Daily American telegraph., 1851-12-27
LIABLE DE L'EPEE,
FIRST INsTIruToR OF DEAF AND DUNE school


ought to be inscribed with indelble characters
in the history of the people. Each generation
has to transmit the remembrance of their BEN
ehts to the following one in order that their
name, surrounded with respect and yeneration,
may reach the remotest posterity
No one deserves the title Of benefactor of hu-
manity with more justice than the Able de
PEpee, the first institutor of deaf and dumb
schools. He came into the world on the 25th
of November, 1912. His father, a distinguished
gentleman and architect Of the King used his.
best endeavors to produce the love virtue in his
son, and cultivate altogether his intelligence
and his heart.
From his youth, Michel de pEpee showed q
great love for study, feelings of piety deeply
| rooted 10 his soul, and an irreproacbable con-
duct. The practice of good became constant
and necessary habit The nature of his mind
prompted him to embrace the ecclesiastical ca
reer. However, in order to satisfy the wishes
of his father, he commenced when seventeen
years old, the study of laws but having over
come the opposition Of his father, he went into
a religious order, and two years after received
the canonry Of Fouges. There he devoted
himself to preaching, and obtained great sue
cess.
The religious quarrels which divided France
at the time, obliged him to give up his profess
sion. But soon after, Providence opened to
him the career in which he was going to illus
trate himself gentleman of the name Of
Vann had under his care two young daughters,
deaf and dumb whom he tried to educate by
means of images and figures printed upon pa
per. Having died, before performing his task,
PAbbe de PEpee was called in his stead
There he found field for exercising his tai
ents, and he did not long put his mind up to
| the task before improving thesysteem of teach
ing,
believed, the inventor of the art Of teaching the
monastery of Ona in Spain, and man of the
name of Peter Ponce, who introduced it
first, in the middle of the sixteenth century
The first of these methods consisted in teach
ing the deaf and dumb to understand the move
ments of his lips, and cause them to articulate
sounds; another had for its basis the manual
alphabet, called Dactyologie or Dactylologic.
In this method the fingers, by their movements,
represented letters and words
Liable de FEpee felt the insuficiency of
these two means as well as the method by cuts.
He reflected a long time, looked with patient
zeal, and finally found the method of combn-
ed signs By this method the gesturers ex-
press more the thoughts than the words and
are however, submitted to grammatical rules
This gesticulated language received the
name of Mimic. 1t was conceived in such a
way as to be equally extended to the instruc-
ton of the deaf aud dumb of all reticns, for in
all languages the same idea is expressed by
the same gesture. Gestures are universal
language
With that method improved by constant
and assiduous practice, the Able de PEpee ar
rived to instruct, in a short time, some deaf and
dumb children He took them to his house. in
order to watch more carefully over their edu-
cation A small establishment was then form
ed, at the expense of this good man. But their
expenses having soon oyerreached his income
he applied to some benevolent persons, especial
ly to the Duke of Penthievre who helped him
in his work.
But in spite of his strenuous efforts, he could
not obtain the direct assistance of the Govern
mcnt and thus lay the basis of the institutions
upon a solid foundation. However, the illus
trious man received from foreign courts testi-
monies Of the veneraton inspired by his gen.
erous devotion. Catharine of Russia and
Joseph ii offered him brilliant reward
if he would come and live in their State.
liable de FEpee refused, asking only from
the Czarina pupil that he would instruct
and send back to his country, in order that she
might teach on his turn, and propagate his
method.
liable de rEpce was then living at Paris,
Moulins street IA. One day he was going to
say mass at St Roch, when an unknown gentle
man came in, asking the favor of taking the
place Of the child who used to serve it.
After mass, the foreigner followed the Abbot
to his school the lesson over, the visiter profer
ed him small packet as testimony of his
admiration and esteem. 1t was magnificent
snuff box, enriched with diamonds, and adorn-
ed with the portrait of Joseph the Second, En-
peror Of Austria, The foreigner who had serv-
ed mass was the Emperor himself Some time
after, he sent to him one Of his priests, who
having received the lessons of the Able de
pEpee, became director Of the first Austrian
establishment in favor of the deaf and dumb.
Though almost octogenary, and being afflict-
ed with many infrmities, and in order to give
more comfort to his pupils, he inflicted upon
himself the most severe privations. He spent
the hard winter of 1888 without fire in his
house. One day, his pupils having found out
the sacrifices he was making for them, came
with tears in their eyes, begging him, in their
animated and figurative language to take care
of himself, for they could not live without
him
Liable de PEpee had reached the apogee Of
his glory in 1889. He had formed disciples
worthy Of continuing his work. Nothing was
left undone which he could do, in this world
his task had been worthly fulfilled He gave
up his ghost on the 23d of December, 1889. A
numerous crowd attended his funeral, and the
National Assembly sent deputation to his
burial.
Eighteen months after, the oath of July, 1871,
the Constituent Assembly voted a resolution
that the Able de PEpce would be ranked
among the men who have well deserved from
humanity