National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1882-06-24
DEAF MUTEs.
PHILOSOPHY OF THEIR EDUCATION.
Interesting Lecture Of Professor Graham Bell Bc-
fore Number OF Phllanthropists at Green-
oek, scotland-Ilow Deaf Hutes
Should he Taught.

On saturday, May %, Professor Graham Bell, OF
this city, inventor Of the telephone, delivered
lecture on the education OF the deaf and dumb
before large audience Of ladies and gentlemen
In the lecture hall of the Watt Institute Greenock,
Scotland. The provost occupied the chair, and a
distinguished audience was present, including
several Of the government educational officers, aud
others OF note. An abstract of the lecture Is given
below, because the National Deaf Mute College
located here has excited deep interest in tho
education OF those unfortunates, who have been
deprived OF their hearing and speech:
m Professor Bell In the course OF his lecture saidt
The Interest feel in the Greenock School Is moi
only due TO feeling of sincere affection for lhosa
ilttle children with whom was brought into per-
sonal contact two or three years ago, but from thu
feeling that this school Is In need OF support II
Is one Of rare species of school for the deaf and
Il may be-and so far as know Il is-the only
one OF the kind ut present in existence. Thosd
other schools for the deaf special schools where
me children arc trained away rom the hearing
themselves. This school Is merely an adjunct Of
another and larger school. These children aro
formed into special class In the Greenock AZ adj
envy for instruction in various subjects. They ara
only brought together for instruction In such subs
lects as they cannot pursue In conjunction with
separated. They have the advantage OF
A MOTHERS CARE AND HOME INSTRUCTION.
They aro taught TO articulate and to understand
utterdnces Of Others by watching the motion ofthe
can be understood. Little by little as they ad-
vance the bonds of union between them aud tho
outside world become stronger and more numerous
and their intercourse with other people becomes
more full. This school, then, Is unique of its
kind. II is worthy ofthe most wide and extended
with any other that come here before You 10 adj
yocnto the pcrmanency of this school, to advocate
that It's influence may be wldencd and to adyocatd
that the deaf children of Greenock should be re,
eeiyed into this school. In the school at present
there are only four children, and the expensci
OF their education have been borne by
tho parents alone. Before l came here /
thought II would be advisable to ascertain rs fully
AS possible the number OF deaf children who ara
growing up in Greenock without education But
i found the statistics were defective. We could
not obtain correct list of names, but after In
deiaignblc exertions by Mr.. Thomas B0rthwicbc
and young gentleman who volunteered his
servces-Mr William Schuyler Johnson, of Wash.
iington, d. Ca partial census Of Greenock and
the surrounding towns has been made, and II haa
resulted In the discovery of eighteen deaf children
ofschool age. One has been partially educated al
the Glasgow institution, but Is now without ia.
struction. one is feeble minded, and another il
incapable Of attending school on account of ILL
health. Five are now under instruction, leaving
growing up without education in your midst |
would urge on tho school board, and you tho
people of Greenock, to
TAKE sTErs FOR EDUCATING THESE CHILDREN.
am prepared TO advocate, that as matter OF
economy, 1t is cheaper TO establish day school
than to send them TO an institution where the ex-
pense Of their board mus be met as well as tho
expense of their education. [Applause.l am
prepared to advocate that duy school is moro
beneficial, and au prepared to advocate that a
small number of children attending II Is an ada
vantage We should eudcavOr TO separate tho
deaf from each other, and not bring them together
~ large masses away from the hearing world,
lApplause.l little day school like this one es}
labishcd in Greenock is 10 my mind the ideal OF
a deaf and dumb school. In this school they are
brought together in small numbers among large
numbers OF hearing children. There 1. a defect
in the writing. manuel alphabet, and gesture sysl
TENS for educating those misnamed the deaf and
dumb. They fail In making the deaf mingld
with hearing children. The articulation sys.
TEN is alone The method BY which we can mingld
deaf with hearing children. In regard "a
those poor children who arc growing up without
education, i would like TO put before you a few
arguments from which IL Is evident that 1t is tho
Board TO assist the parents OF such children In
providing the means OF education for them, The
i iSa porn deal inc parents have ave. the ideS
speak because wo notice all children who ara
born deaf are also dumb. The explanation ofthis
fact has pised the most curious conjccturcs. An
old writer grayely argues that there s connection
betweenihe nerves OF the tong y aud the nerves
o,fthe car, SO that when one 4 Affected the other
Is also. Iwould ask you % consider not why deal
children are dumb, but why you should
EXPECT pEAF cnILDRES TO SPEAK.
Do you speak language you have never heard
The vocal organs OF the deaf are as perfect our
own, and they require only 10 be instructed IN tho
mechanical position Of tho mouth In order 10 mas
U ter ne Language Applause The mind Of deaf
ences. lie grows upwith the passions aud desires
of hearing men and women without their moral
nave no hesitation IN
saying that the uneducated deaf mute Is Il danger
to the community in which he is In, and that IL *
therefore the duty u the State 10 see that he Is
educated. Let writing and articulation be the
sole means of communication, for every other
form of language is foreign to the outside world.
Articulation especially should be cultivated, for 1t
Is the only means by which the deaf child can bo
set in communication with his own generation.
The success of the Gfeenock Articulation School
In this particular should be far and widely known.
SO far as know this plan ofschool is unique, and Is
certainly worthy Of the most widespread Imitation.
None Of those deaf children we see before US to-
day could speak before they became deaf. and
though their articulation may not be as perfect as
may be desired, or as perfect rs the articulation
obtained in special schools of such size to per-
nit Of tho employment of q teacher whose utten-
ton is exclusively directed to the correction Of
defects of utterance, still their pronunciation IL
Ineligible Applause This TO me Is grand and
significant result, and feel sure that this little
school is destined TO exerta wide and eyer-spread-
ing influence on the education of the deuf loud
applause.l A vote of thanks was proposed and
seconded 10 rofessor Bell for his very Interesting
lecture, and remarks on the subject were made by
some OF the gentlemen present.