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ART. XXVI.

Remarks on the Blind and their Education.

AT the present time, when so much is said and done in behalf of popular education, a few observations upon the importance of educating a class whose claims upon society have already been acknowledged, may not be altogether inappropriate. It is now an established principle that it is the duty of society to provide for the education of all its members; and no where is this more fully acted upon than in our own country. The obligation is increased when any class are disqualified, by reason of some great deprivation, for fulfilling the great end for which they were created. Misfortune does not diminish, but enhances the claims of an individual upon society; and, accordingly, we find in every civilized country provisions for ameliorating the condition of the afflicted.

We propose in this paper to speak of the blind; their condition as a class; and the best means, we might almost say, the only means, of promoting their well being. Next in importance to the faculties of the mind, are those of the organs of the body, through which the mind is. brought in contact with the external world, and to which it is indebted for most of its valuable acquisitions in knowledge. The five senses are the inlets of knowledge; and if an individual has one of these diseased or destroyed, he is the subject of a misfortune which entitles him to the sympathy and assistance of his more fortunate fellows. Of the comparative value of the senses, there exists a different opinion. The mind is more dependent upon sight and hearing, than upon either of the others. Perhaps for the cultivation of the intellectual and moral nature, the blind may have the advantage of the deaf; but it is equally certain, that in the practical concerns of life, the latter are not compelled to contend with so many obstacles as the former. The deaf mute, for example, though he may not be able to compete with his blind brother in the study of the abstract sciences, intellectual and moral philosophy, &c., has greatly the advantage of

him, in the pursuit of any trade or vocation, where mere mechanical skill is required, and in the cultivation of all the fine arts, with the exception of music. A celebrated German author, in writing upon this subject, sums up his opinions thus: "If I were rich, I would rather be blind; if poor, I should prefer to be deaf;" meaning that wealth would purchase the use of eyes, whereas, if he were poor, he could more easily earn his own livelihood, laboring under the want of hearing, than he could under the want of sight. It would seem then, that the blind by their situation are cut off, in a great measure, from pursuing those avocations where the skill of the hand is more required than intellectual power; but that they have the advantage of the deaf in the prosecution of those higher studies, and in the investigation of those profounder subjects, where pure thought and intellectual discrimination are more imperatively needed. Such, however, is the importance of sight, so indebted to it are the majority of mankind, not only as a means of knowledge, but as a source of happiness, that most men would probably prefer to part with any two of the other senses, rather than be bereft of that sovereign organ, without which the material world, with all its multiplied objects of beauty, is but little better than a blank.

It may not be generally known that the number of the blind in this, as in most other countries, is very nearly equal to that of the deaf and dumb. In consequence of the state of dependence to which blindness subjects its victims, but little, until a comparatively recent period, was know of their condition as a class; and we have, as yet, but a few meager facts respecting them, upon which any important conclusions can be predicated. The whole number of blind upon the earth may be set down at from 800,000 to 1,000,000. They are found in greatest numbers near the equator, or in that part of the temperate zone bordering on the torrid; and to decrease as you approach the higher latitudes. In some countries, however, particular causes, such, for instance, as the prevalence of opthalmia, greatly increases the proportion. Thus, in Egypt, China and Japan, the number is astonishingly great; some travellers have estimated it in Egypt to be one to every 200 inhabitants, which would make the number in that

unfortunate country nearly 30,000. Respecting the blind of Europe we have more accurate information. There, as a whole, the number is as one to every 1400. It varies, of course, in different countries and different latitudes. In Austria, Sweden and Denmark, the proportion varies from one in every 500, to one in every 800. In Norway and Russia, from one in every 900 to one in every 1000. In our own country, the number in the same latitude is not so great as in Europe, say one to every 1500 or 1600, which would give to the United States somewhere from 15,000 to 20,000. The census returns cannot be relied upon; in many towns where the number given is but one or two, there have, in some instances, been found to be five or six. We have collected these statistics from the reports and public documents published by the different institutions of the blind in this country. If we put down the number of the blind in this country at 16,000, and assume that three-fifths of the whole number are capable of receiving an education, we have between 9,000 and 10,000 whose claims upon society cannot for a moment be questioned. And to the credit of our country be it said, that no sooner were their claims made known, than they were immediately and liberally provided for. There exist in this country at the present time several institutions for this unfortunate class of our fellow men. The good they have accomplished cannot be estimated. And if it can be shown, as we think it can, that much more may be done than has yet been attempted, we feel quite sure the subject will not be ignored; but on the contrary, will receive prompt attention from the philanthropist and the legislator.

In considering what more may be done for the blind, to counteract as much as possible the disadvantages of their privation, it must always be borne in mind that society has a two-fold object in view: First, the benefit of the individual, or class; and Secondly, the relief of itself from the burden of maintaining them in ignorance and inactivity. The last object can only be attained by the full accomplishment of the first. The blind will hang like so many dead weights upon society, until, by a thorough education, they are qualified to take care of themselves. Before inquiring how far the institutions in this country 34

VOL. XI.

have succeeded, we will first consider some of the difficulties to be overcome.

To estimate the effects of blindness, we must consider its influence in modifying the developement of mind. And this will be found much greater than would at first be supposed. But it would be occupying too much space if we should enter into the variety of considerations necessary to a full elucidation of this subject. We shall content ourselves with offering a few obvious reflections.

Each of the five senses has its peculiar function, — which none of the others can fulfil. Thus the ear distinguishes and discriminates sounds; and the eye, light and colors. Now the eye does a thousand things besides, which may also be done by one or more of the other senses. Touch, for example, in the education of the blind, is substituted for sight, in imparting to them knowledge of every thing save colors. To maintain that the blind can distinguish colors by their fingers, is about as absurd as it would be to insist that the deaf mute can obtain a knowledge of sounds by the eye. The mind of him who is deprived of any of the senses, can never be fully developed in all its parts. All those faculties developed only through the medium of the eye, must, of course, in the blind man, remain dormant. Human ingenuity has devised methods by which, with his fingers, he may read the thoughts of others. But when they relate to the beautiful and grand in nature, to the outspread earth, adorned with its thousand flowers, or the overarching skies, studded with its myriads of stars; when they describe the human face, radiating the workings of the soul,—the speaking, sparkling eye, or smiling lip, tremulous with the heart's deep joy, he strives in vain to comprehend the picture. He can but poorly appreciate descriptive poetry,—that which approximates the nearest to painting,—and certainly never excelled in its composition. The greatest art of the poet consists in tracing real or supposed resemblances between our thoughts and the material objects by which they are excited. Now of this, the man who has never seen the light can know scarcely any thing. There is no department of literature in which a blind man would not be more likely to succeed than in poetry. If we examine the metrical compositions of the blind, we shall find that

their figures and illustrations, indeed,-all their expressions relating to outward nature, are entirely destitute of originality. They speak of the bright sun, the green earth, the blue sky, the brilliant stars, the lofty mountain, the sublime ocean, just as they have been accustomed to hear those around them, without having any clear or definite idea of them.

Imagination, of all the faculties of the mind, is the least likely to be developed in a blind man. He will ever be found wanting in that creative, artistic power, which can give to "airy nothings a local habitation and a name." The faculties most active are memory and concentration. A careful examination of the works of Blacklock, and other eminent blind men, will demonstrate the truth of these observations.

Accustomed to depend upon others for the most of their knowledge, and unable to refer to text-books and other sources of information, they are compelled to treasure up whatever is related or read to them; and the amount of knowledge which they often succeed in accumulating in this way is truly astonishing. Now though memory is not one of the highest faculties, the method best calculated for its training is that which is the best suited for the developement of all others.

Blindness is eminently calculated to favor reflection; so that if the blind have not as many means for acquiring knowledge as seeing persons, they are more likely to make a better use of those they have. The knowledge they acquire from others is often examined more critically, and reflected upon more profoundly, than it would be if they enjoyed equal facility with those around them in obtaining it. It cannot be doubted that the misfortune which deprives them of so much from the outward world, compels them to exercise more fully their own powers of mind. The thousand objects of observation which exert so great a share in establishing and augmenting a seeing man's information, are in a great measure beyond their reach. They are, therefore, under the necessity of turning to a greater account their limited store of knowledge of men and things; or, in other words, to make up, as far as possible, for the want of extensive observation, by careful analysis and reflection. It not unfrequently happens that

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