The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-01-29
An Asvlum for Idiots.

Major McCue, Of Augusta, mas 'us'" " ~
House Of Delegates proposition tor esssohsn'hs'
10 connection with the Deaf ana pumo ana ni'ha
Asylum, In Staunton, an institution 'of the recep
tlou aud education OF mbcehe anu idiotie persons.
In.,,,a,,on. of similar character have been es-
tabllshed In Europe and In some Northern states
,.i,b eomp,ete success. From some documents
psoed in our hands, we learn that the FIRST success
fuI experiment was made In Paris about twenty
i've years ago. The results are given by an intel
lIgsnt American, who devoted much Of his atten-
ton TO the education of idiots conducted in that
city lie says fortunately for the poor idiots,
the error Of those who denied them all intelligence,
and who pronounced them incurable, has been
proved. the interdict against them revoked, and
the fact triumphantiy established, that however
degraded their condition. however devoid Of all hui
man faculties they may seem to be, they carry
with them the holy spark which intelligent SYM
patty may inAame. During the past six months
have watched with eager interest the progress
which many Young idiots have made in Paris I'M
der the direction Of Mr.. Seguin, and at Bicetre un
der that Of Messrs. voisin aud Vale. and have
seen. with no less qualification than astonishment
nearly one hundred fellow beings who but n short
time since were shut out from all communion with
mankind-who were objects Of loathing and dis
gust many of whom rejected every article of cloth
Ing others of whom enable to stand erect croucbed
themselves In corners and gave signs Of live only
by piteous howls, others In whom the faculty OF
speech had never been developed, adn many whose
voracous and indiscr inmate gluttony satisfied 1t
self with whatever they conld lay hands upon
with the garbage thrown to swine. These unfortu-
nate beings, the rejected of humanity, have seen
properly clad, standing erect, walking, speaking,
eating 10 IN orderly manner at q common table,
working quietly as carpenters and farmers, gaining
their by own labor the Of existence, storing
their awakened intelligence by reading one to ano-
her, exercising towards their teachers and among
themselves the generous feelings of mans nature,
and singing In unison songs of Thanksgiving.
at IL q miracle. you will exclam, and 80 indeed
It H. miracle of intelligence of patience and OF
love. When expressed TO the teacher ofthe school
At Bicetre. NJ. Faile nv gratitude and my surprise
at the result of his efforts his reply was as pro-
fund as It was beautiful and modest. IL ne taut,
Monsieur, que Ia patience ct ie desir de bien tae-
Patience and the desire 10 do good are all that Is
necessary"
The reports of schools for idiots In Msssschu-
sets and Pennsylvania, show the same wonderful
results. Imbecie creatures have been brought
to Acknowledgement invested with habits of self
control, and made capable of rational happiness
and usefulness. 'To effect these results, however,
says writer this subject, sit il necessary that
they should enjoy regular and proper training at
an early age. II neglected, feeble minded chill
dren dsteriorste with fearful rapidity At ten
years. they often exhibit less capacity than at fve
and by the time they reach twenty, sink Unto all
but hopeless imbecility. On the other hand, were
oil such children subjected to patient and we'll di
rected nurture through their earlier years. large
proportion Of them would doubtless be saved from
the abject and disgusting condition. In which they
are usually found. Such nurture, however, is not
to be expected even iB the families of the wealthy
Rarely, now, have their inmates the skill, the lei
sure, the patience, or the enlightened, unfailing
love, which the work demands. In the homes Of
the poor, and of those in limited circumstances,
private training and instruction at present hard
ly possible Only the coarsest animal wants arc sup
piled. Every other Office of parent is regarded rs
irrelevant and useless and too often, these wretch
ed creatures are sent to an almshouse, to be fed
and housed like CATTLE and sometimes to be cruel
ly abused. Out of twenty-eight idiotic pupils re-
ceived in the Experimental School, established
near Boston, in the State of Massachusetts,, twenty
one could not feed themselves, twenty-five could
not dress themselves, several could not walk, and
but one could use language we'll; seventeen OF
them described by DIR. Howe, as dumb, either
absolutely or in effect. To such beings, If they
are left to themselves, increasing years can bring
only increasing alienation from all the rights,
enjoyments and duties that pertain to our nature.
Silence the necessity of special schools, where the
training required by their peculiar and forlorn
condition can be applied, regularly and syste-
matically."
The enlightened humanity which Virginia has
manifested 10 the noble institutions she has estab
lished for other classes of unfortunates leads Us
to hope that the proposition introduced by Major
McCue will command the warm appreciation of the
Legislature.