"no library, public or private, which pretends to historical fullness, can afford to be without these volumes" of our Papers, and we have the same testimony from other sources in that section. And yet we confess to an even greater pleasure that there is a constantly increasing interest in our work in Europe, where our side of the story has been so long unknown. From England, Ireland, Scotland, France, Germany, Italy and Poland, we have had letters of highest commendation of our Papers, and have had the privilege of disseminating in these countries the truth as we hold it.
And just as we are going to press, there comes from one of the ablest critics in Europe a notice, from which we extract the following:
"The Papers of the Southern Historical Society contain a mass of information relative to the late war, without a careful study of which no historian, however limited his scope, should venture to treat any fragment of that most interesting story. It is especially valuable as contradicting upon conclusive authority many of the favorite illusions propagated by Northern writers, and establishing beyond doubt the enormous superiority in numbers of the Federal armies in every campaign and in almost every battle."
The above extract is from the London Saturday Review, and praise from that source is praise indeed. But pardon us, kind reader, if we seem too intent on "blowing our trumpet." You will bear us witness that we have done little of this heretofore, but this is the last number of the year, and—well, we had as well tell the whole truth—we want you to renew and to get us some new subscribers.
Our Relations with the Archive Office in Washington continue to be of the most pleasant and satisfactory character, and we have received from all of the officers connected with the department the most courteous and accommodating kindness.
Adjutant-General Townsend seems deeply interested in the work of completing—with a view to the ultimate publication of—the files of his Bureau, and manifests not only an intelligent zeal but a sound judgment in the direction of the whole business. He is also diligently collecting for the library of the War Department such books, documents, photographs, relics, &c., as shall illustrate the military history of the whole country, from colonial times down to the present. We do not hesitate to urge any of our Confederate people who can aid him to do so, and we can assure them that they will find him, as we certainly have done, a courteous and pleasant gentleman with whom to deal.
We have not as yet had occasion to have any personal intercourse or correspondence directly with the Secretary of War, but we doubt not (from all we have heard) that the same remark would apply to him.
General Marcus J. Wright and Mr. A. P. Tasker (who is chief clerk and keeper of the Confederate archives) have spent five days in our office, and are expecting to return again in order that they may, from the most careful examination, determine just what we have that is needed by the War Department.
The more we see of General Wright the more we are disposed to con-
