universe for having kindly bestowed upon us such q
noble Mind 1t is the most important and the nobes'
part Of our system
AS we range the crowded streets we meet not
many in enjoyment OF all the advantages Of com
pete organization who eviuce the consciousness OF
our nobler life snd its infinite joys expressed in this
little essay Ii has been remarked Of the Deaf anc
Dumb that they have, frequently, purity aud re'i
gious tervor OF expression, as if they were kept in
better state by remaining snoran, OF large portion
Of the wicked and mean things that fly from tongue
&c tongue in common society. No less observable
al uncommon vivacity of eye when the thought
have once been awakened which seems 10 say tina
the mind only vindicates its powers the more, iron
Icing necessarily more introverted than with other:
This fact anu the unusual education of the Who'll
person, especially the hands, from the habit OF usin
the language OF signs, must ever make the socle
Of the Deaf and Dumb deeply interesting TO thos
who are capable of thought and observation The
present indeed the most interesting subject for tn
study the metaphyscisn and philoosist and W
are surprised that no more use has been made OF Il
The single fact that they t;nk IN signs, not ''ord'
opens volumes oispeculation.
Their minds come to ours with the freshness Q
foreigners, while, al the same time BY community 0
many circumstances in climate. constitution, &c. w
may establish an intimate connection with them anC
win the tull benefit of their impressions we can
not from foreigner
IS 10 be considered that our language is toreis1
them j i pa chinese 10 schoolhoy. Nor have they
the advantage which hearing foreigner would possess
In the study OF English, by becoming daily more faiis
with the Of the language from the mouths Of al
with whom ne should Become familiar Nor again arr
they forced rs foreigner would be, 10 make frequen
triais OK their skill IN procuring by of English
wnat tdey rced All their own conversation is in the
sign language Whatever they learn OF English bC
learned until they able TO read for themselves
Anew instructors who. except the recitation roon al
most necessarily speak to nem IN their native language
tits obvious how favorable this state of the Dea
and Dumb must be TO the original poetic element.
Q, language 10 the use OF hkenesses or images and
the direct expression OF simple feelings. Tbei,
style ia naturally ballad style, and reveals secret.
that seemed lost with the cradle Of humanity. We
have never seen any book significant in hi.
way than little English collection of prayers by
deaf and dumb boys at private school founded by
some lady, who represented TO them, as the Saint
theresa Rosal!a and Cecilia do 20 the Catholic tn
Ideal Of all that is pecns-v lovely and excellent il
woman. The description of moods of mind by thes,
boys the correspondence discerned between ,hei
own hves and the forms of nature, the swelling
lyric sweetness with which their aspirations art
expressed belong to the highest, simplest state o
poesy.
1t is from considerations like these that we looE
with deep in,eres, this important Institution. nc
less than from JOY at goodness and justice mani
rested toward portion Of our race less favored b,
nature than the rest. But indeed on this side, we