Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1858-01-29


Oar sympathies are warmly enlisted IN
the benevolent project Of establishing school
for those infrm in intellect, whom disease or
accident has deprived of ordinary natura!
advantages. We learn that bill is now be
fore the Legislature, which has this touching
and yhi!autbropic object in view. 10 doubt
that IL will receive unanampu5 vote, would
be 10 wrong the sense of benrvHlcnce, OF pity.
Of Justice, which reigns in the bOsoms OF our
legislators. How cln they who hourly en-
ioy all the bounticS and beauties revealed
through the intellect and the senses--ThOse
eyes daily contemplate the giorie5 OF Nature
and Ari--whose ears are open - all deli
cIuuS harmOnIes whose hands have known
the tender touch IF friendship or OF love
whose utelecr- rcvei in the delight OF copng
" tn uther mind - whose hearts are stirred
vi b all the varied emotions thar give a
charm to liGe--tayen the most Flooding and
prosac life)--hOw can they refuse ID the
poor idiot, whose intellect Is immersed IN
mid light dark ncss-whOSe eyes, liked on va
cancy, "seeing see moi" -whOse ears are seal
ed hose heart Is uuawakened by single
throb of tenderness or bappinesS-wbOse
frame is a total stranger to the joyous pulse Of
health, which makes the very sense OF be
ing" a pleasure to tue young--now can they
refuse to such pitiabe object that ameIl1r"-
ton ut udItiun which II IL IN their power u
grant? The result It the schools IN success u
progress III France, IL Engl md. andoth parts
of Eurore-in Massachusetts and IN Pcnt
y,nia-glveS abundant testimony that the
physicai and mental position OF the IDIOT,
once pronounced hopeless, may be wonder
fully improved. Man lacks the great creative
power which belong to the hand Divine
The former cannot gire the faculty which the
latter has Withheld, but the power to deret0P
is 80 potent that, IN some OF It's effects, II
nearly approaches the power 10 create.
) q. II0re,- President of the Massachu-
sets school for lots, states that the doe
trinc Of the cis mciicdtiC ndtWW-the cuFa-
tive tendency OF uaturu-eyer holds good
and should be kept continually in mind, IN
the treatment OF idiOtic children. just "a "A
bent plant continually strives to grow perPen-
dicuiarly, 50 an abnormal or diseased b"dy
tends to become normal and sound, during
its period Of growth. The trustees OF the
school report that great changes are NAM
Tested in mbeGile children placed under their
care. in the course OF Il few months. The
turbulent and unc!eanIy become neat, docile,
aud cheerful; those who were more yOracIUu5
and gluttoncus than animals, soon eat mode.
ratcly and Geceutly-iIld their napkins and
await the signal to arise ana 20 u their
sp ,rts. They attend church regularly, and,
at times exhibit a faint idea of dGvOtIOn.--
h .l.at ON
crevices OF the darkened mind: beam from
on high may at these moments enter IN and
show tie tar of image ot DEITY?
Dr. Connolly, IN his description OF Wis 1t
10 Bicetre Asylum, mt Paris, says, that the
ldiotlc pupils were taught to sing, aecumpn-
med by various instruments, and kept excel
lent tine and tune. Both the eplleptic and
idi0tlc we're instructed how to write, and their
copy books would have done credit to any
writing school for young persons. Numer-
Gus exercises Of u military character were
gone through with perfect correCtne7s-and
by . collection of beings Offering the small
est degree Of intellectual promise.
joseph Parrish, superintendent of the
Pennsylvania training school tor the IdlotIc
and feeble mindcd, reports, IN 1857, that
number Of the children can sing IN concert;
others can read short sentences; others spell;
others study geography and arithmetic; 9TH
ers engage in elementary drawing and VIII
ting; others sew nr knit, etc
We feel assured that public sympathy must
be aroused 10 Virginia, when 1t Is known how
much the labors Of the physIoioglst and PHI
antropi>t, the strict but gentle discipline OF
training schools, have accomplished else
where. Not in vain shall we repeat to the
members of our Legislature the impressive
words Of President Hove: I'VE must see
that our brother and our ward. the poor idl-
ot has not his single talent so buried 10 the
napkin of the flesh, that it shall fail OF re-
turning to God, who lent 1t, the increase
which is required from aii."-Rich Eng.