Deaf and Dumb Asylum. 27 religious instruction, even where no immediate benefit resulted from it, and I resolved to labour more abundantly in promoting the everlasting welfare of the young and the poor. DOMESTIC. From the Connecticut Mirror. DEAF AND DUMB ASYLUM. THE Directors of the CONNECTICUT ASYLUM for the education of the DEAF and DUмв, take this method of informing the public that the course of instruction, under the immediate superintendence of the Rev. T. H. Gallaudet, and Mr. Laurent Clerc, will commence on the 15th of April next. A convenient house has been procured for the temporary accommodation of the pupils, the domestic concerns of which will be conducted by the Rev. A. O. Stansbury and lady, whose care over the interesting family to be committed to their charge, will, it is fully believed, answer all the reasonable expectations, and ensure the warmest confidence, of parental solicitude. While the Directors gratefully acknowledge the goodness of God in all the success with which He has been pleased thus far to crown their feeble efforts in his service, and while they would devoutly rely on Jesus Christ, the great Head of the Church, to make their future labours subservient to the best interests, both temporal and spiritual, of the unfortunate objects to be entrusted to their care; it is with deep regret, that they are under the necessity of pleading the poverty of the Asylum, at its very outset, as an obstacle in the way of receiving charity-scholars, excepting from those few towns which have contributed to its resources. Very considerable have been the expenses which have necessarily accrued during two years past, in preparing one of our own citizens to superintend the course of instruction in the Asylum, by enabling him to visit similar institutions in. Europe, and to bring back with him a most interesting foreigner, himself deaf and dumb, as an assistant in this new and arduous department of education. These expenses have been almost entirely paid by the citizens of Hartford, and all of them from funds raised within the state. The funds which have since been contributed in some of the larger towns of the neighbouring states, furnish an income adequate only to the support of a very small number of pupils; in applying which the directors feel themselves bound to have a reference always to the wishes of the subscribers residing in such towns, with whom they will speedily communicate on this subject. The donation made by the State of Connecticut will be directed in its proper channel, as soon as it is ascertained, whether it was intended to constitute the commencement of a fund for the relief of the indigent deaf and dumb; or to be used for this object, as the exigencies of the Asylum might require. So that at present no provision can be made for charity-scholars from places which have not furnished funds for this object. A candid public will, it is hoped, duly understand and appre 28 Deaf and Dumb Asylum. ciate the correctness of such a course of procedure, especially, as the want of funds has not arisen from the want of exertions which have been faithfully made for several months past. The future more ample patronage of the benevolent will, it is hoped, enable the Asylum to erect suitable buildings, and to conduct its concerns upon a scale which will make it eminently and extensively useful, especially to such of the unhappy, (and very many such there are) as have added to their other affecting calamity, that of poverty; and this barrier may even now be removed, if the towns in which such unfortunates reside will contribute the sums necessary for their education and support. In fixing the amount of these sums the directors have adjusted it at a rate far below what the past expenditures of the institution and its future current expenses would justify, trusting to a kind providence in some way or other to make up such deficiency, and to that Being, who hath the hearts of all men in his hands, that He would raise up in the places and neighbourhoods where they reside, benefactors for the poor deaf and dumb. The term of time necessary for the instruction of a pupil in the common elementary parts of education, will be from three to six years, according to age and capacity; such a period has been found absolutely indispensable at the European institutions, nor will it be deemed long, when it is considered, that more than this is spent for the same object by those children who are in possession of all their faculties. The improvement of pupils would be much accelerated, if before being sent to the asylum, they could be taught to form and join the letters of penmanship legibly. Many applications have already been made for admission, and it is expected that the first class will speedily be filled up, after which none can be received until the ensuing year. Future applications must be made by letter, (post paid,) to the undersigned Committee, who in answering and complying with them will always have regard to priority in point of time. Terms and Conditions. 1. The Asylum will provide for each pupil, board; lodging; washing; the continual superintendence of health, conduct, manners, and morals; fuel, candles, stationary, and other incidental expenses of the school room: for which, including tuition, there will be an annual charge of two hundred dollars. 2. In cases of sickness, the necessary extra-charges will be made. 3. No pupil will be received for a less term than one year, and no deduction from the above charge will be made on account of vacations or absence except in case of sickness. 4. Payments are always to be made one quarter in advance, for such pupils as reside within the state, and six months in advance for such as reside without it, for the punctual fulfilment of which, satisfactory security will be required. 5. Each pupil, applying for admission, must not be under nine years of age, of good natural intellect, free from any immoralities of conduct, and from any contagious or infectious disease: a cer Colonization of Free Blacks. 29 tificate of such qualifications will be required, signed by the clergyman of the place in which the pupil resides, or by two other respectable inhabitants. By order of the Directors, } MASON F. COGSWELL, Committee. Hartford, March 21st, 1817. COLONIZATION OF FREE BLACKS. The following extract of a letter will show that the minds of the people of colour are awake to the great plan now in contemplation, of making them a distinct people; that, as far as they understand the subject, they are earnestly desirous of such a separation, and that the better informed look to Africa as a proper place for their establishment. Extract. "I stated in my last to you, that, in Philadelphia, the people of colour were in great agitation on the subject of being colonized. Some person at Washington, had sent a printed circular addressed to the ministers of religion among the people of colour, and to some others who were respectable among them. The circular contained an inflammatory address on the subject of the proposed colony, urging the free blacks to sign petitions against the execution of the intended plan. A printed petition was also sent to them ready for signing. They had called a meeting of their people at one of their churches in the city, at which they reckoned three thousand to be present. (The number is no doubt overrated.) The three congregations of Episcopalians, Baptists, and Methodists, each ap pointed a committee of three, who with their ministers, were to act as circumstances might require. On the Wednesday evening after I left you, I spent two hours with eleven of them, endeavouring to satisfy them of the purity of our designs, and to ascertain their own views and wishes on the subject. In the end they gave an unanimous expression of their perfect conviction," that benevo lence to them and to the land of their fathers, dictated the present movements, and the hand of God was secretly moving in this bu siness. There was the same unanimity as to the necessity of being separated from the whites, and forming an establishment for themselves. Of the eleven present, eight gave their opinion in favour of an establishment in Africa, as the situation where they could have the fairest prospect of becoming a great and independent people. I think this affords a fair opportunity to judge how the people of colour would generally decide on the subject of colonization, when fairly presented for their decision. Especially when we consider, that the minds of these people were in a very disturbed state when they met this evening, their passions considerably heated, and their fears alarmed. The more enlightened they were, the more decisively they expressed themselves on the desireableness of becoming a separate people. From one of them, 30 Revivals of Religion. Richard Allen, a clergyman in the Methodist 'church, I was informed in the meeting, that the colony at Sierra Leone contained six churches-one Episcopalian, one Baptist, three Methodist, or independent churches, and one Quaker Meeting." REVIVAL OF RELIGION. In the neighbourhood of Lexington, Kentucky, Jesus, the desire of all nations, is riding forth conquering and to conquer. "Within the last three months he has been wonderfully displaying the riches of his grace in the salvation of sinners. More than 123 have already been baptized in the name of their Lord. Great seriousness continues to be manifested. Hundreds are, with broken hearts, inquiring the way to Zion." We hope soon to hear that the Lord in his infinite mercy has to their souls also spoken peace. Rel. Rem. We extract the following from a letter from the Rev. George Witherell of Colerain, to the Editor, dated Jan. 18, 1817. Dear Sir, The work of the Lord is still progressing in this place; I have now baptized 64, who have joined the church of which I have the care. I think a number more will soon be added. The above number were baptized within the term of three months. I intend giving you a more particular account of the beginning and progress of this good work, when it shall have come to a close. The youth have shared remarkably in this reformation. The last sabbath in December, our communion presented a scene the most pleasing and affecting. There were upwards of one hundred communicants, a majority of whom were young persons! Many of these, as they expressed themselves, three months before, were in the broad read to ruin. This, Sir, is the Lord's doing, and marvellous in our eyes. I cannot close until I inform you of a work, that has recently begun in Wilmington, (Vt.) It is said to be the most powerful that has ever been seen in that part of God's vineyard. I have been informed by brethren, who were at one of their evening meetings, that there were fifteen hopefully brought into the liberty of the gospel that evening. It is stated, more than one hundred have hopefully been born into the kingdom of grace, within four weeks! In the other towns I mentioned to you in a former letter, the work appears to be drawing to a close. But they have shared richly in the blessings of special grace. In Barnardston, about 15 miles east of me, the Lord has performed a work to the astonishment of men and angels! There have been not far from seventy added to the Baptist church (as I have been informed,) and about the same number to the Congrega-. tional church. Dear Sir, we have long been praying for that happy era, called the millennium. May we not hope it has already begun ? We can say, Heaven here, heaven there, Amer. Bap. Mag. Dr. Watts Juvenile Society of Baltimore, 31 DR. WATTS. Dr. Jennings has preserved a few of Dr. Watt's dying sayings. It is to be wished, that he had recorded more of them. "I bless God," said the ripening saint, "I can lie down with comfort at night, unsolicitous whether I wake in this world or another!" His faith in the promises was lively and unshaken: "I believe them enough to venture an eternity on them!" Once, to a religious friend, he expressed himself thus: "I remember an aged minister used to say, that the most learned and knowing Christians, when they come to die, have only the same plain promises for their support, as the common and unlearned, And so," continued the Doc"I find it. It is the plain promises of the Gospel that are my support; and, I bless God, they are plain promises, which do not require much labour and pains to understand them: for I can do nothing now but look into my Bible for some promise to support me, and live upon that." On feeling any temptations to complain, he would remark, "The business of a Christian is, to bear the will of God, as well as to do it. If I were in health, I could only be doing that; and that I may do now. The best thing in obedience is, a regard to the will of God; and the way to that, is to get our inclinations and aversions as much mortified as we can." tor, 1040 At a public sale in the new Presbyterian Church in Auburn, N. Y. the pews sold for $ 14,814!--more than sufficient to defray the whole expense of the edifice. 1840 JUVENILE SOCIETY OF BALTIMORE. At a meeting of a number of youth of the City of Baltimore, on the 1st of March, the following Constitution was read and adopted: Constitution of the "Juvenile Society of Baltimore," auxiliary to the Mission School, established in Connecticut, for the education of Heathen Youth cast upon our shores. PREAMBLE. Having ascertained that, by the providence of God, a number of Pagan youth have been cast upon our shores, and are now receiving instruction, with a view of returning to their own country as teachers of schools and preachers of the Gospel: and moreover, possessing satisfactory evidence, that these youth are blessed with talents and piety, and an ardent desire to publish to their benighted countrymen the riches of that grace, in which they have been made to participate: We, the subscribers, desirous of aiding them and others, who may be placed in similar circumstances, do agree to form ourselves into a Society for this purpose, and to adopt the following Consti-> tution : ART. 1. This Society shall be called "The Juvenile Society of Baltimore," auxiliary to the Mission School established in Čon. necticut for the education of Heathen youth cast upon our shores. ART. 2. Every youth, on subscribing to this Constitution, shall |