and set forth the eminent services of diplomatists, whose names, in connection with these services, are rarely mentioned by English and American historians. French and Continental writers have a better appreciation of historical justice. The discussion of "The Value of National Historical Archives," by Mrs. Ellen Hardin Walworth, of Saratoga, was one of the ablest and most practical papers read at the Congress. It depicted in eloquent and forcible terms the need of such a department at Washington. All the other great, and many of the smaller, nations of the world have departments of archives, and the United States has none. The student of American history must go, or send, to Europe, or to Canada (which has an excellent department of state papers), to find documents which should be in Washington. Mrs. Walworth concluded by offering a resolution to the effect that a committee be appointed to memorialize our national Congress to establish such a department. An earnest discussion followed, supporting the resolution, and it passed unanimously.
Dr. James Schouler, of Boston, and Dr. Charles J. Little, of the Northwestern University, happily discussed "The Methods of Historical Investigation" and "The Historical Method of Writing the History of Christian Doctrine." Dr. Fred. Bancroft read a paper on "Mr. Seward's Position toward the South from November, 1860, to March 4, 1861." On Wednesday morning, "Pre-Columbian Discovery," "Prince Henry, the Navigator," and "The Economic Conditions of Spain in the Sixteenth Century" were ably treated by the Hon. J. P. Baxter, of Portland, Me., Prof. E. G. Bourne, of Adelbert College, and Prof. Bernard Moses, of the University of California; and Prof. Lucy M. Salmon, of Vassar College, read a good paper on "The Union of Utrecht." In the evening the Hon. William Henry Smith, of Lake Forest, and Mr. Reuben G. Thwaites, of Madison, Wis., read interesting papers on "Early Slavery in the Northwest" and "Early Lead Mining in Illinois and Wisconsin." Thursday morning opened with a scholarly paper by Dr. L. H. Boutell, of Chicago, on "Roger Sherman in the National Constitutional Convention," in which he replied to the claim made by Dr. Charles J. Stillé, in his life of John Dickinson, that Dickinson was the author of the provisions of the Constitution concerning the number and choice of Senators. Other excellent papers were read, which we have not space to mention. The time, during the six sessions of more than two hours each, was fully occupied, and it was necessary to omit the reading of papers when their writers were not present.
THE FOLK-LORE CONGRESS.
It is quite impossible to summarize, in any detailed way, within the limits of the space available, the results of a Congress that cost months of active preparation and extended through six busy days. Only the barest outlines can be presented. The Congress was planned and held in the face of opposition and discouragement from organized bodies in London and Boston—the American Folk-Lore Society's Secretary declaring that it would be impracticable to hold a World's Congress in the United States at this time. In view of the phenomenal success of the Congress, these elements of difficulty and discouragement should be noted; as should the fact that the success is very largely due to the untiring labors and enthusiasm of Lieut. F. S. Bassett, chairman of the committee of arrangements. This was the third International Congress of Folk-lore ever held, and really the first to which all nations were invited, and in which representatives from nearly all civilized peoples of the earth participated. More than thirty nationalities were represented, one hundred persons actively participating in the literary exercises, and more than a hundred in the concert. Twelve sessions were held, at which sixty-eight papers and addresses were read and forty-seven separate songs were sung, in addition to the phonographic chants. The geographical range of the essays was unrestricted. The folk-lore of all lands was treated at the hands of those who were natives, or who had lived in the lands of which they spoke, from Corea to Dalmatia. Many distinguished folklore scholars from abroad assisted personally in this exposition of the folk-lore of Asia, Africa, Europe, and the two Americas. Among these were the Hon. John Abercromby, Vice President of the English Folk-lore Society; Mr. Michel Smigrodzki, of Poland, a member of the Paris Société des Traditions Populaires; Mr. Vucasovic, of Dalmatia; Mr. Mihic, of Servia; Mr. Beers, Secretary of the New Orleans Society; the Hon. Lorin Thurston, of Honolulu; Dr. V. I. Shopoff, of Bulgaria; Mr. Paul Groussac, of Buenos Ayres; and Mr. Ludwig Krwyzinski, of Poland.
The scientific range of the papers read was also remarkable. No branch of folk-lore was unrepresented. Myths, legends, customs, superstitions, religions, songs,—in fact, all branches of folk-speech, folk-wont, and folk-thought, were dealt with. Particularly were the legends and customs of the American aborigines treated at the hands of such experts as Surgeon Matthews, Lieutenant Scott, Dr. Eastman, Mr. James Deans, Mr. Quelch, Lieutenant Welles, and Mr. Groussac. Dr. Matthews's wonderful collection of phonographed Navajo songs, and Lieutenant Scott's exposition of the sign language, were especially meritorious. Nor was the black man neglected. He carried off the honors at the concert, and in the hands of Miss Owen, Mrs. Watson, and Mrs. Sheldon, his superstitions and customs and his strange literature were ably represented. Many of these essays were made more popular by the objects from strange lands used in illustrating them,—as, for example, Dr. Matthews's "Navajo Rites," Mr. Stephen's Hopi pigments, Mrs. French-Sheldon's African charms, Mr. Smigrodzki's tablet of the Svastika, and Mr. Quelch's South American musical instruments.
