THE NOBILITY, DIGNITY, AND ANTIQUITY

OF THE

SIGN LANGUAGE.

BY J. C. COVELL, A. M.

To restore to the language of signs its title to nobility, to show that it is divine by the same title as speech, and that it has been necessary to the development of spoken language itself, would be a task at once pleasant and profitable, and one not difficult of achievement.

But, confining myself within brief limits, it must suffice merely to suggest a few thoughts as to the nobility, dignity, and antiquity of signs, sustaining these by references to authors of known repute.

It has been confidently asserted by some writers on this subject. that deaf-mute language is neither an original endowment of man nor the gift of God, but purely a human invention. If this assertion were true, we should, for the sake of consistency, speak only of arbitrary, and never again of natural signs. We should gaze with more than ordinary admiration upon the wonderful and unconscious little inventor in the nurse's arms; we should be struck with awe at the swiftly invented gestures of our native backwoods orators-gestures at once emphatic, powerful, swaying the multitude to and fro, whilst but feebly aided by a flow of utterances, which, if stripped of every gesture, would be suggestive of an endowment which the owner had found difficult of development. The origin of language is a question naturally suggested in all such discussions. That the faculty of speech was a gift of God in the beginning, as are all our other endowments, both of soul and body, few will deny; but that this faculty was to seek its own development in each individual, in the midst of circumstances peculiar to the individual, and this by pains and labor, it is not difficult to affirm, in view of the analogy and growth of languages

vigilance, and devotedly pious. He should be thoroughly versed by experience in the methods of deaf-mute instruction, and familiar with their peculiarities. He should be a good judge of human nature and have knowledge of the ways of the world. While it shall be his to govern others, he should be a man of self-control, ever ready to recognize his responsibility to the board of trust, and seek frequent opportuity of obtaining their counsel. His relations with the board and its members, and especially its President, are properly of an intimate and confidential nature, and between them there should be in the interchange of opinion, the utmost freedom. One who does not recognize his responsibility to superiors and render implicit obedience to orders, is wholly unfit for the direction of others. As he will have in his co-laborers, persons in intellect, attainments, social position and professional skill, fully his equals, and, in some cases, possibly his superiors, it will become him frequently to consult with them, and, as far as practicable, to have regard to their judgment in his decisions and plans.

An institution for the education of the deaf and dumb should comprise a Literary, a Domestic and an Industrial Department. In the first of these, beside the superintendent, there should be such number of professors and teachers as the perfect classification of the school requires, usually one for every eighteen or twenty pupils, but in young institutions and those having only a small number of pupils, the proportion of instructors to pupils will be larger. The instructors should be about equally divided between the sexes, that the pupils of each sex may have the advantage of the influence of both male and female character during their curriculum. It is altogether a perversion of the order of nature, to attempt an harmonious development of character in either boys or girls, under the exclusive influence of either sex alone. The corps of instruction should comprise both persons who speak, and deaf-mutes, who, as far as possible, should be persons making this specialty their life work, for there is no other occupation among men, wherein experience is of greater value than in this, and consequently those Boards act wisely, who make it their policy to employ only those who, after suitable trial, have shown themselves capable of acquiring this profession, can enter upon it con amore, and are willing to enter this, as men enter other professions, for life.

Among the pupils of every institution there is a very wide range of mental capacity, so that frequent modifications of existing

hear after my fashion, and who were astonished to find that it was of no assistance at all." Gesture, then, it must be admitted, is necessary to the complete expression of thought; and if so to-day, notwithstanding the perfection of our languages, how much more, for a stronger reason, must it have been when these languages were merely in the way of formation. It is sometimes objected that speaking persons are not capable of imitating nature with the same perfection as deaf-mutes, which casts a doubt upon the assumption that primitive human communications ever had taken place by such means.

There is no better proof of the fallacy of this objection, than that which we see every day with our pupils; namely, that those of them whose deafness is acquired, (and with many, it has supervened quite late in life,) do not make signs with less facility, and some of them, with a more intelligent idea of their signification, than those of them born deaf; and from this, it may be inferred that any speaking person may flatter himself as possessing, in the same degree as they, the art of attaching signs to things.

Words, with few exceptions, have no natural correspondence with the things which they express. What analogy is there between the word "rock," and the object itself? or "tree," or "grass?" Signs are imitative in their very essence. They are imitative in the same manner, you may say, as drawing; like it, distinguishing the parts in the whole, putting in the picture each thing in its place. The order of succession leaves but few traces in the memory; but the picture, resulting from their disposition, remains in the mind. It is seen long after the signs have faded away.

I believe, then, that it amounts to a demonstration, that in his first great efforts to express his ideas, gesture was for man, a much more useful auxiliary, than the voice; and that it is due to signs alone, almost, that the analytical faculties of the human understanding have their first developments.

But signs carry with them many disadvantages. For instance, communications by signs can not take place in the midst of darkness, or of obscurity of any kind. A body interposing, interrupts them; hence, their field of action is far less extended than that of the voice; moreover, they bend themselves reluctantly to abstractions, exercising themselves principally with material objects hence causing man to look abroad, and hindering him from looking

within. The admission of disadvantages, however, in no manner mars the advantages.

The facts with regard to the Indo-European languages, as they appear to us, are, that signs constituted the first mode of communication; then, a spoken language, and lastly, a written alphabet.

The written system of the Chinese is, itself, an indication of the long persistance of signs in that language.

Says Leibnitz, "The writing of the Chinese produces an effect equivalent to that of our own alphabet; although, it is infinitely different, and might appear to have been invented by a deaf-mute himself."

And, indeed, with the exception of the phonetic element, which was the last to be introduced, that system is such an one as might have been founded by a deaf-mute people.

Indeed, what is more common at the present day, than the habit of all the Oriental nations, to aid themselves in conversation, by tracing in the air, with hand or a fan, those characters whose images are in the mind?

In conclusion, I would be happy if I have succeeded, in some measure, in restoring to the language of signs, its title to nobility, dignity, and antiquity, and will only add, that it should be the object of our special pains and care, not only to preserve it from every adulteration, but to preserve for it, the character of a natural language.

Would the assertion seem premature and startling, that the time is not far distant, when the language of signs will be taught as a language in conjunction with philology, in most of the seminaries of learning in our land.

The reading of papers was continued.

A paper entitled, "Compulsory Education in its Relation to Deaf-Mutes," was then read, by J. L. NOYES, as follows:

COMPULSORY EDUCATION

IN ITS

RELATION TO DEAF-MUTES.

By J. L. NOYES, A. M.

In a country like ours, where the voice of the people determines who shall make our laws, and who shall enforce them, it becomes a subject of vital importance that every one who takes a part in deciding such issues should be so far educated as to be able, through the press and otherwise, to do it understandingly.

In some States this is required by law, before being admitted to the privileges of the elective franchise. The writer has not only been obliged to show his ability to read the Constitution of the United States, and to write his name, before voting, but he has seen the same rule applied to deaf-mutes, before they could exercise the functions of full-grown citizens. This may, at first sight, seem exacting what is unjust, to require the deaf and dumb to give their ideas of the meaning of this instrument: for reading, with them, is grasping the meaning of the author: but there is no good and sufficient reason why this test should not be applied to them, as well as to any other class of citizens. If any thing, the ability to read and write is of more importance to a deaf-mute than to an ordinary speaking and hearing person. This is his medium of communication with the world at large, and without this how can he learn or put in practice even the first principles of freedom and independence.

By the old Justinian code, deaf-mutes were put upon a level with idiots, insane and irresponsible persons; and when they are left to grow up entirely uneducated, as some are, this is not unreasonable. But when they are properly enlightened, this becomes not only unreasonable, but also unjust, and is seldom, if ever, countenanced in this land of free schools and popular education.