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A question now presents itself, of the highest moment in the practice of this art; and one on which the opinions of instructers have been most widely at variance. This question relates to the expediency of making the oral and labial alphabets a prominent part of the instruction of deaf and dumb persons. Entire systems derive their character from the view which is taken of this subject in detail.

Before entering upon the discussion of the question, two propositions may be laid down, with regard to which there can be no possibility of dispute. It is evident from what has already been said, that the instrument we are now considering is not essential in the instruction of the deaf and dumb. Articulation is not necessary to the operations of the intellect, nor to the purposes of communication with society. On the other hand, it affords facilities, in the latter respect, too important to be disregarded. Hence results the second principle, that, if its acquisition be really practicable, no consideration should induce us to neglect it.

We must be careful to remark, nevertheless, an important distinction among deaf and dumb persons, which renders the instrument we are considering, much more easy of acquisition to one class than to another. With those, who in early age have been possessed of hearing, who have become dumb after possessing the faculty of speech, this faculty may be revived, more easily than it can be created in others. Certain reminiscences of articulate sounds will remain, long after their use has been discontinued. The power will not always be wholly lost, of supplying in the sentence, as pronounced, those subordinate parts which may not be distinctly observed. This is not, however, to deny to the deaf and dumb from birth, the power of acquiring the oral and labial alphabets. Experience has demonstrated the practicability of such an acquisition, in a multitude of instances. A person who is deaf and dumb from birth is dumb only because he is deaf. For him, indeed, the oral alphabet has no basis, either in the perception, or the recollection of sounds. Its foundation, its material, is in the sense of touch alone. His sole dependence is upon a circumstance, so entirely accidental to speech, that we ourselves only perceive its existence, by a special effort of attention. Heinicke, it is true, pretended to have discovered an auxiliary in the sense of taste. But between this sense and articulation, no connexion exists in nature; nor can we perceive how it can be created by art. Yet, under all these disadvantages, articulation is certainly available to the deaf and dumb.

Another circumstance here demands attention. To us, the language of utterance and that of hearing are identical. They are the language of sound. We give no attention to the play of our vocal organs, nor to the movements which accompany articulation in others. Whether we speak, or whether we listen, we recognise but a single instrument of communication. It is otherwise with the deaf and dumb. To them the labial alphabet presents a system of signs, addressing itself to sight; a system having its parallel in dactylology or in writing. Articulation, or the guttural alphabet, as it is denominated by Degerando, on the other hand, employs a different sense. Its elements are sensations of contact, resembling, remotely, those which the blind experience when they pass their fingers over the raised letters, which afford them the means of reading. There consequently exists for the deaf and dumb in conversation, the necessity of making an abrupt transition from one instrument to another; a necessity, which renders, for them, the employment of the oral and labial alphabets less simple than speech is to us.

To the disadvantages already enumerated, others still remain to be added. The labial alphabet exacts proximity, and usually a direct view of the countenance. In darkness its use is entirely lost. It distracts the attention of the observer from his employment. One or other of these evils, however, is common to it with writing, with dactylology, or with the language of action. To say that they exist, therefore, is only to say, that they must exist for the deaf and dumb, under all circumstances.

But further, both the oral and labial alphabets require time and labor for their acquisition. They exhaust a vast portion of the space allotted to instruction; and take the place of those exercises, which have for their object the cultivation of the intellectual powers, and the enlargement of the sphere of knowledge. Worse than all, they exact individual lessons, and thus compel the instructor of a class to neglect the many while he occupies himself with a few. It must finally be said, that there are those, who, by reason of early neglect, or the late period at which their education commences, do not possess the docility or flexibility of muscle, requisite for the attainment of artificial speech.

Under all these disadvantages, is it desirable, that the deaf and dumb pupil should be taught to speak, and to read upon the lips? Most unquestionably it is. What labor, what study, what patient and unremitted exercise of the attention, can be weighed in the balance with the immense benefit which these instruments afford, in restoring him, absolutely and really, to the ordinary intercourse of society! How broad a channel do they lay open, for the expansion of his views, the development of his intellect, the increase of his actual knowledge! What an amount of information purely traditional, information in possession of all who hear, but nowhere to be found in books, will thus be placed Within his reach! How will his moral perceptions be refined, his affections purified, his character, as a whole, exalted! How will his acquaintance with language be extended! What a variety of phrases, idioms, proverbial and colloquial expressions, will be added. to the treasury of his knowledge! With how much greater certainty will that important end of his education be answered, which requires that he shall be weaned from his favorite language of pantomime, and induced to adopt words as the instruments of his intellectual operations!