Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1881-02-12

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out the power of expression. I,
utter our thoughts is generally un
derstood TO mean, their expression
in speech. TO utter is literally, Il
place outside ourselves, and t6 ex
/ press means to squeeze out. Now
! the deaf and dumb man can think
though he has not the power to ex
press his thoughts in speech. L
however, we enlarge the applica.
tion of the terms express" and
"utter" by giving TO them then
full chronological significance, ma
king them to include any and all
possible modes of communication
then there will be found some
meaning and truth in the assertion.
Some very interesting chapters in
the work alluded TO on the gesture
OF language" signalize the fact OF
the presence in the members of the
human family, of a reserve express
sional force, independent of oral
speech, which is natural and uni
yersal which although far inferior
to ordinary language, is yet able to
be carried to very satisfactory de-
gree of development, particularly
when constantly used under the
stress of necessity. 1t is shown that
all who cannot otherwise commu-
nicate, have recourse to this meth
cd, such as young children, mutes,
persons of different tongues, sava-
ges. By the experience in deaf and
dumb asylums much information
has been obtained on the subject;
every one knows the facility with
which the dumb use this method.
This language of signs referred to,
is not the deaf and dumb alphabet
as it is called, to which they some
times have recourse, which is in
deed only substitute for written
language; as Mr.. Tyler says, the
two are not only not the same, but
they have no more relation to each
other than a picture has to the
written description to it.
The vocabulary $50 to speak) of
this Gesture Language, consists of
two classes of forms; lst, pictures
in the air, by which is meant that
the object to be referred to is drawn
in the air by the fingers or hand
ID, the actual pointing to objects
which are either themselves desig-
mated, or some one of whose char
acteristic properties is intended to
be conjoined with some antecedent
substantive idea. Both of these
forms may be illustrated by the out
lining the shape of a tent by the
finger in the air, and then pointing
to the lip; which expression would
be interpreted tent-red, meaning
red tent. 1t is said that these nat
ural forms are in general very per-
manent in their use, while arbitrary
signs such as may from time to
time be introduced by teachers in
these Institutes for deaf mutes, are
not able to survive the passage from
the school room to the play ground.
The same signs are found to be used
by the Indians of North America
from Hudson's Bay to the Gulf of
Mexico. OF course this Gesture
Language is not comparable to the
spoken language, but it may be an
important adjunct, or in the absence
of the latter very serviceable sub
stitute. The infant invokes its aid
to tell its little wants; the orator
uses it to strengthen his words; in
like manner the savage whose vo-
is scanty, can supplement
from this source his deficiency. the
gesture language is in the case of
early superseded by the
spoken; but in mutes and the saw
age races it is greatly developed and |
into a more or less per-
manent form. <. There are |
two other subjects in close proxim
ity to the foregoing, which might |
claim a passing word; these are
picture writing and play-things.
However diverse these two may ap-
pear, there is one feature common
to them and that is that they both
perform an important part in the
life OF children and of savages.
Savages have indeed been denomi- I
mated grown-up children; and when
we carefully compare these two
they seem to be entitled. to
the name.
Picture-writing seems naturally
and historically to have preceded
phonetic writing; they are coupled
together in the hieroglyphies of the
pyramids. The former is
infinitely inferior to the latter; for
it has not the power of presenting
any new mental conception, but
is only memorial, bringing to re-
that which had already
been possessed. 1t is thus very mar
rowly limited in its application
still it is found to prevail in savage /
communities in all parts of the
world, and to possess everywhere
the same general principles. Chill
dren too very generally represent /
their ideas by means of pictures
on their states, and it is surprising
to notice the wonderful similarity
between their productions and those
of savages. While however, child
ren rapidly outgrow this disposi-
tion in consequence of the intiu-
ence of surrounding higher cul-
ture, the savage, not thus favora-
bly, circumstanced, concFetes into
a habit and form which may re-
main unchanged for centuries. = <.
One of the most characteristic |
things about children is their toys.
Some one has remarked land he was /
no mean observer) that at an early |
age children learn more from their I
play than from teaching. The ma