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Editorial Paragraphs.
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Editorial Paragraphs
Editorial Paragraphs

We Consolidate our May and June Numbers, and will be thus enabled to make our issue hereafter the 1st instead of the last of the month, as many of our readers seem to prefer. It is all the same to our subscribers, and they will not object to our issuing the two under one cover since it is a convenience at this time to us.


The Nation has very quietly refused to accept our challenge to a full discussion of the question of the "Treatment of Prisoners" during the war. Immediately after the appearance of our last issue containing our reply to its review, we addressed them the following private letter:

Office Southern Historical Society,
No. 7 State Capitol,
Richmond, Virginia,
April 27th, 1877.

Editors The Nation:

I send you by this mail a copy of the April number of our monthly "Southern Historical Society Papers," which is just out.

You will find that we publish in full in this number your reply to our papers on the Treatment of Prisoners, with such comments as we think proper, and that we propose to you a full discussion of the whole question, promising to publish your articles in full if you will reciprocate.

Awaiting your reply, I am, yours very respectfully,

J. William Jones,
Secretary Southern Historical Society.

To this letter we have received no reply.

But in The Nation for May 10th, we find the following among the notes: "The April number of the 'Southern Historical Society Papers' republishes in full the criticism published in these columns of its articles on the 'Treatment of Prisoners at the South,' with comments. It proposes a full discussion of the 'whole question,' promising to 'publish your [our] articles in full,' provided 'you [we] will reciprocate.' We are compelled to decline this polite offer for want of space."

"Want of space" is a very good excuse; but there are those (unreasoning "Rebels" the Nation would probably call them) who will be uncharitable enough to conclude that the real reason why this able champion declines the discussion is not so much "want of space " as the want of facts and arguments to put into the space—that The Nation is more fully convinced than it is