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Mr. Mann has placed before us (page 80) some of "the reasons which the German teachers of the deaf and dumb give for preferring the method of speaking by the voice to that of speaking by signs on the fingers, and by pantomime." These reasons appear to have suffered in the process of translation, and require to be examined with caution, lest we do injustice to the German teachers, by charging upon them errors which are probably attributable to the haste with which the version was made.

"1. Loud speaking is the most convenient mode of intercourse, and the one most in accordance with human nature."

Loud speaking is the most convenient mode of intercourse with persons hard of hearing; but it is, in ordinary cases, neither convenient, nor particularly pleasant. Speaking aloud, or vocal speech (Lautsprache), which is probably the idea intended, is, doubtless, under ordinary circumstances, the mode of intercourse most convenient to those who hear; but that it is not the most convenient for the deaf and dumb, nor the most in accordance with their natures, is evident from the fact we have already noticed, that even those deaf mutes who have been taught to articulate and to read on the lips prefer to use the language of pantomime with all to whom that language is intelligible. The reason of this is obvious. In that language they express themselves and understand others without difficulty, without effort, and without fatigue; while the use of speech exacts laborious, sometimes painful, effort, both mental and physical, on the part as well of those deaf mutes who speak, as of those who read on the lips ; and becomes impracticable at a distance, or in a faint light which offers no impediment to ready communication by gestures.

"2. The deaf and dumb, as well as the man possessed of all his senses, has a natural impulse to express his feelings &c., by sounds."

The deaf and dumb have, indeed, in common with most animals that possess a larynx, a natural impulse to express their feelings by sounds. They laugh, cry, groan, and scream. But what bearing this fact has on the question of the expediency of teaching them to utter sounds which nature could never teach them to utter, we cannot discover. With equal truth we may observe, that the man possessed of all his senses has, as well as the deaf mute, "a natural impulse to express his feelings, thoughts, by gestures. Would this be an argument for teaching men in general "to converse by means of signs made with the fingers"? Deschamps, a zealous advocate for teaching articulation, in the last century, gives rules for teaching a person at once deaf, dumb, and blind, to speak orally, and to distinguish words by placing the hand on the mouth of the speaker. According to Mr. Mann, Laura Bridgman actually expresses some of her thoughts by inarticulate sounds. This fact ought, on the principle of the argument mentioned above, to be decisive, as to the propriety of teaching her to utter articulate sounds. We should be pleased to learn the result of the experiment, if made. It would, very possibly, succeed as well as in the case of many deaf mutes who see.

"3. Experience has long shown, that even those who are born deaf and dumb, and still more those who have become so later in life, can attain fluency in oral expression."

It is not true, that the deaf mutes from birth were born dumb more than any other children. At least, a child that could speak before the age of several months would be a rare phenomenon. But as the expression is sufficiently intelligible, the inaccuracy is of little moment. It is of more consequence to observe, that those who, though born with the sense of hearing, lost that sense so early as to remain, or to become, really dumb, have no advantage whatever over those who were deaf from birth. On the other hand, a child who loses the sense of hearing after his ideas have become somewhat developed, and after articulation has been sufficiently impressed on his memory, usually retains through life some degree of the power of articulation, and a still greater degree of the important faculty of associating his ideas with his reminiscences of articulate sounds, and thus seldom becomes really dumb. There are, of course, among those who retain the ability to speak, very various degrees of the power of articulation; and it is certainly, as admitted in the preceding citation, far easier to improve and preserve that faculty where it already exists, than to impart it to those who never possessed, or have entirely lost it ; for, besides that the great difficulty in teaching articulation to the deaf and dumb is in the earlier lessons, no subsequent instruction can supply that aid which the ability to conceive words as articulate sounds gives to the conception, retention, and combination of them. The instances of facility and correctness in oral expression attained by persons who were born deaf are, we believe, quite rare, even in Germany. Fluency may be attained without correctness, or even intelligibility.