The national Republican., 1869-06-24

Kendall, VIM. W. Corcoran, Geo. W. Riggs,
Henry ID. Cooke, Charles Knap and Benja-
min y. French, of the District of Columbia,
with William Sprague, OF Rhode Island, J.
Payson Williston and George Merriam, OF
Massachusetts,, and Edison Fcssenden and
Thomas Smith, Of Hartford, Couu., sub
scribers OF free scholarships, will be held In
grateful remembrance by the young men
who havo received the immediate benefit of
their generosity and by all the friends OF the
college.
But during the year 1906 an incident oc.
Cured, the effect Of which was TO secure the
very end desired by the officers of the col
lege, and this In a manner wholly proyiden-
tlal, quite independent Of any plans or en-
deayors Of theirs. A young man, residing in
Gettysburg, Pa, who had become totally
deaf at the age Of flfteen, hearing Of the es-
tablishment OF the college, applied 10 Hon.
Thaddeus Stevens for aid In securing admis-
sion. Mr.. Stevens, with his we'll known
ready sympathy for the unfortunate, prom
ised tho young man his assistance, and ad-
dressed the president Of the college on the
subject. To his surprise he learned that
there was no law authorizing the FREQ ad-
mission Of students to the college save from
the District OF Columbia aud from the army
and navy. "What" said he, with no little
| indignation In his tone, shave we been ap-
propriating the money Of the United ststes
to build and sustain a college for tho deaf
mutes Of the country, into which deaf mute
from my district cannot be admittedp On
being Informed that such was tho fact Of the
defective legislation on the subject, he said,
"We will very soon remedy this error, and
the young man from Gettysburg shall be as
free to enter your college as he who comes
from the District Of Columbia" This rcso-
luton Mr.. Stevens carried into effcct, by
VNeS Rtt,fr ttafN Ia .f
| 1867, of a proviso attached to the appropria-
tion for the support Of the Institution, that
deaf mutes properly qualified, not exceeding
ten In number, should be admitted 10 the
| collegiate department of the institution,
| from any Of the States and Territories Of
| the United States, on the same terms and
conditions as had been previously pre-.
scribed ror residents Of tue District Of Co
| lumbla.
Thus did the silent appeal Of the Gcttys-
burg boy open the door for the higher edu-
cation Of his brothers 10 mis- sfortune through.
out the land. Thus did the veteran 'Tcadcr
of the House" OF the Fortieth Congress, in
| the midst of the heavy cares of State, which
were exhausting his falling strength, lind
time and vigor enough to secure from the
Government Of his country boon for the
deaf and dumb, the efficacy Of which shall
endure, as VIC trust and believe, till that day
leap as an hart and the tongue Of the dumb
shall sing"
While private benevolencc has performed
an important part in the inception of ouI
college work, to the Congress OF the United
States belongs the honor of establishing and
endowing the institution in a manner worthy
Of the Government Of great nation.
Our present distinguished Minister 10 Great
Britain, after describing, in his world-re-
l,t. .F al
the depression and distress which prevailed
throughout the low countries In the closing
year Of the 10th century, records notable
event In the following words; "And thus at
every point Of the doomed territory OF the
little commonwealth, the natural atmos.
phcrc In which the inhabitants existed wal
one Of blood and rapmc. Yet during the yer,
slight lull which was interposcd in the win
ter OF 1856 to the eternal clang OF arms iu
Frcsland, tho Estates of that province, tC
their lasting honor, founded the Unlyersit,
Of Franekcr; dozen years before the IA
nous Institution at Leyden had been estab
llshed as reward to the burghcrs for theii
heroic defence Of the city. And now thi
new proof was given OF the love of thu
Netherlands, even In tho midst of theiI
misery and their warfare, for the more hu.
maae arts. The new college was well en
dowcd from ancient church-lands, and mol
only was the education made nea rly gratuit
Gus, while handsome salaries were provided
for the professors, but provision was mad
by which the poorer scholars could be fec
and boarded at very moderate expense
the sum to be paid by thesc poorer classe
OF students being less than three pound.
sterling year. The voice with which thii
infant seminary OF the muses. first mad
itself heard above the din of war was bu
feeble, but the institution was destined t,
thrive, and to endow the world for man,
successive generations with the golden fruit
Of science and genius"
lfthc world Justly applauds this act of th
estates OF Friesland In providing the moan
OF higher education for the youth oil tn
State In general, at time when II was per
haps least TO be expected, shall not NOR
emphatic commendation be given In til
pages of history to that Government which
having In the first year of gigantic civil wal
furnished means for the rich endowment @
colleges in every quarter of its domain, wa
ready, in the closing year of the exhaustinI
struggle, while laboring under the pressur
Of enormous and unprecedented taxation, t,
assume the burden of maintaining a college
for class once deemed incapable of eve
the lowest degree Of education.
In this college, designed to be national /
, the bcstowal Of Its advantages, are alread
: : assembled students from every quarter @
the land. From the Keystone State hay
come six; from New England seven; fou
from the Empire State; while the States {
the West have sent seventeen, and cigl
, have come up from the South. These, wit
six from the District of Columbia, form al
, aggregate of forty youth, representa-
! sixteen States Of the Union, who have n
ceiycd the benefits for II longer or shorte
period Of the course of study opened to then
To those who are disposed TO inquire wha
! range OF requirement In the liberal arts
: open to the deaf and dumb, Il may be state
= that deafness, though 1t be total and col
genital, imposes no limits on the intcllectui
development of lis subjects, save In II
:, single direction of the appreciation of a
u coustic phenomena. The curriculum, thcr
: fore, In our college has been made to corr
spond In general TO what Is known as Il
acndcnical course In the best American co
=, lcges, with the design Of combining the ell
= mcnts of mathematics, science, histor
. phllology, linguistiCs, metaphysics and cthit
in such manner as to call into exercise a
:, the leading faculties of the mind, and TO pr
= pare the way for whatever line of intcllcctui
. effort may be suggested by the varying tastt
y and talents of individuals.
# To those who are iucllned to ask Will
c avenues OF usefulness are open to woll-edl
# Gated leaf mutes, II may be responded tina
/. even before the completion OF the cour
# Of the first graduating class have studen
d Of the college performed no inconsiderab
/. service to literature by the translation
/. foreign publications. Already have some
v them become valued contributors to publ
/. journals; already has an important fnye
a ton In leading branch OF science bee
+. made by one Of their number, while othe
n have been called to fll honorable position
In the Departments Of the Government ar
7 as teachers in the State institutions for Il
q deaf and dumb.
A. But VIC do not on this occasion feel Il
# need Of perJdl argument to prove the desir
c bleness Of collegiate education for the dc
\ and dumb.
a The Government OF the United States,
% that spirit Of enlightened liberulity whit
b. enacted the law for the endowment of ag
: cultural colleges in the several States, h
le determined that the experiment of affordiI
collegiate education to deaf mutes shall
4. tried. Funds necessary for tho purchase
I'd lands, the erection of buildings aud the eI
"a ployment Of competent professors have be-
m provided. Youth of the class designed to
benefited have eagerly sought to avail thel
40 selves OF the offered privileges, and to-da
In the persons OF our first graduating Clas