Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1857-05-02

these institutions were not erected merely 10 graft
fy n sckly sensibility Of sentimental benevoence
They are part of the ordinary Common School
System, are only extraordinary in the mode o
instruction. They are part OF system which
casting bread upon the waters, it returns after ma
ny days, rich harvest Of educated mind.
Mr.. President, 1 maintain that the system oil
public instruction should be extended to all the
youth Of the State; and that as the State has
opened schools for the instruction of the blind,
and the deaf and dumb, because they could not be
benefited in the common shOOls, for the same rea
son it should provide and appropriate means
to educate the imbecile youth The bill before
US assumes that they can be, and sir, in my
preceding remarks, | have assume the same
thing Experience has answered this inquiry
It is no longer experiment. Upon subject
like this facts are better than theory, and some
times bring home conviction when mere abstract
reasoning fails. The man who first conceived and
put into practical effect the idea of educating Id
OTIS still lives, and if mistake not, was recently
a resident Of this State. | doubt not that the
name of DR.. Edward Seguin, will be transmitted
to posterlty as of the real beneactOrS OF the
race. | know sir, he dOes not tke his place in
in the temple of fame in the orthodox manner,
that is with hands dripping with human gore, the
desolator Of cities and human hearts.
His triumphs are tame such became the
Saviour Of men, who came not to desJate with
fiery passions, but to beautify with the love OF
God. Dir. Segun's first labors were in Paris but
the fame Of his humanitarian efforts soon reached
our shores, and awakened the attention OF Ameri-
can philanthropists. The old Bay State took the
lead in this benevolent enterprise. Massachu-
sets has two schools for the education OF idi-
OTIS. An ASYLUM is established in the state Of
New York, and one in Pennsylvania. Connect.
cut and Kentucky have both taken steps towards
the establishment Of similar institutions.
Permit to dctain the Senate few moments
while read some instances of the result of these
schools. select such instances as are corohorat-
ed by my own observation and of which | have
had ocular demonstration. | read from the re-
port Of the Commissioners on Idiocy, submitted to
the General Assembly of the State of Connecticut
at its May session. The cases described are pu-
pills in the New York State Asylum at Syracuse,
under the charge Of the excellent DR.. II. &. Will
bur.
Matte and Willie, now II and II years Of age
were taken from the idiot house on RandalPe l.
land, by DR.. Wilbur in Dec, 1851. Their APP
pearance, described by persons who saw them
at that time, must have been painful and disgust
ing in the extreme. Both had been idiots from
birth, both were partially paraiyzed, and both en-
tirely dumb, and not capable of understanding
more than dozen words. So hopeless was their
condition that the physician at RandalPs Island,
who was absent when Dr. Wilbur selected theu,
on his return, wrote to DR.. w, expressing his re-
gret at his selection, he feared that it would
only bring disgrace upon the effort tn instruct d
OTIS, to attempt the instruction of those VINO were
so evidently beyond the reach of improvement.
Both now exhibit as much intelligence as or
dnary children of their age. Nei,her speaks
very huently, in consequence of some paralysis
but both are improving rapidly in this respect
Both write well on the blackboard. In thorough
knowledge of grammar and geography, very few
children, of their age, their equals. In very
severe and protracted examination in geography,
embracing minute details in regard to the topOgra.
ply of most Of the counties on the globe, and
many particulars in regard to physical geogral by,
and drawing maps upon the blackboard, neither
they the other members Of class of six or
seven missed a single question. In grammar,
both supplied adjectives, nouns verbs, or adverbs
to given verbs and nouns with remarkable prompt
ness and to an extent which would have severe
ly taxed my vocabulary. In arithmetic, both ex-
hibted perfect familiarity with the ground rules,
and Matte gave mt once, any and all multipies OF
numbers as high as l32, and added. multiplied,
and divided fractions with great readiness.
in Bible History, they related, partly in panto-
mine bot in most graphic way, any required
Bible incident. The extremely amiable and atfec-
tionate manners Of these two interesting children
and the intense activity of their new developed
intellects, render them particularly attractive to
the visitor.
81. c., girl of Is years of age, has been un-
der DR.. Wilburs care little more than four
years. When received, she was mischevious and
vicious, very nervous, and could not speak dis
tnctly She could not be left alone with other chii
dren from propensity to inj ure them She
knew some Of her letters, but could not be taught
to read or write by any ordinary methods.
''She now reads we writes a handsome hand,
is remarkably proficient in geography and gram
mar. and has made good progress in addition and
subtraction. She ssws very neatly, and is very
capable as an assistant in household Matters
Her nervousness is no longer troublesome, her
waywardness has entirely disappeared. In re-
spect to moral training, she seems moro advanced
than most of the other pupils. She maniiests II
remarkable familiarity with Bible history, and
with the events in the life of our Saviour. When
requested to repeat the Lords Prayer, she did SO
with reverence, an impressiVeness, aud an evil
dent understanding of its petitions which exhibit
ed in a very favorable light, her intelligence and
thong ughtfuness and as listened to this once VIC
ous and wayward idiot, thus uttering, in our Sa
viours own words, her petitions to the throne OF
heavenly grace, | was more deeply impressed than
ever before. with the adaptation of that sublime
prayer to every human want"
! have recited these cases not as isolated in
stances but as indicative of the general success
of the system. / do not suppose that
equal success would attend every case.-
There may be some upon whom all effort would
be fruitless, in whom it would be impossible to
excite any sufficient mental action. There may
be others upon whom the impression would be
transcient. and who would again relapse into the
nelpleSSneSS OF lulOcy' SOuluhh eCuooi hStluO-
ton does not profit all who parake of it alike
But sir great fact is established. The imbe-
ce youth may be educated. The divine spark
so feeble that its exterior evidences scarcely Wis,
ible, may he kirtiled into glow that shall light
his pathway to heaven. Once at the voice OF the
ncaruate God sounding through the rigid portals
of the tomb, corruption trembled in.o life so
here love blending with instruction is the resur-
rection of the soul. The man is restored--not in
all his goodly proportions not in all hisistrength,
but unlike the being of yesterday as life is I'M
like the grave
1t may be thought, know it is sometimes said
that the instruction Of idiots is not mental cutiva,
ton, but if it be learning at all is only "learning
by note" suppose by this is meant the learning
which the lower animals may acquire. | would
not degrade creature "male in the image Of
God" by so unworthy & comparison. But if this
be true, it seems to mo that "a learning by note
which reforms vicious habits and disgusting prac
tices and in their place substitutes the proprieties
and decensies of life is, however lightly some
may esteem it, valuable acquisition amply COM
pensating the pains to obtain it. But | am not