Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-01-22

The ASYLUM FOR THE DEAF, DUNE AND BLIND
An exhibition Of the pupils of the Columbian
Institution took place in the old hall of the House
OF Representatives last evening, and was, per-
haps, one of the most interesting affairs of the
KIND that has ever occurred In this CITY, The
concourse of citizens and strangers in attendance
was sufficiently large to crowd the hall SO that
numbers Were unable TO find seats In this cor.
nection We may mention the fact that the thanks
OF those present are due to Messrs Jas Owner
and James L.. Wright, for their exertions to in
crease the accommodations.
The meeting was called 10 order by Hon Amos
Kendall, President of the Board of Trustees of
the Asylum, after which the Rev. Mr. samson
onsred an eloquent and appropriate prayer.
teacher In the Asylum, Edward Nj. Galaudet,
Esq, who delivered a very interesting address
He commenced by remarking that the educa-
non OF deaf mutes and the blind, unknown in
century, Is now so general that any argument to
prove its feasibility is uncalled for. The spirit
of bgoted incredulity which chilled the hearts
sympathy and cooperation with all well directed
endeavorS TO ameliorate the condition of the m
Fortunate; aud there is now scarce State in this
Confederacy which does not make liberal prOvi-
sion for those of its children to whom the senses
or sight or hearing are denied.
For many centuries after the Saviour had loosed
the tongues of the dumb, and opened the ears of
the deaf and the eyes OF the blind, the children
of silence and darkness remained nncared for
They Were born, and they lived and died and
thus, generation after generation, was their brief
history written. Without education, social priv
iieges, or legal rghts-without sympathy i'm this
world, or hope in that to come-they entered
upon and passed of from the stage of human ac-
tion. Family ut first the light from the sun of
intelligence dawned upon them on the other side
OF the Atlantic; and not until years after many
portions OF Europe had been blessed by the
slowly dihusing beams was there an attempt
made to Introduce the benign rays to our own
shores. Forty years ago a little band of mutes
gathered around their teacher in a neig hborhood
hard by the quiet waters of the broad Connecti-
cut, and sazed wonderingly at the lessons of
wisdom which fell from his expressive fingers
The speaker proceeded to recount the history
OF this education in the United States, abiding
especially TO the astonishing rapidity with which
schools were multiplied. State after State took
the matter up. and in rapid succession pronounced
the sacred " Ephphatha' to the closed ears with
in their borders.
He also noticed the Introduction Of the instruc.
ton Of the blind. Not thirty years ago, said he,
the philanthTopic Howe opened, in the Old Bay
State, with six pupils, the first school in this
country for the instruction Of the blind Now
upwards of a score Of similar institutions are es.
tablished, and, by the facilities they afford nine
hundred young immortalS whose natural eyes are
closed have wildly displayed 10 their mental
vision the beauties of the Gospel and the price,
less treasures of science OF so recent date is the
introduction of these systems of education, that
some Of the pioneers in the work are vet i'm the
vigorous exercise of all their faculties, and still
engaged in the labor, vet the feasibility Of the
subject is thoroughly tested that they have
Witness permanent h
lishment in the land.
Under its influence pupils have been instructed
and are now useful members of society And
yet, he added, while the despotic Governments
OF Europe have for years ministered to their I'M
fcrtunates; while public and private charity
have freely lavished their bounty in every enight-
ened nation on the deaf, dumb and blind, while
the care of these has become in our own land
vital portion Of our system Of popular education;
while millions of dollars have been expended by
the several states TO secure for these classes con-
venient buildings, and thousands annually
appropriated for their support; whils even the
General Government has opened its Golfers and
made generous appropriation to aid the State in
stitutions and while Congress has munifcently
provided for the sick, manned, infrm and in
sane in the District of Columbia, the sun of the
year just closed, first dawned on a portion of our
common country, where the deaf, the dumb and
the blind were permitted to grow up in utter TO-
norance and that portion, too, is under the rspe-
cial care OF our National Legislature.
But, thank Heaven, within the past wear be-
nevolent men have associated for the purpose of
remedying this neglect, and by their energy and
the aid received from last Congress have sue
Ceeded in establishing an institution which in
the few months of its existence has, to some ex-
TENT fulfilled the benevolent designs Of its found
MIR. 6. desired his auditors to remember that
the great object of such institutions is not 10
afford an asylum where these unfortunate classes
may be maintained rs paupers at public cost
during their lives, bat to fit themselveS to contt nd
successfully in the battle of life and tai honor
able positions side by side with those who pos
sess the use of all their faculties As the efforts
already made for their reclamation from a condi-
tion of normal imbecility have been SO successful
he deemed u unnecessary TO detail the course
OF training, &c., and proceeded to consider the
matter in pecuniary light. The number of pu-
pills graduated from institutions in this country
j. about 600, and the average cost of instructin1
and maintaining them is estimated at SIsO Der
annum. The average period allotUd for each TO
remain at school is six and half wears; thus the
cost Of educating these 5000 has exceeded 3d.
5OO,HO. The amounts pended on lands build
ings, &c. about 81 500 600, should not enter into
the estimate. since they permanent invest
ments and by the rise in value of real estate the
property Is worth more now than when first ap-
pfopTldted. The rigid and manipulating econ
omist may say, Why expend this vast amount on
classes comprising so small a proportion of the
community
Besides the cogent humanitarian reasons to be
given in reply. the speaker urged that il left un-
educated, the blind, deaf and dumb must be
necessarily consigned TO pauperism, while with
education, they can become self supporting AZ
ter 3,5OO.OO0 have been expended on them the
3,ro graduated pupils ab1ve alluded to have
ceased to be dependent and become productive
AVera2n ing their ages at Is years, and the cost of
supporting each nj 500 Per annum, and we have
an aggregate of =, 100 900 AZ the sum their main
tenance would have cost when destitute of edu-
cation Thus the amount saved through their
Instruction is shown to be as follows Add TO
the cost Of their ina intenance in the Institution
$50 per annum as the expense OF supporting them
from infancy up to the age of fifteen years, and
INC "uolc Gust OF tdklng care OF and educating
the ., UW until they became competent to provide
for themselves will he $3.50, go. Therefore
the country by providing for their education is
already actually the gamer of nearly 81 500 900
Mr. q. closed his address with an earnest an
peal TO Congress aud to the people Of the District
to aid the Columbia Institution for the instruc-
ton of the deaf, dumb and blind. The buItben
or sustaining IL has become too heavy for the
noble few through whose perseverance and gen
erosity IL was establi shed and unless assistance
shall be obtained from some quarter, it must
sink
On the conclusion of the address, blind pupil
perfo med a sacred air The piano, ascompanied
with singing by her fellow blind pupils
This part of the exercises was succeeded nv
the deaf and dumb pupils being respectively
called out on the floor and representing by signs
various natural phenomena, the passions, &c.
Among the signs given by them, at the request
OF teacher, MIR. Jas. Dennson. (who Is likewise
a mute y were those representing love, hate fear
terror. the sun. snow, the sea, anger, vanity
humility, courage, and angels.
Several Of the pupils then took their places on
the stand, where they wrote number Of words
on the blac kboard. To show that they under
stand written language numerous requests for
Them TO perform certain acts written on the
he nd he mil