The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-04-24

Making tho Dumb to Speak and tho Deaf to
He"r--OrlEin of Muto ABylums in tho
United States.
[FRoh OUR OWN CoRREsroHDRST1
WASHINGTON, ID. c., April 22.-In
accordance with your request for
an article in regard to dcafmutc edu-
cation &c. in the United States, the
present article is written, but must be
brief, giving merely all outline of the
subject, and leaving to those who desire
to become thoroughly acquainted with
it to read the literature in relation to
the matter for themselves.
Comparing the condition of the deaf
mutes of to-day, with what il was in
ancient and medieval nations, the
Romans for instance, a prodigious step
will be seen to have been made in the
march of civilization. In the former
case, if properly educated, mutes are,
in most instances, respectable and use
full members Of society; while in the
latter case if any one, young or old,
either naturally or by accident became
deaf, it was believed to be "a clear token
ofthe curse Of the gods, which de-
prived him Of the rights and privileges
ofRoman citizenship, and he was mcri-
lessly led to execution. 1t is only
within the nineteenth century, that the
present able system Of deaf-,nutc in
struction in this country has received
the attention and encouragement which
every dictate Of humanity and Chris
tianity clearly shows the subject de-
mands, though the causes which led to
Its rise date as far back as the reign Of
Louis XIV. And perhaps few uncon-
nectcd with dcal-mutes know that the
system is one Of the indirect results of
the prosecutions Of that monarch.
Among those who fled to America from
his cruelty, was All ancestor of Rev. n.
Fl. Gallaudct, LID, the founder and
pioneer OF dcafmutc instruction in
this country and father Of the present
president of the National Dcaf-Mute
College, and benefactor, to whom,
more than to any other man, the deaf
mutes Of the United States owe the
blessing Of being brought from lives
Of isolation, desolation, moral and i'll
tellectual darkness, which their class
only century-nay, hardly yovcr half
century-sincc were compelled to lead
from tho lack of proper methods of
treatment. His name is 50 indissolublv
connected with the rise of the intcllcc.
tual and moral improvement of this
class OF our population that few re-
marks in regard to him will be in order.
When still very young he gave evil
dcnccs of those remarkable talents
which so chlinently qualified him for
the mission to which he was afterwards
called. After record second to none
III his class; he graduated from Yale
College about the year 1905. He then
studied law, but health failing, he tried
succcssively the positions Of tutor in
Yale College, and travelling agent for
business house in New York. In
1911 he studied theology, and was
licensed to preach three Years later :
but, meantime, he had become
intensely interested in Alice Cors-
well, a bright child Of q ncighbor,
who had grown deaf through sickness.
and to whom he had succeeded in i'm,
parting knowledge of many simple
words and sentences, by methods sug-
gestcd either by his own Ingenuity n,,
by such light as he could gather from q
publication Of the Able Sicard.. oi
Paris. This encouraged Dr.. Coeswell.
ncr father, to hope that instead. Of send
ing his child to London or Edinburgh to
DC educated, school might be estab-
llshed III Hartford, his home. The
matter was discussed, and meeting of
aoouc ten persons having settled it's
practicability, the next step was to find
some suitable person to go to Europe
ana learn the methods OF instruction.
al eyes were instinctivcly turned to
Dr. Gallaudet. After due considera-
ton, nc gave his consent, and departed
on MS mission, the expenses of which
were pald by private subscriptions?
IN London and Edinburgh he was fc-!! G.!
luscd admission to the institutions
mainly through the jealousy of a fami-
ly OF Braidwoods, who seemed to have
control Of this department Of instruc-
ton and regarded the art as spccula-
ton to DC used for private aggrandizc-
mcnt: In the midst Of his difficulties
Dr: Gallaudct chanccd to meet the
Able Sicard and one of his most cclc-
brated pupils-Laurcnt Clerc-who in
yited him to Paris. After remaining
there short while, Mr.. Clerc signi1ied
ms Willingness to come to America
with DIR. Gallandet and devote his life
to the welfare Of others on this side Of
the sea. The two arrived in 1916, and
~ the same year the Legislature of
Connecticut made the first recognition
OF the claims of INDECENT dcnf-mutes in
an appropriation of$5,O0O. The fol-
lowing year the Connecticut Asylum
was opend, with class of seven pupils.
IN 1913 the name was changed to the
"Americ9n Asylum" a grant Of land
having been made by Congress.
Among those who most actively SUP
ported the measure was Hon. Henry
Clay, then Speaker of the House. This
was the first public institution of the
kind in this country, and from it the
institutions i'll nearly every State of the
Cnion sprong: 4 small school was
opened in the "Old Dominion'' in 1915.
by one of tho BraidWOods ohoyo ,non,