The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1847-05-06
IF. MCCLELLAN, Printer.

pended"
-" The mode of teaching her has been de-
tailed in former Reports, and as she has not
entered upon any new course OF study during
the past year, l shall not now occupy your
time with any details respecting her instruc-
ton. A general review Of her character and
department during the past year gives rise to
some agreeable reflections. In former years,
though she presented an extraordinary exam
pie Of gentleness, truthfulncss, and affection,
she showed, like most children, occasional ex-
cesscs of feeling, which required her conduct
to be under the regulation of others so that
she was not entirely free moral agent. Du-
ring the last year, the reins Of authority have
been slackened she has been allowed to fol-
low more freely her own inclnations; and
though her teacher has been, as in former
years, her constant companion, and doubt
less exercised great influence over her, yet
her society and companionship have been
rather sought by Laura than imposed upon
her. Opportunity has thus been given herto
develop her individuality of character, and
to exercise her moral powers by selfguid-
ance.
1t would have been practicable to keep her
in leading strings still longer, and, by taking
advantage of habit, to require unconditional
obedience for years to come, though this might
have been difficult, for she evidently inherits
a strong selEwill; but the time had arrived
when she ought to begin to govern herself;
she showed considerable capacity for doing SO,
and it would have been wrong to keep her in
subsection.
Not only was it right to give her consider
able freedom of action, but to have withheld
| it would have been injurious to her moral
| growth, by the loss of that exercise in self
government which prepares one for complete
| independence of thought and action. The re-
suit of leaving her in comparative freedom
has shown that sclfgovernment, when the
proper age for it has arrived, and the previ-
Gus habits have been good, is as much better
than foreign government, as walking by the
aid of its own bones and muscles is better for
child than going in leading strings
Her thoughts, as l remarked before, have
been of a more serious nature, and her con-
duct more sober, during the past year, than in
former times This is probably the natural
consequence of the lowered tone Of her phys
zeal health, and not, as I have been able to
discover, Of any thought or fear of death.
Already with returning health and strength
there appear glimpSes Of her former gayety of
heart; and though she may never again be
the merry, thoughtless girl that she was, VIC
may hope to see in her happy and cheerful
woman. She will no longer be the same OBJ
jject of public curiosity and interest that she
has been, but she will not be the object of less
care and affection to her friends, so long as
her frail life shall last
Oliver CAswELL, the deaf and blind
mute, whose case has been so often related has
been in good health during the past ycar,an
continues to be the same gentle and" amiable
boy as ever.
His progress in learning language and ac-
quiring intellectual knowledge is comparative
| " slow, because he has not that fneness OF
fibre, and that activity of tcmperament,w (which
enables Laura to struggle so successfully
against the immense disadvantages under
which they both labor Still he continues to
make gradual improvement, and can express
his thoughts pretty we'll upon all ordinary
subjects.
His case proves, therefore very clearly, that
the success of the attempt made to instruct
Laura Bridgman was not owing solely to her
uncommon capacity. Oliver is a boy Of rath-
er unfavorable organization, and of sluggish
temperament; he had been deaf and blind
from infancy; he received no instruction I'M
til he was twelve years old, consequently he
lost the most precious years for learning !;
nevertheless, he has been taught to express
his thoughts both by the finger language and
by writing he has become acquainted with,
the rudimerts of the common branches Of
education, and is an intelligent and morally
responsible person. Henceforward there can
be no excuse for leaving any deaf and blind
mute, who has ordinary capacity, in the state
of irresponsible idiocy TO which persons in his
situation have heretofore been condemned by
high legal authorities as well as by public
opinion. ....
divers memory is not tenacious. A great
part of what has been taught him be forgets
| in month afterwards. This is true Of all
the intellectual branches, especially Of those
in which objects are not used as Illustrations;
but it is not true of the mechanic arts, of the
knowledge of persons and things with which
he comes in contact. He is very apt learn
err at any handiwork he delights i'll the use
of tools, and oXcels most of his companions in
the workshop. He never torgets Il lesson
which has been taught him there, because it
is a lesson upon objects.
The importance Of appealing to tho evil
dence of the senses, in teaching children, is
sometimes overlooked by those who suppose
that the advantage Of it is confined to know
ledge of visible and material things; whereas
it really extends much farther, and aids the
mind in mastering abstract subjects. Strict
ly speaking, words are Objects bare des-
cription of steam engine would be a lesson
on objects; the words are substitutes for the
thing; the learner tries to see with the ear;
his mind, sitting within like a judge, receives
the evidence through one sense that ought to
have been given through another; but this is
secondhand evidence and therefore weaker:
it is as if it had been translated out of one
language into another, and lost much of its
spirit in the process. Ii Il model is used in
the lesson, the advantages extend as far as
the resemblance is perfect; but even suppos-
ing tho size and appearance of the model to
be the same as those Of the original,still much
of the language must be translated and weak
cned; the motion, the noise, and the effect
r..1ct ,n ,-n,.rn.nrt I'll L,. rnl.la II die lnssnn