A Mighty Change: An Anthology of Deaf American Writing, 1816-1864

9. Dedication of the Gallaudet Monument

9 DEDICATION OF THE GALLAUDET MONUMENT (1854)
In September 1851, just one year after the grand reunion in Hartford , Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet died from a form of dysentery. His passing prompted an outpouring of tributes. The directors at the American Asylum called him ‘‘a central power in a movement destined to effect great good in the world.’’1 Harvey Peet, the president of the New York school, praised Gallaudet’s skill in pantomime , teaching, and especially religious instruction. The Christian Examiner pronounced him a ‘‘great man.’’ But perhaps no tribute was as meaningful as that from deaf Americans themselves. Shortly after Gallaudet’s funeral, Thomas Brown called a meeting in Vermont to discuss the idea of a monument. An association was formed, with Laurent Clerc as its president. He appointed agents in various states to solicit contributions from deaf 1. This and the following quotes are from Edward Miner Gallaudet, Life of Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet: Founder of Deaf-Mute Instruction in America (New York: Henry Holt and Co., 1888), 329–31. 153 154 EVENTS AND ISSUES people. Albert Newsam, a deaf artist in Philadelphia, prepared the plans for the monument. John Carlin designed a prominent bas relief that showed Gallaudet teaching in a schoolroom, with three students around him. Another panel had the name ‘‘Gallaudet’’ in letters of the manual alphabet, represented by sculpted hands. The association raised the amount of money needed for construction of the monument in two years. A hearing man, James Batterson of Hartford, executed the work. It was a little more than twenty feet high, made of marble, and had a granite base. On September 6, 1854, the monument was dedicated on the grounds of the American Asylum. Attendees included deaf people from all over the country and many citizens from the Hartford vicinity. Clerc gave a short address. Carlin was the orator of the day, giving one of his trademark speeches, filled with allusions and lofty rhetoric. Excerpts of both presentations follow. The Gallaudet Monument DEDICATION OF GALLAUDET MONUMENT 155 The effort to raise funds for the monument also led to the establishment of a permanent organization to honor Gallaudet, the New England Gallaudet Association of the Deaf. It was the first of many associations of deaf citizens in the United States, and marked another step in the coalescence of the American deaf community. Clerc’s Address It is very gratifying to the graduates of the several Institutions for the Deaf and Dumb of the United States, to behold so many distinguished gentlemen and ladies here present, on the occasion of raising a monument to perpetuate the memory of the friend and teacher that mutes can never forget, the Rev. Dr. Gallaudet. It is a modest but elegant monument, at a cost of about two thousand five hundred dollars, wholly raised from the contributions of the deaf and dumb; for none who can hear and speak have been allowed to contribute one cent. . . .2 Mr. Gallaudet . . . was a good man. His physiognomy was the type of his goodness and mildness. In his manners and conduct there was nothing affected. He had the wisdom becoming a man of his age and profession. He was not ambitious, nor mercenary. He was content with what he received. His forte, however, was not the dexterous management of the perplexing business of so large an Institution; the school-room was the true arena for the display of his great abilities and greater affections. He made good scholars, many of whom we are happy to see here, expressing with tearful eyes their gratitude to him, who first brought them to speak and hear.3 No bigot was he, although strict in his religious passions. 2. In their special tribute to Gallaudet and Clerc in 1850, and their insistence on erecting their own monument to Gallaudet, we can discern how deaf Americans increasingly viewed themselves as a distinct group. 3. Clerc writes metaphorically here. He implies that, by helping deaf people to learn both sign language and written English, Gallaudet enabled them to transcend their deafness. 156 EVENTS AND ISSUES He was not too denunciatory of others’ faults; for so persuaded was he that genuine repentance can only come through the grace of God, that he loved to pray for sinners rather than reprove, when reproof only served to irritate. We therefore saw nothing in his piety but what ministered to our improvement and edification. His mind was...