THE LESSONS OF THE SPANISH ARCHIVES.

By WILLIAM R. SHEPHERD,1

Professor in Columbia University.

Exclusive, perhaps, of the British archives, there is no collection of public documents in all Europe so indispensable to the historian of the United States as the archives of Spain. Ranging over Florida, the Louisiana region, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California, they include the relations of this country with Spain and her American provinces, both in colonial times and since the era of national independence. While no exact statement is possible as yet, it is safe to estimate the number of documents bearing upon the history of the United States between 1512 and 1857, the date up to which they are accessible to students, at upwards of 800,000.

Although much that is valuable may be found elsewhere in Spain, the chief depositories of papers of this sort are the "Archivo General" at Simancas, the "Archivo Historico-Nacional" at Madrid, and the "Archivo General de Indias" at Seville. That their materials, instead of being concentrated in some large center, as is the case in Paris and London, have to be sought for in three distinct localities, many miles apart, is a circumstance due to the vicissitudes of Spanish history. Such vicissitudes, accompanied by considerable poverty and a spirit of indifference arising out of misfortune, explain also why the buildings that house the several sets of archives are usually of ancient origin and ill adapted for the purposes to which they are put.

With an attitude of mind common to public authorities in other parts of the world, the Spanish Government shows itself to be more intent upon the preservation of records having an administrative value at the present time than of those possessing an interest merely to the historical student. The records are divided into two main groups, namely, reserved and public. In the former are placed papers relating to the private affairs of the royal family-since 1834 in particular, to certain fortifications in Spain, and to all matters less than 50 years old. Being regarded as strictly official in their

1 Compiler of Guide to the Materials for the History of the United States in Spanish Archives, Carnegie Institution of Washington, 1907.

nature, these documents are withheld altogether from private examination until the age limit has been passed or until other motives for reservation cease to apply. In the latter group are included all papers not of the kinds mentioned; and since their character is purely historical they are set aside primarily for public and scientific use.

Given the adversities against which Spain has struggled and the practically unavoidable scantiness of the financial appropriation made for the archives, it is remarkable that, instead of thousands, many millions of documents are still extant. The pitifully small sums granted by the Government are quite insufficient to enable the archivists to classify, catalogue, and preserve the papers, nor are their salaries such as would stimulate conscientious and systematic effort. This does not mean that the officials in charge lack technical training. On the contrary, the archivists, librarians, and curators in the public service of Spain are organized into a body known as the "Cuerpo Facultativo de Archiveros, Bibliotecarios y Arqueólogos," the members of which, before entering upon the duties of their profession, have to satisfy the requirements of a special course of study extending over several years.

The dispersion of the various collections at considerable distance from one another, the inadequacy of the housing facilities afforded them, the deficiencies visible in the care of the papers and the occasional evidences of inertia on the part of the officials do not constitute the sole difficulties in the way of the investigator. The original of a given document may be in one depository and the copies of it in another; so that comparisons are not readily to be made. The student who thinks that in order to obtain certain papers in which he is interested all he needs to do is to ask for them becomes acquainted ere long with the fact that the Spanish archives are not conducted on any such principle. The actual number of archivists, the amount of leisure in the midst of their routine duties available for the personal use of investigators, and the extent of their knowledge of American history are rarely sufficient to provide the information sought. Instead, the worker is referred directly to the bundles (legajos) in which the documents are commonly kept, and to various old manuscript indexes and inventories. The latter furnish the shelf numbers and a very general indication of the contents of the bundles. The order of the documents within a legajo is chronological, and that within an index or inventory both chronological and geographical. Lists of individual papers, and even of groups of papers relating to a particular theme are rarely provided. Whenever extant they are accessible in the form of loose slips (papeletas) to which occasionally an alphabetical, as well as a geographical and chronological arrangement is given. None of these manuscript guides, however, may be used by the investigator without special permission of

the director (jefe) of the establishment concerned. The superabundance of saints' days, royal birthdays, and other festive events, all of which entail the closing of the archives, is a further trial to the patience of the investigator, regardless of the earnestness with which he may have striven to realize the import of so favorite a word in Spain as "mañana" (to-morrow). Personal research, therefore, is indispensable. Even the copyists who may be employed at a very reasonable rate need looking after. The student who stays at home and contents himself with ordering transcripts to be made will probably find in the consignment whenever it arrives much that is altogether irrelevant to what he asked for.

On the other hand, the difficulties that impede the progress of successful research in the Spanish archives are not in reality so formidable as they may seem. To a very considerable degree they are offset by certain advantages less freely offered by the archives in other European countries. For example, the terms of admission to the collections in Simancas, Madrid, and Seville are practically the same as those to any well-regulated public library in the world. Letters of introduction are unnecessary, the student merely having to satisfy the director of each center that he is trustworthy in every respect and that the work to be undertaken is an important one. This duty complied with, little, if any, red tape is drawn over the pathway of investigation. Invariably courteous in their bearing, the officials are disposed to be helpful to the utmost extent that their knowledge and their of portunities may allow. Providing only that care be taken not to mix the respective contents, several bundles of papers may be examined at a time. Delays in bringing the material sought are rarely encountered. Nor do the bundles have to be replaced in the shelves the same day that they are used. But the greatest boon of all to the worker in the Spanish archives is the total absence of censorship. Either a manuscript is supplied along with an absolute right of copying or of photographing its contents, or it is simply withheld from the outset. Never is the vexatious experience undergone of having some choice passage blue-penciled and the labor of the copyist expended in vain because of some petty regulation devoid of sense or reason. As a just return for this liberality, however, the investigator must promise to send a copy of any work that he may write as a consequence of his researches in any particular center, and must deposit also a copy of any photograph of a document which he may have had made.

Whatever the good intentions of the Spanish archivists, the preceding sketch has shown that they are beset by conditions that prevent them from managing satisfactorily the huge collections placed in their charge. They simply can not take all the precautions needful to insure the preservation alone of the papers, to say nothing of in

dexing them in any detail. If this be true of the materials dealing with the history of Spain and of Spanish America, in which a reasonable amount of interest would naturally be felt, it applies with far greater force to the documents relating to the United States in which, of course, any such interest is probably lacking. These it is our plain duty to have calendared and, in the case of manuscripts threatened with speedy destruction by reason of neglect, to have suitable transcripts made at the earliest possible moment.

Given the conditions prevailing in the archives of Spain and the incalculable importance of the several collections for the history of the United States, as well as for that of the other countries of the world the relations of which with Spain have been close, an organized effort on their part and ours should be begun to save the documents and to render their contents easily accessible. To accomplish this purpose the most effective agency would be an institute of historical research similar to the classical schools at Rome and Athens. Sure to be welcomed by the Spanish Government and capable of being maintained at a relatively slight cost, the work of such an institute would produce results immensely beneficial to the cause of historical research. Its value is as unquestionable as its expediency is urgent.

THE LESSONS OF THE SWEDISH ARCHIVES.

By AMANDUS JOHNSON, Ph. D., of the University of Pennsylvania.

Already in the reign of John III (1568-1592) attention was given to the preservation and classification of the public records and "national historians" were employed to "preserve the memory of great events." In the beginning of the seventeenth century a more systematic organization was effected through the efforts of Gustavus Adolphus and (especially) Axel Oxenstierna. On October 26 (n. s.), 1618, an ordinance was issued for "the archives of the Kingdom and a secretary was appointed to have charge of the same. Other ordinances were made in 1626 and 1661. The secretary, being the most important officer, finally became the royal archivist. Under his guidance the public documents were collected and preserved in the Riksarkiv or public record office. The records of the College of the Admiralty, of the College of War, and of the College of the Exchequer were likewise preserved at the capital and soon attained large proportions, but without special organization or classification. Various local collections, sometimes of value for historical research, also became important as time went on, but there was no connection between these and the royal archives and it was often difficult for the investigator to gain access to them, while in many cases the documents were badly preserved.

A few years ago the archive system of Sweden was reorganized and "district archives" (Landsarkiv or country archives) were founded where the local church records and other public documents in certain districts should be deposited. In 1901, and again in 1906, royal ordinances were published, prescribing the management and organization of the archives and the duties of the officers. The documents in the royal archives are to be preserved for the public and the Government and historical documents of value are to be published. The royal archivist is to be at the head of the archives in the Kingdom and he is to inspect the district archives and similar depositories of

1 Thus there is a Landsarkiv at Upsala, another at Vadstena, etc. The plan was due

to Prof. Odhner.