The Grace papers are divided into several series: Correspondence, Miscellany, Legal and Financial Papers, Clippings and Printed Material, and Volumes.

The bulk of the collection lies in the Correspondence series, dating 1908-1940, with topics ranging from Grace's personal news, business adventures, and his political career. The early letters, pre-1920, are largely concerned with Charleston politics. Correspondence from the mayoralty election of 1915, the election of the U.S. representative from South Carolina in 1916, and the mayoralty election of 1919 all reveal the corruption and violence that regularly accompanied Charleston elections in the early twentieth century. Grace was a candidate for mayor in 1911, 1915, and 1919. He appears to have been considered an upstart in Charleston politics; at least he claimed to be opposed to the rule of the reactionary aristocrats who, he thought, had controlled Charleston. Since Grace was Roman Catholic, religious prejudice was often injected into the elections campaigns in which he was active, particularly for the election of 1919.

The corruption of Charleston elections was also demonstrated by several governors when they called out the militia to keep the peace in Charleston during elections (for example, 1919), by the murder of a Grace man in 1915, and Grace's charge that Francis Marion Whaley bought his seat in the House of Representatives in the election of 1916. This accusation led to a hearing in the House of Representatives, which decided against an investigation, claiming a lack of evidence to support the charge of corruption.

Another large amount of correspondence stems from Grace's publishing of the , a daily morning paper begun in 1916. From the many letters concerning the founding and progress of the paper, the problems and great expense connected with the publication of a daily paper become apparent. Also, there are comparisons of the progress of the with the established .

In his editorials, Grace regularly criticized the ongoing war in Europe. His pro-Irish opinions were accompanied by accusations that England had begun the war in order to preserve its naval and commercial superiority. He wrote that the United States had been flooded by British propaganda, and considered British naval policy to be a more flagrant violation of neutrality than German submarine attacks.

Grace wanted the United States to observe strict neutrality, as Wilson had proposed. When the United States entered the war, Grace was extremely angry, calling it "Wilson's War." His editorials were so critical of Wilson and so pro-German that Grace, on the basis of the Espionage Act, was cited to appear for a hearing, and the temporarily lost its third class mailing privilege.

Although Grace did not hold office after 1923, he was active in politics until his death. Correspondents included Governors Thomas Gordon McLeod (1923-1927), John Gardiner Richards (1927-1931), Ihra C. Blackwood (1931-1935), and Olin D. Johnston (1925-1939). Grace appeared closest to Richards, asking and receiving many favors. Grace despised Blackwood, however, and denounced him publicly for removing Grace from the state's highway commission.

Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, Grace also corresponded with a number of national politicians. In 1922, he received a letter from his friend and Representative from South Carolina, W. Turner Logan, who spoke of joining the "Bolsheviks, Borah, LaFollette and Frasier," and explained that this alignment was not a third party movement but "simply progressive." Grace also exchanged letters with Millard E. Tydings, James F. Byrnes, Hamilton Fish, Jr., James A. Reed, Pat McCarran, George W. Norris, James E. Murray, Eugene Talmadge, Ellison D. Smith, and William W. Ball.

Grace was active in the presidential election of 1928, and was invited by Tydings to make a series of addresses in behalf of Alfred E. Smith, the Democratic candidate. In the course of this election, some of Grace's letters reveal his political philosophy, and this was elaborated in his letters during the 1930s. In connection with the presidential election of 1932, Grace was sorely disappointed when Franklin D. Roosevelt won the Democratic nomination over Al Smith. Grace accused Roosevelt of being an ingrate and an opportunist, and remained a severe critic of Roosevelt, especially concerning Roosevelt's treatment of the Supreme Court.

Also of interest in correspondence from the 1920s are Grace's speculation in Florida real estate, his losses growing out of the depression, and his opinion (from 1934) as to the causes of the depression.

During the 1930s, Grace wrote at length on world politics. The letters are particularly good for discerning his political philosophy, his reasoning with respect to the entrance of the United States into World War I, and his opinion as to the developments in Europe that led to World War II. While he disapproved of some of Hitler's tactics, Grace wrote in 1938 that Hitler was one of the greatest men of the day. Important also is the long letter from George Norris explaining why he had voted against the entrance of the United States into World War I.

The Legal and Financial Papers series, dated 1885-1939, includes documents connected with the business of the , the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Co., the Cooper River Bridge Co., the Whaley hearing, and the O.B. Limehouse Case, among others. Cases are arranged alphabetically; the remainder of the series is sorted chronologically. The financial papers also contain many bills and receipts.

The remaining papers are sorted into Miscellany, Clippings, and Printed Material. The Volumes series includes three scrapbooks of newspaper clippings.