[291] “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.
