An account of the origin and progress of the Pennsylvania Institution for the Deaf and Dumb : with a list of the contributors, &c / Published by order of the directors.

  • Pennsylvania Institution for the Deaf and Dumb.
Date:
1821
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    AN ACCOUNT OF THE ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE PENNSYLVANIA INSTITUTION FOR THE DEAF AND DUMB. WITH A LIST OF THE CONTRIBUTORS, &c. PUBLISHED BY ORDER OF THE DIRECTORS. PHILADELPHIA: PRINTED BY WILLIAM FRY, No. 63, SOUTH FIFTH STREET. 1821.
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    ) AN ACCOUNT, &c. AT a meeting of a number of gentlemen to consider the pro¬ priety of establishing an institution for the instruction of the deaf and dumb, at the hall of the American Philosophical So¬ ciety, Wednesday evening, April 12, 1820, The Right Reverend William White was requested to take the chair, and William Meredith appointed secretary. Mr. Roberts Vaux stated to the meeting that the attention of himself and others* had been directed to a school recently esta¬ blished and supported in this city by David G. Heixas, who having acquainted himself with the modes pursued in Europe for educating the deaf and dumb, had for some months past ap¬ plied his knowledge and talents in the most unostentatious manner to that benevolent object. That this humane individual had, without pecuniary aid or recompense successfully instruct¬ ed eleven or twelve children labouring under the deplorable privation of the sense of hearing and of speech; that there was reason to suppose the number of these unfortunate persons in this city and its neighbourhood much exceeded what was gene¬ rally believed, and that these circumstances had led to the pro¬ ject of establishing an institution for their relief, for which purpose this meeting had been called. Mr. Vaux then submitted a plan for establishing and organ¬ izing such an institution in this city, which was read, and on * The gentlemen alluded to are Horace Binney, Clement C. Biddle, Joseph Correa de Serra, late minister from Portugal near the government of the United States, Jacob Gratz, Dr. N Chapman, and William Wilkins of Pittsburgh, who after an interview with David G Seixas at the residence of Roberts Vaux on the 8th of April I8‘20, determined upon a call of the meeting at which these pro¬ ceedings were had. f ./
    motion committed to Messrs. R. Vaux, Horace Binney, Dr. N. Chapman, W. J. Duane, James N. Barker, Clement C. Biddle and John Bacon, who are to consider and report thereon, with such alterations and amendments as they may think expedient to the next meeting. And this meeting was adjourned to meet at this place on Sa¬ turday evening next, at half past seven o’clock. Saturday Evening, Jlpril 15, 1820. Bishop White was again called to the chair. Mr. Roberts Vaux, on behalf of the committee appointed at the last meeting reported a preamble and constitution for esta¬ blishing an institution for the deaf and dumb, which being read, was afterwards considered by paragraphs, and adopted with amendments as follows:— “ Among the various efforts of Philanthropy and Learning, to enlarge the circle of human happiness and knowledge, none, perhaps, should rank higher than those which have been direct¬ ed to the discovery and application of means for the instruction of the deaf and dumb. • “ To behold a human being destitute of the faculties which essentially distinguish our species from the brute creation, and denied those enjoyments without which temporal existence must be to the last degree oppressive, is to witness an object eminently calculated to awaken compassion, and invigorate ex¬ ertions for the alleviation of the sufferer. “ In Europe institutions have been for a long time in success¬ ful operation for the relief of this description of persons, and recently two schools have been established in the United States for the same beneficent purposes. But Pennsylvania has not numbered in the comprehensive list of her charitable institu¬ tions, an asylum where these children of affliction may be taught to know that they possess intellectual powers, and are capable of deriving enjoyment from their exercise. The only reason which can be supposed or assigned for delay until this period in the formation of a school for the instruction of the deaf and dumb in this extensive commonwealth, is that few, if any of the citizens have been aware of the great number of individuals within its limits, whose condition emphatically demanded their notice and sympathy.