The New York herald., 1877-10-21
CONFEDERATE RECORDS.

THE SOUTHERN HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND TIE
"ARcHIvE BUREAU" AT WASHINGTON.
RICHMOND, Va, Oct 13 1877.
To THE EDITOR or HsRALD:-
TO remove all misapprehcnsion which may exist in
any quarter to the extent, value and accessibility
OF tho archives deposited with tho Southern Historical
Society readiness to AID the Archve Burcau In
Washington In the work OF completing accurately Its
files Of Confederate reports documents, &C., submit
this brief statement OF facts
The Southern Historical Society was organized in
New Orleans on the LIST Of May, 1863. by few gento-
tlcmen who desired 70 collect and preserve mate
rial necessary for true history OF the struggle for
Southern independencc. In August, 1873. by con-
vention called 6y the parent society, its domice
was removed TO Richmond, whore the archives have
been deposted III the capitol OF Virginia by authority
OF the Legislature and Governor Of tho State With
out national or State aid, without endowment with
no resources except such as have bccn supplied by
the sefrcspect OF our people, tho society has
its present SUCCESS, and holds selected contributions
oil authentic MSS, documents, reports. books, &c,
which make our COLLECTION tho mos. valuable Tor
true history OF the war now IN existence. We hold
these tho property Of the ctizons OF this country
conhdcd TO us IN trust tor the uses OF history, and
have always bcen ready TO Afford the froest
them, and 10 aid writers OF ovory State and country
who desire TO tell the truth about tho wur between
the Stat.s- And authors OF historic works III this
country and Europe have freely avaod themselves OF
the fucity VIC have thus presented.
TWO years ago we opened negotiations with the
Secretary OF Wur with tho view OF procuring FREQ
10 the captured Con ederate archives Wash
ington city, and We offered 10 give authenticated
copies OF anything In our possession in exchange Tor
copies OF such documents Ia tho Archive Bureau
" might dosre, and wo also accorded and invited tho
Ieest possible nation OF org Is
The secretary (Beknap) accc pied Offers proposed
to send clerks to Examine archives and copy such
he desired TO have but declined To reciprocate in
way or 10 give that access to tho papers
held In Washington which Is essential TO the duo
authenticity 9t any publication which may bo mado
| from them aud 70 tho historic value OF thcrn
More recently the correspondence with has been
resumed by the War Department which has offered
the advance sheets oil the documents purposes TO
publish soon us they are ready Tor publication.
The duty and object oil society open his
tory every evidence which shed ray OF truth
upon the great events wc arc recording; therefore
could not by agreeing 10 tho unrcciprocal proposals
tho secretary sanction the Withholding the right OF
| thorough and proper examination oi any original
documents by when alone tho truth OF history bo
accept tho proposition restricted as It 10 US
Has not the time yet como when the curtain which
| wells the captured archives Ia Waahngt DO
raised 10 all who seek historic truth, When policy
which has denied to Robert f. Leo and other conic4
crates to their own reports be abandoned
Can such policy iail 10 keep alive sectional BITTER
ness be explained In any other way than pur-
poso TO conceal or pcrvert the truth of history
II public money s to be appropriated Tor the oil.
cation OF the captured documents we demand that
SENTATIVE confedcratos shall be allowed inspect
ZION OF tho and that equal facilities Tor
OF too documents held in tho Archive Bureau OF tho
uned States shall DO accorded 10 all of our fellow
liens. DABNEf II. MACE1,
Chairman Executive Committee southern Hhtorical
society.