Mr. SUMNER. We have already in our history had some experience by which we may be taught on this question. Senators have seen in their libraries, certainly in the Congressional Library, the large volumes known as the American Archives, of which there are portions of several series. When that series was commenced it was intended that it should embody all the papers, military and diplomatic, and also lending articles in newspapers, relating to the origin of our Revolution and the war of independence. The collection proceeded to the year 1776, under the editorship of Peter Force, of this city, a gentleman as comctent, I suppose, as any person who could have been selected in the whole country, but it was subject to the final revision of the SecyState. Finally, when Mr. Force had prepared a vol ume for 1777, and all his papers were collected and laid before the SecyState, at that time Mr. Marcy, the latter gentleman refused to give his assent to the further publication of the volume, and you have that collection, origi nally ordered by aJtResolution of congress, suspended at the year 1776, and primarilg; because Mr. Marcy did not feel willing as SecyState to give his final assent, as required by the resolution, to its publication. at is our experience with regard to one very important portion of our history, the war of independence; the documents are not yet published in one connected series; I do not know that they ever will be and now, sir, it is proposed to publish another series, which will be perhaps more exensive even than that of the war of inde on once. The series of the war of indepenence, as you will observe, embraced news paperarticles iu America and England illus trating the contest, and that of course gave to it a much larger size and development thau the series now proposed. But, as I have said, it is now proposed to begin another series. I would simply suggest that we may well consider whether it might not be advisable for us to complete the original series, and to illustrate the war of independenee before we enter upon the work of il ustrating this recent more terrible conflict. But, sir, suppose we do undertake the latter work, then It ink all the suggestions that have been made, particularly by the Senfrom Maine suggesting caution, requiring care and editorship, ofinff nite importance. I agree with that Senator absolutel when he says the whole collcttion will be O very little value, it will be trivial, if it is not well edited, well arranged, and then well INDEXed.