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The reasoning intended to depreciate writing as an instrument of thought, seems hardly to afford anything sufficiently tangible to merit a very labored reply. It is nothing to say, that we ourselves are unaccustomed to employ the images of written signs, in conducting mental operations. We employ such signs as habit has rendered familiar; but they are signs, of which the deaf and dumb can never avail themselves. For we must remember, that, with whatever labor and success we may bring the deaf and dumb to imitate sounds, and read the fleeting characters which appear in succession upon the lips of a speaker, speech, to them, can never be what speech is to us. Hearing is not restored with articulation, or with the power of reading on the lips. The deaf and dumb, then, can never possess that species of signs, intermediate between ideas and written words, with which our ideas are associated. The movements of the lips are to them visible, not audible signs; and written words are nothing more. But argument is unnecessary, where the evidence of facts is at hand.

The ideographic portion of the Chinese writing is a case, in point. And it is matter of daily observation, that deaf and dumb persons associate ideas with words for which they have no determinate sign. For them writing is truly ideographic.

Alphabetic writing is, indeed, sufficiently ill adapted to the wants of the unfortunate deaf and dumb. Constructed originally for a purpose altogether aside from their instruction, and without regard to their convenience, -- founded on no analogy, which they can comprehend, -- it imposes a severe burthen upon their memory. Still it is the sole instrument, common to them with other men, which presents itself to both parties, under the same aspect.

It has the advantage over articulation, of requiring little effort for its acquisition, and of being immediately available in the earliest stages of instruction. the language of the visible alphabet is also the language of study. It is the store-house of all human knowledge. It may be perused, and it may be composed with deliberation. It affords room for the mind to rest, to resume its train of thought, to modify, to correct and to improve. If it interpose inconvenience in the way of familiar conversation, it will, for the same reason, retrench superfluities, compel conciseness and precision of expression, and force the dumb to think with greater clearness, that they may express themselves with greater accuracy.

From the importance of writing in this art, has resulted a wish, almost, if not entirely, universal, that some means might be devised to diminish the labor, which its employment exacts; and to render it a more rapid instrument of communication. He who shall devise a system of stenography, applicable to the circumstances of the deaf and dumb, will confer upon them an inappreciable benefit. Space will not permit us, here, to point out at length the principles, which might serve as guides in the construction of such a system. It is, nevertheless, sufficiently evident, that the stenography of reporters, in our courts and public assemblies, will not answer the purpose. To the deaf and dumb, there are neither vowels, consonants, nor silent letters. If articulation be taught, the principles of syllabification may profitably receive attention; but if otherwise, these may be neglected. We are aware but of a single attempt to adapt a system especially to the use of deaf and dumb persons, that of M. Recoing, author of "Le sourd-muet entendant par les yeux." (12) We are not aware that this system, which is intended to accompany articulation and syllabic dactylology, has ever been tested in practice. The stenography of M. Recoing, being adapted to the French language, could not, of course, be transplanted into ours. It remains for the ingenuity of instructors in our own country, to devise a plan fitted to our circumstances; and we cannot but hope that this ingenuity will be called into speedy and successful exercise.

Dactylology, or the manual alphabet, has, with hardly an exception, been admitted as an auxiliary in the instruction of the deaf and dumb. It consists in a set of signs, formed by the fingers, in partial imitation of alphabetic characters; and it is employed simply as a means of spelling words. As an instrument of instruction, common consent has assigned it a subordinate rank; but as a means of communication with society, or at least with those persons who will devote half an hour to its acquisition, it is very useful. The rapidity with which deaf and dumb persons employ it in their mutual conversations, and the readiness with which they will often seize a word, even from its initial letter, are astonishing.

Under the head of dactylology may be classed alphabetic signs, executed with one or with two hands, syllabic signs, and writing in the air. The two-handed alphabet is peculiar to England. Syllabic signs have been employed only by particular instructers. It is here that there remains a chasm, yet to be supplied. M. Recoing, by means of a system of his own invention, was able to interpret to his son a continued discourse, as a sermon or an oration, as rapidly as it was pronounced. Much of the success of the celebrated Pereiré, is supposed to have been due to a system of syllabic dactylology which he refused to divulge, and which perished with him. In proportion as the manual alphabet is made to represent syllables, the number of its signs is, of necessity, multiplied. The advantage, therefore, which it thus gains, is accompanied by an inconvenience; -- an inconvenience, however, not serious, if the abbreviation be not extended too far. Stenography and syllabic dactylology seem naturally to associate themselves together. He who shall devote his attention to the one, may with propriety make both the subject of his labors. Should the pupil, however, acquire a facility of articulation and reading on the lips, he may dispense with dactylology altogether.