Mr. Elias Boudinot, of Burlington, New Jersey, and Mr. William Phillips, of Boston, gave, each of them, five hundred dollars. Messrs. William Gray and Israel Thorndike, of Boston, Stephen Van Rensalaer, of Albany, and Daniel Wadsworth of Hartford, gave, each, three hundred dollars; we observe several subscriptions of one and two hundred dollars; and there were many others, no doubt, upon a scale of liberality equal to the foregoing, considering the relative ability of the donors. The grant of Congress was advocated by the Hon. Speaker Clay, and by many distinguished members from the south and west, and may be considered as one of those ties which bind the different parts of this nation together, and will help to preserve our union entire, amid the storms of party politics.

With regard to the state of the funds, after appropriating $8,860 85 to the purchase of the Scarborough place, (an eligible property in the vicinity of Hartford,) for the accommodation of the Asylum, and the erection of suitable buildings, the treasurer's last account presents the follow

ing exhibit:
Phenix Bank stock,
Cash in hand,

$ 12,345 00
2,423 48

14,768 48

3,000 00

From which we should deduct, borrowed from Phenix Bank,

This sum, together with a fair estimate of the avails of the grant of congress, say

certainly constitutes a respectable foundation for usefulness, without taking into view the appropriation of $ 20,000 by the Massachusett's legislature, to defray the expense of educating their own deaf and dumb. We cannot but hope that something further will be done by the state of Connec(ticut, after the example of liberality, which has been exhibited throughout the union. Since the grant of congress, upon application of the directors, the corporate name has been changed, from "The Connecticut Asylum," &c. to that of "The American Asylum at Hartford, for the education and instruction of the deaf and dumb."

Having given this cursory view of the origin of the American Asylum, the public liberality towards it, and the state of its funds, it remains for us to furnish some little historical sketch of the art of teaching the deaf and dumb;-to exhibit the advantages which it unfolds, and the degree of mental improvement which they are capable of attaining.

The early opinion appears to have been, that the deaf and dumb were incapable of acquiring knowledge beyond a very limited degree, and even as late as Dr. Johnson's time, their education was styled " a philosophical curiosity." So that the art, now successfully practised, is of modern discovery. Frequent attempts, however, were made during the seventeenth century, in different parts of Europe, with various but limited success. In more recent times, it has been extensively and successfully practised in Paris, Leipsic, London, and Edinburgh. See Rees's Cyclopedia, article Dumbness. We are there informed, also, that the accounts given to the public of these various efforts, have had but limited circulation; and all claim to be the inventors; indeed, the most eminent instructors of later times published no account whatever of their systems, with the exceptions of the benevolent Abbe de l'Epee, and his successor the Abbe Sicard. Theirs have been full and satisfactory; the work of the former has been translated into English, but that of the Abbe Sicard, which is better, has not. It is entitled " Cours d'instruction, d'un sourd muet de naissance, pour servir a l'education des sourds muets, &c. avec figures et tableaux, par R. Sicard," and was printed at Paris in the year 1800. The names of these two individuals, are entitled to rank among those of the most distinguished benefactors of the human family. The character of the Abbe de L'Epee has been beautifully illustrated in an interesting little drama, founded upon fact, by M. Bouilly, entitled "Deaf and Dumb." A translation into our own language has lately been published at Hartford, with a neat preface by Mr. Clerc. The origin of their exertion and discoveries in this admirable art, is thus recounted in an address written by Mr. Clerc, and read by his request, at a public examination of the pupils in the American Asylum, May 28, 1818. The account could not be abridged, and will serve to give some idea of the attainments of this interesting man. We are informed, that very few alterations were made in the address as originally composed, and those, "such as not to affect the originality of its thought, language, or style."

' A lady, whose name I do not recollect, lived in Paris, and had among her children two daughters, both deaf and dumb. The Father Famin, one of the members of the society of christian doctrine, was acquainted with the family, and attempted, without method, to supply in those unfortunate persons the want of hearing and speech; but was surprised by a premature death, before he could attain any degree of success. The two sisters, as well as their mother were inconsolable at that loss, when by divine Providence, a happy event restored every thing. The Abbe de L'Epee, formerly belonging to the above mentioned society, had an opportunity of calling at their house. The mother was abroad, and while he was waiting for her, he wished to enter into conversation with the young ladies; but their eyes remained fixed on their needle, and they gave no answer. In vain did he renew his questions, in vain did he redouble the sound of his voice; they were still silent, and durst hardly raise their heads to look at him. He did not know that those whom he thus addressed were doomed by nature never to hear

L

or speak. He already began to think them impolite and uncivil, and rose to go out. Under these circumstances, the mother returned, and every thing was explained. The good Abbe sympathised with her on the affliction, and withdrew, full of the thought of taking the place of Father Famin.

'The first conception of a great man is usually a fruitful germ. Well acquainted with the French grammar, he knew that every language was a collection of signs, as a series of drawings is a collection of figures, the representation of a multitude of objects, and that the Deaf and Dumb can describe every thing by gestures, as you paint every thing with colours, or express every thing by words; he knew that every object had a form, that every form was capable of being imitated, that actions struck your sight, and that you were able to describe them by imitative gestures; he knew that words were conventional signs, and that gestures might be the same, and that there could therefore be a languge formed of gestures, as there was a language of words. We can state as a probable fact, that there was a time in which man had only gestures to express the emotions and affections of his soul. He loved, wished, hoped, imagined, and reflected; and the words to express those operations still failed him. He could express the actions relative to his organs; but the dictionary of acts, purely spiritual, was not begun as yet.

'Full of these fundamental ideas, the Abbe de L'Epee was not long without visiting the unfortunate family again; and with what pleasure was he not received! He reflected, he imitated, he delineated, he wrote, believing he had but a language to teach, while in fact he had two minds to cultivate! How painful, how difficult were the first essays of the inventor! Deprived of all assistance, in a career full of thorns and obstacles, he was a little embarrassed, but was not discouraged. He armed himself with patience and succeeded, in time, to restore his pupils to Society and Religion.

Many years after, and before his method could have attained the highest degree of perfection of which it was susceptible, death came and removed that excellent father from his grateful children. Affliction was in all hearts. Fortunately the Abbe Sicard, who was chosen for his successor, caused their tears to cease. He was a man of profound knowledge and of a mind very enterprising. Every inven tion or discovery, however laudable and ingenious it may be, is never quite right in its beginning. Time only makes it perfect. The clothes, shoes, hats, watches, houses, and every thing of our ancestors, were not as elegant and refined as those of the present century. In like manner was the method of the Abbe de L'Epee. Mr. Sicard reviewed it and made perfect what had been left to be devised, and had the good fortune of going beyond all the disciples of his predecessor. His present pupils are now worthy of him, and I do not believe them any longer unhappy.'

We will venture also to make a short extract from the article, before referred to in the Cyclopædia, to illustrate de L'Epee's system.

'The Abbe begins early with rules and little phrases, and not, as is usual, with the declension of nouns and pronouns, because it is more amusing to the pupils, and furnishes better means of developing their faculties. The first or second day he guides their hands, or writes for them, the present tense of the indicative of the verb to carry.

'Several deaf and dumb persons being round a table,' he says, 'I place my new scholar on my right hand; I put the fore-finger of my left hand on the word I, and explain it by signs, in this manner; showing myself with the fore-finger of my right, I give two or three gentle taps on my breast. I then lay my left fore-finger on the word carry, and taking up a large quarto volume, I carry it under my arm, on my shoulder, on my head, and on my back, walking all the while with the mien of a person bearing a load. None of these motions escape his observation.