Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1883-01-09
The Institution for the Deaf and Dumb
and she Blind.
To THE EDITORS OF THE SPECTATOR

To THE EDITORS OF THE SPECTATOR
The papers inform us that the Governor has
appointed a new Board for this Institution, and
that this Board is to meet on the 10Th inst. 1t
l. also stated tnat DR.. Vaughan has, from Ill
health and Other reasons not necessary TO men
| ZION rendered his resignation OF the office OF
| Principal." II is supposed, therefore, that the
| new Board Will at It's approaching meeting,
| enter upon the election OF his successor.
| Under these circumstances, l ask leave to ex-
| press, through your columns, my views as to
| what are some of the indispensable Qual1f1ca-
| ton TO lit a person for The discharge OF the
| duties OF this IN portant trust. presume that
| 40 elaborate apology Tor acting thus can be
/ necessary. The Institution is one in winch al
| humane people lee the deepest interest,", ana II
draws its support from a Treasury 10 Whlch ali
| contri butte. But | have special reasons for
venturing thus For fifteen years was mem
Der OF its Board, and for the larger part 81 maj
| time It's President. Besides this, all nay lie
| have had daily association with mutes IN my
OWE family circle, and have reason To know
what blessings it's instructions, when aoly ana
faithfully given are capable OF 1mparting. l
| am sure, therefore, that but few men have mad
equal opportunities with myself of Knowing
what is essential to the success OF such an In
stitutiou. and none, surely, can have stronger
reasons than for laboring earnestly and hon
estly, in season and out oi season, 10 promote
Its p OSperity.
have no hesitation in saying in the outset.
that the office of PI sipal OF an Institution Tor
Deaf Mutes is more difficult 10 fill properly than
any other in The State. could hnd in virginia
scores of men who would figure creditably as
Governor, or as Senators, or as Judges. or as
Professors in our Universities ana colleges,
more readily than | could find one lit to be
Principal OF the Institution in question; and
this not because this office requires greater, or
1t may be even as great. natur Al ability as The
others named, but chiefly because of the rarity
of the special and peculiar educational training
requisite to enable one TO discharge its duties
with entire efficiency.
The Principal should be man ofhigh mental
and moral endowments, and characterized oy
energy, devotedness, and self-contoi. Hesbould
be a man OF good literary culture, and well
grounde | i'll the philosophy OF language tie
n hka nnf n
character, but Christian, both In deed
and word, since it is here, if ever, that these
afflicted children are to be instructed not only
in their duties to their fellow men, but also in
their relations and their duties to their Maker,
the Principal should be living example OF the
feilglOus truths which he lnculcates, since MS
pracLice is more quickly comprehended than
dis preceptS, and alone can give them worth.
But in additinn-and II is here that the greatest
difficulty arises in finding fit man-it is in
dispensable that the Principal, who is the edu-
cat1Onal head of the Institution. should be
thoroughly versed in the sign-language, which
can be acquired only by years of patient toll
and of practice as teacher of deaI-mutes. II
II shall be thought impossible to ind in any
one man this combination of qualifications, /
reply that they we're all possessed In an emf
nent degree by its first Principal, the Rev.
Joseph d. Tyler, who was an accomplished
scholar, christian gentleman, and had under
gone thorough training as a teacher OF mutes
in the Hartford Institution, thus acquiring
great skill III the language of signs. and in the
art OF deaf mute in Instruction. have no manner
of doubt that men can b. found in some OF the
many Institutions of this country who would
measure fairly up TO the standard which l
have erected and will venture to affirm that
there in no successful head of an Institution in
the United States who will say that that
standard is not correct, or that it is unattaina7
BILE.
The Institution, it must be borne in mind, is
for the benefit exclusively OF the afflicted chill
dren VINO are its benettciaries; it is for their
sake that hundreds OF thousands ofdollars have
heretofore with the app oval of the people, been
expended by the Leg slature it is for their sake
n al pd tS Slln
port. I;s offices were created for the advantage
alone OF these children; and not TO enable the
Board TO crafty private feelings to reward the
services OF political partisans To bestow these
on any such considerations as these, would be
a GeploTabie violation OF a sacred trust. The
| Institution stands greatly in need of improve
ment in its educational department. If its
present signal 1nefficiency shall continue, the
wrong and injustice will fall on the afflicted
children of the poor, who constitute the great
body OF its inmates, not on the children of
wealthy paren s, who can afford to send their
unfortunate ilItie ones 10 oetter INSTITUTIONS IN
other States The recently-appolnted Board has
it in its power to make this Institution all
that il should be, great blessing to the aff1ict
ed who are its beneficiaries and credit to the
benevolent heart OF our people; but they will
sgnally fail in this if they shall select as Prin-
cipal any one who is not we'll skilled in the
sign language, and who has not had thorough
experience in the art of inStructing deaf
muteS. This communication has been hur-
riedy written, but have no manner of doubt
OF the correctness OF The views which have SO
imperfectly expressed. They have been enter
tanned by.me for long years are the result of
much experience of the affairs of this Instiiu-
ton, and are fortified by the opinions of emf
nent men, who have made the education of
deaf mutes their life-work. l shall append
few of these by way OF fortifying what have
herein written.
| l will aad, in further Justification of my
| present utterances, that though NV political
convictions have always be, n firmly fixed, 1
have never allowed myself to be swayed by
partisan considerations in choosing officers for
this great public charity, but have, on many
occasions, voted and worked for the election of
| those whose political opinions were directly
| an tagOnistic to my own.
Very Respectfully,