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For all these purposes the child must have a language at command, common to him and the teacher, by which to make his thoughts and feelings known. This is indispensable to the exercise of a wholesome government and discipline over him.

In the exercise of this government and discipline, by a moral influence, one other very important thing is to be taken into account. Moral and religious truths, as we have seen, have to be presented by the teacher to the pupil. But the latter is too young to receive and understand these truths under the forms of abstract propositions. Abstract terms, and those of generalization, are not now level to his capacity. He as yet thinks in particulars. The teacher must go into particulars. He must describe individuals as acting right or wrong; state special cases; draw out detailed circumstances; give facts graphically and minutely delineated, in order to bring out the truths he wishes to present and inculcate, and to offer the motives which will have pertinency and efficacy. By degrees, he can unfold the powers of abstraction and generalization in the child, and be doing his work in a more concise way. But, at first, and indeed for a considerable length of time, he must patiently take the slow, inductive process. It cannot be hurried. To conduct this process, the teacher needs a language common to him and the child, having graphical, delineating, and descriptive powers, callable of particularizing thought, of giving to it a "local habitation and a name." One prominent defect in the moral and religious training of children and youth consists in not regarding these very obvious and simple principles of their successful instruction, so as to bring them, intelligently and voluntarily, under an efficacious moral influence. It is, undoubtedly, to meet this case, existing not only among children and youth, but among thousands of ignorant and undisciplined adult minds, that so much of the Bible abounds with the detailed facts of biography and history, with circumstantial descriptions, with the results for good or evil of human conduct, with living examples, and with simple and touching parables.

We see, then, for these various and conclusive, reasons, the necessity of a common language, adequate to the exigencies of the case, to be employed by the teacher and the deaf-mute, in order that a wholesome government and discipline may be exercised over him through a moral influence.

Where shall we find this language, or must we go to work and create one for the purpose? The deaf-mute cannot hear what you say to him. He can see the motions of your lips and organs of speech, more or less distinctly, when you utter words. But it is a long and laborious process, even in the comparatively few cases of complete success, to teach him to discriminate accurately between the various motions of the organs of speech. and so to notice their combinations as to know the words which are intended to be uttered, -- words, too, which are useless for the purpose of intercommunication until their meaning has been explained to him. To do this, and to teach him the proper combinations of words, so as to be able to impart the most simple kind of moral and religious instruction, is also another long and laborious process, -- while, at the same time, I do not hesitate to say, without fear of contradiction, that neither of these processes can be successfully carried on unless resort is had to natural signs.

Then to make this language of intercommunication complete as we have already seen, for the purposes of government and discipline, the deaf-mute must be able to convey his thoughts and feelings to the teacher. Shall he be fitted to do this by being taught how to articulate intelligibly, without the ear to guide him? You have another long and laborious process to go through, before, even in the few successful cases, he can have a sufficient stock of words which he understands, and be able to form their proper combinations, in order to furnish him with an adequate medium for thus conveying his thoughts and feelings. Nor can this process be carried on as it ought to be without the use of natural signs.

Similar difficulties must arise in the use of the manual alphabet for spelling words on the fingers, or in presenting written or printed words to the eye of the deaf-mute; though it is true that these difficulties will principally consist in teaching him the meaning of those words and their combinations, to such an extent as to furnish the means of a free intercommunication between him and the teacher. And here, again, natural signs. have their great value and necessary uses.

Bear in mind, too, that this common language should be one by which, as has been shown, the deaf-mute can intelligibly conduct his private devotions, and join in social religious exercises with his fellow-pupils. Otherwise, one very important means of their proper government and discipline is wanting.

Now even admitting, what I yet believe to be impracticable, that after very long and laborious processes, a sufficient command of language can be obtained by the deaf-mute, in one or the other of these ways that have been mentioned, for the various purposes of his government, and discipline by moral influence, and without the use at all of natural signs, still great and needless evils must accrue from such a course. A considerable time must elapse, -- two or three years, in not a few cases more, -- before the object can, in a good degree, be accomplished. In the meanwhile, the teacher and pupil are at first quite destitute of, and all along sadly deficient in, an adequate medium of intercommunication. Under such embarrassments, is there not a better way, seasonably, intelligibly and effectually, to cultivate the moral faculties of the deaf-mute, bring him under a wholesome moral influence, and train him in the right way: to furnish a due preparation of his mind and heart to engage in his own private devotions, and to enjoy the privilege of social religious exercises and instruction with his fellow-pupils; and to secure a judicious government and discipline in the institutions intended for his benefit?