REV. JOHN STANFORD, d. d.

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reference to one of these individuals, Mr. S. considered it his duty, at an early period after conviction, to correspond with the Governor of the State; but upon a further examination of this man's case, he became satisfied of the actual guilt, and aggravated barbarity of the culprit, and therefore resolved to withhold his appeal to the pardoning power of the executive. This is another instance, alike creditable to the heart and discrimination of our departed friend. The sympathies of his soul at first prompted him to the noble effort of saving another individual from destruction, but upon a re-investigation of the facts in the case, he declined to interfere; fully convinced, that to mingle justice with mercy, and to preserve a human. being from death, without violating those precautions which are necessary for the welfare of human society, is indeed an important trust-a responsible power, which ought to be exercised with great caution, and with a humble reliance upon the special guidance of Divine Providence.

May 17th, Lord's day, Mr. S. says:-" Morning, preached in the City-Hospital. Rode to Bellevue, preached twice in the chapel, and once in the Penitentiary. After which, attended several sick persons, and prayed with them. Yesterday the female prisoners were removed from the Greenwich prison to this place, in a steam-boat. On the passage, one of the women jumped overboard and was drowned."

In the month of August, Mr. S. received from the faculty of Union College, in this state, the degree of Doctor of Divinity. An honour which he eminently merited.

Wednesday, September 30th, Dr. S. remarks:"Rode to the building erected for the Deaf and Dumb institution, to assist in its dedication." This event must have been peculiarly gratifying to his feelings, from the fact that he was permitted, through the medium of the press, and by various other means,

292 ORIGIN OF THE INSTITUTION FOR THE

to call the attention of the public to the subject, more than ten years prior to the commencement of this institution. To prove that Dr. Stanford's progress in the walks of philanthropy was untiring, enough has been recorded upon the preceding pages; but it is due no less to this community, than to the memory of our departed friend, once more to present him in a light, as honourable to his own reputation as it is gratifying to his friends, and has proved eminently beneficial to a highly interesting class of sufferers, who are entitled to universal commiseration.

As early as 1807, the sympathy of Dr. Stanford was excited by the deplorable condition of several deaf mutes, whom poverty and friendless destitution had brought into the New-York Alms-House. Deeply impressed with a sense of their wretchedness, he lost no time in devising and executing a plan for their amelioration. His first step was, to form them into a class, and having procured the requisite number of slates, and obtained the aid of an assistant, he began, by teaching them to write, and soon enjoyed the satisfaction of witnessing, in their evident improvement, the entire success of his benevolent plan. This was probably the first institution in America, which exemplified the appropriate motto of his learned friend, Dr. Samuel L. Mitchill, Vicaria Manus Linguæ'The hand a substitute for the tongue. Owing to the changes which occurred in the Alms-House, this early school for the deaf and dumb, was, after a time, necessarily discontinued; but the object was not abandoned. When, in 1816, William Lee, Esq. formerly the American consul at Bordeaux, returned to this city, and laid before Dr. Mitchill, Dr. Stanford, and other gentlemen, the circular letter from Mr. Gard, the teacher of deaf mutes in Bordeaux, it was the opinion of all present, that a select meeting of gentlemen ought to be immediately called, to discuss the subject, and consider the propriety of adopting mea

INSTRUCTION OF DEAF MUTES IN NEW-YORK. 293

sures with a view to the establishment of an institution upon a liberal and extended basis, for the instruction of the numerous deaf and dumb throughout the State of New-York. In compliment to the early enterprise of Dr. S. as the first person in this community who had engaged in this benevolent work, it was proposed that the first public meeting should be convened at his house. The following gentlemen were present, viz.-Dr. S. L. Mitchill, Dr. Samuel Ackerly, Mr. Nicholas Roome, Mr. R. Wheaton, Mr. James Palmer, Mr. Silvanus Miller, General Jonas Mapes, Mr. Elisha W. King, Mr. John B. Scott, Rev. Drs. Stanford and M'Leod. After a full discussion of the important object of the meeting, they adjourned, to meet at a future day in Tammany-Hall. This was succeeded by other meetings, the doings of which resulted in the formation of the present noble institution; which was incorporated by an act of the legislature, on the 15th of April, 1817, and has furnished accommodations for hundreds of unfortunate beings, who, but for the instruction which they there received, would have gone down to the grave, ignorant, not only of the benefits of science, but of the blessings of the gospel of Christ.

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Birth-day Memorial, on entering my 76th year, October 20th, 1829.

"To record the goodness, forbearance, and mercy of the Lord, is a service due alike to Christian principle and to gratitude. To those who consider the ways of Providence, and realize the blessing of grace, there are no days that do not lay us under obligations. to express our thanksgivings to the Lord our God. But what obligations am I under this day, for his innumerable mercies; and the long-suffering of my God to me, in sparing me amidst so many evils and infirmities. On my last birth-day, when I wrote the memorial of my preservation, and all the goodness: which the Lord had bestowed upon me; the infirmities;

294 LETTER FROM HON. PHILIP HONE, ESQ.

of my person were so many and oppressive, that instead of expecting to survive until the present hour, I expected to be numbered with the dead. When, therefore, I review the events of the past year, the continuation of my public services, the numerous evils of my heart, and the abundant patience of God in holding me in life to this day; I am lost in admiration, and devoutly wish that my heart were filled with love, and gratitude, and praise.

"My chief anxiety now is, to subdue the body of sin, which wars against my peace and comfort; so that, whether I shall be called suddenly, or be permitted to lie on the bed of lingering infirmity and sickness, that I may leave some humble testimony of the Lord's goodness, forbearance, and tender mercy, to me, the chief of sinners.”

The following is a letter from the Hon. Philip Hone, Esq. late Mayor of New-York, to the Rev. John Stanford, D. D.

"I should have replied sooner to your letter of 30th of April, but intended to call at your house. In this I have been prevented by numerous engagements. It does appear to me, my excellent friend, that your age and infirmity demands that you should relinquish your duties at the Alms-House, except so much of them as your inclination may still induce you to perform. If any man in our community is entitled to the ease and comfort which should accompany old age, you certainly are, for no man has devoted a larger proportion of his life and services to the good of his suffering and unfortunate fellow-creatures. Your power to serve them, in a limited degree, still, I trust, remains; and your benevolent disposition will not suffer you to remain idle, as long as you have the ability to do good.

THE AGED CHRISTIAN'S CABINET.

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Continue then at the Hospital, but relinquish the Alms-House and Penitentiary. You have never acquainted me with the state of your pecuniary affairs; but I hope they are such, that the sacrifice of the small pittance which you have heretofore received. from that quarter, will not occasion you inconvenience; and I trust our corporation will not forget the services you have so long rendered them.

"Amidst the cares and vexations of life, of which I have some, but happily not an over-proportion, it is a source of pride and consolation, that I am allowed to flatter myself that I enjoy the friendship and good opinion of my venerable friend, and early preceptor.

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My wife and children are well, and very thankful for your kind remembrance of them. I intend to call and see you very soon.

On entering his 77th year, Dr. S. remarks:"Looking into my diary, it seconds the record in my own conscience, of numberless imperfections, and the host of evils which lodge within my heart. Worn down by age and infirmities, I have sensibly realized a painful languor throughout my system. And yet, in this declining state, I have not only been assisted to perform my usual services in the public institutions, and to make a free use of my pen; but have been called to perform several extra public duties. Nevertheless, the conflicts of my mind and heart, during the past year, have been yery great, so that I am under the greatest possible obligation to adore and praise the Lord for his forbearance, long-suffering, and mercy to me, the most unworthy of all his servants. I must add, that for several months, I have been also employed in superintending the printing of my Aged Christian's Cabinet,' the last half sheet of which, was