New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-11-26
DEITYESs IND EDUcITToN.
A LETTER FROM DR. SAMUEL SEXTON
- uJ:fo. of The Tribune.

AIETTrR FROM DR. SAMUEL SEXTON
70 tho Editor Of The Trib"ne'
SIR: In Yesterdays TRIBUNE the" was an
excellent report OF Professor y GRAHAM b''I
ing paper read before the National Academy Oh
I'm New Haven on the 18Th INST, on II" toiin"'"
Deaf Variety Of the Human Race ana Tue SUN, -
dcus.ion on the education OF this class Although ''r
3, huuoro,s asprct about this proposed new variety W
the sneces vet the grcgaIious habits nj the dem -'h
cIa,s from Professor Bells staHdpoint,Ser0nsH SuS-'
possible rctrograde movement III man to"Hu "
TYNE Al all events must regard the matter w WI
ING nm again the question Of the hereditary ll'ss'"
of deaf inutism IN u ncg and interesting phase II u
dersand Professor Bell rightly he intends TO convey So
i1 ,,t Il dcaEmucs are taught by gestures ana hha't
signs OF French origin. by English teachers c''p nv
,uust necessarily think IN deaf mute French anu WV,
have 10 make mental translation OF English "oIuS '
French siar-lanrmge. The writer has always thouS"'
that the sim aphabct was adaptable to the LnElsh IAN
ouogo and he also has believed that the mental action
gde,f uc, was not unlike that o. hearing persons eA
cort,, I'm degree of inelligenceln other words nc
Uoud for example, scarcely expect toeVer see frrho
man. in any sense of the word. created out OF h,N
deaf mute whose education had been cOhdu''c" ~
teacher of the English language Deafness in all degrees
being frequently brought TO my notice where ho' oy
clinical hut educational questions must be considered
have arrived AT some different conclusions Professor
Poll ,voud seem scarcely comedies TO the methou VI
teaching by finger signs and gestures alone the hpor'
nacc II should still retain, since by this natural ana easy
pan the deaf mute Of even small capabilities may nc
provided for n matter OF much consequence 10 SOM
whose intellectual capacities are Inconsistencies LIP
si,,rswbich are not altogether unalcd by facial eN-
nrcions and undoubtedly constitute the more
valuable means Of dcaf-mue instruction Ot II "ouu
seem that both Of the methods now In vogue might WY
often he advantageousy combined the p slsh OF arI'
laon method being kept "a far as possible III the o'o
ground inasnuch as language taught by the lips i hoc
rith lang
avail himself Of the better Zip sgnl but more dlhc'
method I'm training dcat-mutes to talk Tue
teacher should determine as soon as po,'i'o
the limit Of the speaking capacity OF each Individual "
shuch as persons who have never heard single tone oi
tbc human voice not even their scarcely be eN-
pectcd TO ever utter Ineligible sentences Ana the ue'
moreover 80 largely spent in some institutions ID Nuil-
less efforts TO teach such persons To speak could DC en-
plovod to better advantage.
There seems 10 he q doubt in the minds Of some re
specting the classification that should he MADE OF uei
,,s. thus respecting the segregation Of this class In
childhood Professor Bell said: He thought thar by
breaking ND the deaf mute school and sending Their
children 10 the public schools they would learn II not so
ncb as the hearing children, yet enough 10 make them
enjoy life and comprehend the English hngSe even I"
sneak 1t somewhat mpcrfccty.' should not go 50
far a. Professor Bell proposes, ana put TINS ch'ic class
among good hearing scholars Indeed II seems li" ''
writers point OF view that attention j. required I"
lrir about the udiciou. separation tentatively nj least
~ the very deaf from the good hearing IN schools Ow-
ing to the indifference that prevails IN respect to TINS
matter many very deaf children are TO be found IN the
puIlc schools along with the good hearing pupils. much
IN c disadvantage ~ the latter and very often To the
,r oso since teachers do mot always discriminate
hcfvcen deafness aud stupidity. ON The other manu.
,niul- not sufficiently deaf &" b" Tclcga'i 10 tc d'lI
mute class are sometimes found IN draI-mut" W-lll-
lions: these n taught los Tip signs i"f long % seem !"
rptirrIv NEGLECT whatever hearing power they may
poss and finally come tor,lyc1clua'cy upon TIE sign
WrTp the needs Of The partially deaf Ia public
scloo-aul tlcrc are % large number ~ such chldf'h-
better understood iu this regard 10y tu"-" having ,H!lE'
prbnps Tie first aic be- taken In the matter would br
the proper seating of tIc pupils 30 It-"t Z" ''" H',
Ing pWcr rather than Win references q" ih'I -.| o." 'E
a, L. the custom Were children tAu~ properly r"'''l ln
bn -I,nl ouIu many OF them with defective hearing
Would early obtain educational advantage, Mht,n, III
some Instance "a least, would prevent them FROM IdE
hack and finally taking place among dear -uuir~ Ny
N rvp.reucc shows that teachers must nave ihrr al
ieutinu specially drawn 10 this matter lest they seat d'l
children unfortunately about the school room or h'h
too FAR from them to hear and s"c--iur lr teacher l',
sLOuld De seen when hc i- speaking Ia TIE Put} d'
"a matter OF almost ~ muca importance a. "h'h 'ho
deaf mute Is taught h} llp -,i7 'A' l7lN'}' ,t.,,
n would seem That portion ~ the evils 10 Wil'H ~
lusuu has been made above owe Their origin 10 llr gu
tire segregation of The deaf mute rH, aud 4" the u"
luCucss Ia make any lui'fhstlHl' "l-ih'u'h' "''
them aud the partially deaf II Consequence "l 'hH
,yh,ry /. known 0f methods suited tu r defective Ia
hearing has been concentrated Ia deal mute Instruction
and the teachers OF the partially d'Al anu E1''
ever ON the subject. Ia. long bcou my own opinion
that n argc towns aud cities provision should hr made
Ina FIN, ptc schools for the education "i the greater
! number of very deaf pupils by SVcflh Lrth"hH
whether the entire class % deaf mutes so-'airi couI
hr cared for IN this way might hr Gcr' mira
tlc mana cement OF the very deaf aud Noilctlnc. also
impcricctly speaking, had been provided ;"I. our
| truly, SAAILL 'ENi""'
Ne.r York Nov. II, ls-3.