Colonial Manners: a Picture of the Maryland House of Burgesses in 1766 [pp. 138-139]

SOUTHERN LITERARY MAESSENGER.
Our near neighbor and almost twin sister Maryland, is
pushing, with a degree of enterprise which does her credit, her internal improvements into the heart of our own
territory-and we we have too much grace and politeness to say to her, that it is rather an intrusion. Our
most filial and amiable daughters to the West, send to
us their hogs, horses and cattle-and we pay them, at
leastsosays the buyer, most tremendous prices. All these
drains from our prosperity, and many more which might
be enumerated, we submit to, with a degree of patience
and composed resignation that even Job might have envied. Our Eagle is indeed stripped of its plumage, to
adorn others more fearless and adventurous on the wing.
But to return to the Report. The Governor thinking
it probable that the Legislature might not concur in his
views, either to give the whole subject of a deaf and
dumb asylum the go-by, or to adopt the alternative
of sending the indigent pupils into other States, presents
various views touching the management of such institutions-the general correctness of which we are not disposed to question. At one thing, however, we are somewhat surprised, and that is, that his Excellency seems
not to have been aware of the existence within this
State, of an incorporated asylum, prepared to go into
operation whensoever the public shall extend its patronage. The Report seems to have been founded upon a
voluminous mass of documents, which are deposited in
the public library, for the use of the Legislature. Not
having access to them, we shall content ourselves with
a reference to such others as lay within our reach, in order to present, in a few strong lights, the importance and
necessity of such an institution in Virginia.
At the session of 1825-'6, Governor Pleasants communicated to the Legislature the first annual report of
the trustees of the Kentucky institution, and also the
ninth annual report of the Hartford Asylum. The first
mentioned document is particularly important, inasmuch
as it exhibits at once the success which attended afirst
experiment, under circumstances extremely disadvantageous. The report of the trustees made to the Kentucky
Legislature was referred to a joint committee of the two
Houses,-who visited the asylum at Danville, and who,
among other things, stated, on their return, "that they
were greatly gratified in witnessing the progress made
by the pupils, whose facility and correctness in comprehending the signs made by the teacher, and expressing
their ideas, exceeded any thing that could have been anticipated by the most sanguine friends of the institution." They further state the following extraordinary
facts, which ought at once to dispel all prejudice, and
unite all hearts in support of a system of instruction, attended by such beneficent results. " All those who had
been instructed in the asylum for FouR MONTHS, wrote
good hands, spelled correctly, and answered promptly and
correctly, numerous questions that weereproposed to them by
the teacher and members of the committee." It also appears
that the whole number of pupils, at the end of the first
year, was only twenty-one-a number, which, according to Governor Tazewell's theory, is not sufficient for
the purpose of mutual communion, in their peculiar
mode-but which, in the instance before us, would seem
to establish the very reverse of that proposition.
The report from the Hartford Asylum, which is dated
in 1825, is particularly interesting, as furnishing extraordinary proofs of the progress of the pupils, both in
moral and intellectual attainments. We think, if Governor Tazewell had been so fortunate as to light upon
this document, he would scarcely have urged as a reason for postponing an asylum in Virginia, that the science of instructing the deaf mute was continually advancing, and was likely to be more perfect some )*ars
hence than at present. Doubtless this peculiar and valuable art will improve, and so will many other branches
of knowledge which are even now in a highly advanced
state. Natural history, chemistry, and the physical scientces generally, are constantly enlarging their boundaries, and extending their acquisitions-but shall we, on
that account, remain in ignorance of what they now
teach, in the vain hope that by and by they will reach
the maximum of perfection? Strange doctrine truly!
We have already referred to the memorial of the trustees of the Staunton institution, and the report of the
committee of schools and colleges-both of which interesting papers will be found among the printed legislative documents of last winter, and ought to be reprinted for distribution among the members of that body, now in session. We hope that the Legislature will
take the subject into its speedy and earnest consideration, and that, in the language of the Kentucky report,
they will hearken to the "claims of those whom God, in
the mysterious dispensations of his providence, has deprived of the faculty of hearing and of speech; of whom
an eloquent divine has said,'silence like theirs is eloquence.'"
COLONIAL MAINNERS.
A picture of the House of Burgesses of MIaryland
in 1766.
WAE have been politely favored with the sight of
a letter from an illustrious philosopher and statesman,
written at Annapolis on the 25th May, 1766, to his
friend in Virginia, from which we make the subjoined
curious extract. It is no less instructive than amusing
to trace the progress of society from its rude and simple beginnings, to that more perfect form produced by
civilization and refinement. It may be doubted however, whether the degree of decorum prevailing in the
legislative body of a country, furnishes more than an
imperfect index to the state of public manners. We
will venture to assert that in 1766, the very year when
the Burgesses of Maryland are represented as no better
than a "mob," the Colonial Assembly of Virginia exhibited as fine a picture of gravity and dignity as could
be well conceived; and yet we have no reason to believe that the people of Maryland at that day were
less civilized than their brethren south of the Potomac.
Perfectly aware as we are of the faults of our countrymen, we have nevertheless always contended that the
Virginians are the most remarkable people in the world
for the observance of a certain peculiar affability towards each other, not only in their public bodies, but in
private intercourse. We mean Virginians of the genuine old stock-not the new race who have sprung up
among us like mushrooms, and are trying to introduce
an awkward imitation of European customs. These
latter are some of them weak enough to think that the
sudden acquisition of fortune, without merit on their
part, or a voyage or two to London or Paris, are of
themselves sufficient to constitute a finished gentleman. Real refinement is founded upon good sense,
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