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'But to return to our notice of the different institutions; that at Edinburgh is certainly superior to any in England, and on the whole is so to that of Paris, and were it now in place, I might detail to you many curious and interesting processes for facilitating the education of the blind; the general principle however is to combine intellectual and physical education in such a way, as to qualify the blind for the performance of a useful part in the world; and of so storing the mind with knowledge, that they may have a fund within themselves from which to draw in after life.

'The school at Glasgow, is a more recent one, and is not yet equal to the one in Edinburgh in the advantages of intellectual education which it offers.

'The Liverpool school is remarkable for the very great degree of attention which is paid to the cultivation of the musical talents of the blind, and for their astonishing success in it. An idea may be had of their proficiency from the fact, that the product of their concerts is about $3,500 annually.

'I shall take care to put into the hands of your committee, a more detailed notice of the different establishments which I have visited, and I now close by respectfully submitting to you the conclusions at which I have arrived respecting the general management of your proposed institution.

'Keeping steadily in view the principal object, qualifying the blind to act a useful part in society, one ought to adapt his education to the sphere which the pupil will fill; choosing for every one the occupation in which the least possible necessity exists for the use of the eyes.

'Those who are fortunate enough to be above any pecuniary wants, may occupy themselves entirely with the development of their mental faculties, and the acquisition of all kinds of knowledge; alternating their studies only with such mechanical employments as may be necessary for physical health. I can conceive nothing more delightful than watching and administering to the intellectual wants of a blind person of good parts, as they gradually unfold themselves; and enabling him to wander at will among the fields of fancy and science. Such a person may attain a knowledge of the classics, of ancient and modern languages, and of almost all kinds of science. There is nothing to prevent his becoming an elegant and accomplished scholar, and of being qualified to adorn society, as well as to be a contented and happy being himself. Think of such a person, and compare him with one sitting in intellectual and physical darkness, and say whether it is not worth while persevering in your undertaking.

'In the education of indigent blind children, or of those whose principal dependence must be on themselves, I should hope that our institution will avoid the extremes into which the French fall on the one hand, and the English on the other. We should depend entirely neither upon physical nor intellectual education, nor should we lay down any general rule to be observed towards all pupils. One ought to be even more observant of the bent of a blind boy's mind, and the direction of his talent, than he is in the education of seeing children.

'Considering handicraft work to be the occupation in which the blind can compete to less advantage with seeing men than any other, it should be resorted to only in the case of those who manifest no decided talent for anything else. Among twenty blind youth, there will probably be found four who possess a decided musical talent, this then should be assiduously cultivated, music should be their principal study, and they should devote as much time as possible to it.

'If one or two should exhibit a strong inclination for mathmatical -sic- studies, or display what may be called the teaching propensity, that is the talent for communicating their knowledge, they should have these powers cultivated; they will surely do better by them in the world, than by making baskets or mats.

'The majority whose talents are but ordinary should be taught some mechanical arts, such as mat, basket or mattress making, and they should make it the chief object of their education to attain an excellence in them. I would not indeed prevent their learning to read and write, or acquiring a store of intellectual knowledge, but it should not be allowed to impede their way in learning their trade.

'I have often wondered, when in the workshops of the European blind institutions, that they did not have some one reading in the room, while the pupils are at work. I do not believe that it would materially take off their attention from their occupation, and if they did not profit much from the reading, they would do so to a certain degree.

'The pupils who are to learn thoroughly any handicraft work, should not have their attention too much distracted by a multiplicity of occupations; it is true that there are some advantages attending the French method of teaching the children a half a dozen trades, as there are advantages attending almost every bad system; but they by no means outweigh the immense disadvantage of the want of that excellence in one trade which can only be acquired by strict and undivided attention to it.