Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1869-06-23


theirs A Young man, residing In 6ety.ourg.
Pennsylvania, who had become totally deaf at
the age of hfseen. bearing OF The establish nent
OF the College, applied 70 the Hon. Thaddsus
Stevens for aid in securing admission. Mr..
Stevens, with his well-known ready 81 npatay
for the unfortunate, promised the yoaas N "A
dent Of the College on the subject. To
his surprise he learned that there was no
law authorizing the free admission of stu
dents to the College save from the District OF
Columbia and from the army and navy
Nv hai"' said ne. with no little indignation In
his tone, shave we been appropriating the
a college for the deaf mutes of the ecu try, into
which deaf mute from my district canno be
admitted p Oa being informed that such was
the fact OF the defective Legislation on the sub
error, and the Young man from Gettysburg
snail De as free TO enter your college rs ne who
comes from the District Of Columbia" This
resolution Mr.. Stevens carried into effect, by
procuring the passage, ON the I'd of March,
1867, Of . provIso attached to the appropriation
for the support Of the institutton. that delf
number, should be admitted to the coilegi ate
department. OF the institution, from any OF the
States and Territories Of the United States, on
the same terms and conditions as Id been
previously prescribed for residents Of the Dis.
tIict of Columbia.
Thus did the silent appeal of the Getty sburg
boy open the door for the higher edu alton Of
hls brothers in misfortune throughout the land
Tins did the veteran Leader OF the House, Of
the Forteth Congress, IN the midst of the he IVY
cares OF State, which were exh,usting his faii-
ing strength, find time and vtgor enough to
secure from the Government of his country
boon for the deaf aud numb, the efficacy OF
which shall endure, as we trust and believe
II that day OF Joy aud ps Ace whea the "lame
nau shall leap as an hart and the tongue of
the dumb shall sting"
While private benevolence has performed an
important part In the inception OF our college
work, TO the Congress OF toe United States be-
longs the honor Of establis hing and endo wing
the Institution in manner worthy OF the Gov
eminent OF great nation.
. Our present distinguished Minister to Great
Britain, after describing, in his world re-
nowned history Of the United Netherlands, the
depression and distress which prevailed
throug hout the low countries in the closing
year OF the 10th century, records q notable
event in the following words: "And thus at
every point Of the doomed territory of the little
commonwealth the natural atmos phere in
which the Inhabitants existed was one Of blood
and rapine. Yet during the very slight lull
the eternal clang Of arms in Friesland, the
Estates Of that province, to their lasting honor,
founded the University Of Franeker; a dozen
years before the famous institution at Leyden
had been established as a reward to the bu-gh.
ers for their heroic defense of the city. And
now TINS new proof was given Of the love of
the Netherlauders, even in the midst OF their
misery and their warfare. for the more
humane arts. The new college was we'll
endowed from ancient church-lands. and
not only was the education made nearly
provided for the Professors, but provision was
MADE by which the poorer scholars could be
fed and boarded at very moderate expense:
the sum 10 be paid by these poorer classes of
students being less than three pounds sterling
year The voice with which this infant
seminary OF the muses. first made itself heard
institution was destined to thrive, and to endow
the world for many successive generations
with the golden fruits OF science and genius"
If the world justly applauds this act of the
estates Of Friesiand in provid ng the means of
higher education for the youth OF the State in
general, al time when it was perhaps least 10
be expected, shall not more emp hatic commsn.
dalton be given in the pages of history to that
Govern ment which, having in the first wear OF
gigantic civil war, furnished means for the
rich endowment of colleges in every quarter of
its domain, was ready, in the closing ye3r OF
the exhausting struggle while laboring under
the pressure of enormous and unprecrdented
taxation, to assume the burden Of maintaining
a college, for class once deemed incapable of
even the lowest degree Of education.
In this College, designed to be national in the
oestowal OF its ad advantages, are already assem-
from the Keystone State have come six: from
New ENGLAND seven: four from the Empire
State; while the States OF the West have sent
seventeen, and eight have come up from the
South. These, with six from the District OF
Columbia, form an aggregate OF forty EIGHT
youth, representing sixtca States of the Unien,
who have received the benefits for q longer or
shorter period of the course Of study opened 10
them.
To those who are disposed to inquire what
range OF requirement IN the liberal arts is open
to the deaf and dumb, it may be stated hat
deafness, though II be total and cong.ni IN.
poses no limits on the intellectual de velopment
OF ITS subjects, save in the single direction OF
the appreciation of acoustic Phenomena The
curriculum, therefore, in our College has been
made to correspond in general to what's known
as the acadt mical course IN the best American
Colleges, with the design Of com biz ing the .le.
meats of mathematics, science, ms tory, philol.
ogy, linguis'ics, metaphysics, and ethics, in
q nnh . nunvA 30 ...kz
leading faculties of the mind, ana to prepare
the way for whatever line OF intellectual effort
may be suggested by the varying tastes ana
talents OF indi viduale.
To those who are Inclined to ask what ay.
enues ef usefulness are open to welI-educat
deaf mutes, II may be responded that even be.
fore the completion OF the cour1e OF the first
graduating class have students Of the college
performtd no uncomfortable service TO Iitera.
tnre by the translation OF foreign publications
Already have some OF them become valued
important invention IN a leading branch of
science hen made by one of their number,
while others have b en- called to Ill honorable
positions in the department. of the Govern.
for the deaf and dumb.
But we do not OF this occasion feel the need
OF rerbdi argument to prove the disturbances
The Government Of the United States, IN that
spirit OF enlightened liberality which enacted
the law for the endowment OF agricultural
that the experiment Of affording collie gate edu.
cation to deaf mutes shall be tried Funds
necessary for the puI chase Of lands, the cree.
ton Of buildings and the employment OF COM
petent professors have been provided. Youth
OF the class designed TO be benefited have
eagerly sought to avail themselves of the
offered privileges. and to day, in the persons of
our first graduating clase, 60 forth the liring
arguments winch shall prove whether the
Government has done well or i'll in their BEHALF
They, and those who shall follow them wear
by year, m ust wer the question, "What can
educated deaf.mutes doF'-must show whether
they cen render TO society an adequate return
IN the labor and influence Of their man hood
for the favors they have received at its hands
during the formative and receptive years of
youth.
In the belief that the result will abuudan
vindicate the wisdom Of Congress in founding
and sustaining our college, shall we, its off,
GERS, go forward in our work,-placing our
trust in that Providence which has sIKnallv
seconded our efforts thus far: and relyipg on
tie benevolence of an enlightened Christian
people, making itself effective through the acts
OF their national legislators, to perfect and
settle on foundations which NAV endure till
time shall be no more the work they have
nobly begun.
The address of Professor 0allaudet was re.
cetved with applause, At the close, by the hear.
Ing portion OF the audience, and the deaf mutes,
OF whom there were several present other than
the students OF the College.
Professor Scala, with his blnd, performed a
rejection from Fra Diavolo, after which Mr.
nj De- 81 Me-