Power Tends To Corrupt: Lord Acton's Study of Liberty

Notes

Notes abbreviations add. Mss.—additional Manuscripts: acton Papers, Department of Manuscripts, Cambridge University Library SWLA—Selected Writings of Lord Acton, edited by J. rufus Fears Acton-Simpson Correspondence—The Correspondence of Lord Acton and Richard Simpson, edited by Josef L. altholz, Damian Mcelrath, and James holland Acton in America—Acton in America: The American Journal of Sir John Acton 1853, edited by s. W. Jackman “arnold’s Manual”—Lord acton, “review of Thomas arnold’s Manual of English Literature,” in SWLA 1 “arnold’s Public Life”—Lord acton, “review of Thomas arnold’s Public Life of Lord Macaulay,” in SWLA 1 “Civil War in america”—Lord acton, “The Civil War in america: its Place in history,” in SWLA 1 Correspondence—Lord Acton, Selections from the Correspondence of the First Lord Acton, edited by John Neville Figgis and reginald vere Laurence Essays on Church and State—Essays on Church and State, by Lord Acton, edited by Douglas Woodruff “Freedom in antiquity”—Lord acton, “The history of Freedom in antiquity,” in SWLA 1 “Freedom in Christianity”—Lord acton, “The history of Freedom in Christianity,” in SWLA 1 Historical Essays & Studies—Lord Acton, Historical Essays & Studies, edited by John Neville Figgis and reginald vere Laurence Lectures on the French Revolution—Lord Acton, Lectures on the French Revolution, edited by John Neville Figgis and reginald vere Laurence Lectures on Modern History—Lord Acton, Lectures on Modern History, edited by hugh trevor-roper, 3rd ed. Letters of Lord Acton to Mary—Letters of Lord Acton to Mary, Daughter of the Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone, 2nd ed. “Political Causes”—Lord acton, “Political Causes of the american revolution,” SWLA 1 “report on Current events, July 1860”—Lord acton, “report on Current events, July 1860,” SWLA 1 “sir erskine”—Lord acton, “sir erskine May’s Democracy in europe,” in SWLA 1 274 Notes to Pages 3–6 Introduction 1. The quotations are from acton Papers, Department of Manuscripts, Cambridge University Library, additional Manuscripts (hereafter referred to as add. Mss.), 4991, 198; Lord acton, “The american Commonwealth. By James Bryce,” first published in English Historical Review 4 (1889): 388–96, reprinted in John emerich edward Dalberg acton, Selected Writings of Lord Acton, edited by J. rufus Fears, 3 vols. (indianapolis: Liberty Classics, 1985–1988; hereafter referred to as SWLA), 1:405; add. Mss. 4960, 103. 2. Mary Drew, Acton, Gladstone and Others, 2nd ed. (Port Washington, NY: kennikat Press, 1968), 7. 3. Cf. Gertrude himmelfarb, Lord Acton: A Study in Conscience and Politics, 2nd ed. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1962), 132. 4. Lord acton, “The history of Freedom in antiquity” (hereafter referred to as “Freedom in antiquity”), and “The history of Freedom in Christianity” (hereafter referred to as “Freedom in Christianity”), two addresses delivered to the members of the Bridgnorth institution at the agricultural hall, on February 26 and on May 28, 1877, respectively, reprinted in SWLA 1:5–53. 5. one of acton’s biographers, robert L. schuettinger, observes that he is like Burke and tocqueville in terms of the pregnancy of thought, so that an entire book can be written on the basis of just one paragraph of their writing, see his Lord Acton: Historian of Liberty (Lasalle, iL: open Court, 1976), 131. 6. Lord acton, “review of Macknight’s Life and Times of Edmund Burke,” first published in Rambler, n.s. 9 (april 1858): 268–73, reprinted in SWLA 1:140; acton to richard simpson, February 16, 1858, in Josef L. altholz and Damian Mcelrath, eds., The Correspondence of Lord Acton and Richard Simpson, 3 vols. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1971–1975), 1:7, hereafter referred to as Acton-Simpson Correspondence. according to himmelfarb, acton distanced himself somewhat from Burke in his maturity: Lord Acton, 69–75, 82, 208; “The american revolution in the Political Theory of Lord acton,” Journal of Modern History 21, 4 (December 1949): 293–312. schuettinger follows her lead (Lord Acton, 77–79). The most radical in this respect is seamus F. Dean, who claims that acton was hostile to Burke’s thought: “Lord acton and edmund Burke,” Journal of the History of Ideas 33, 2 (april 1972): 325–35. see also russell kirk, “Lord acton on revolution,” Occasional Papers 3 (Grand rapids, Mi: acton institute, 1994). 7. Cf. Douglas Woodruff, “introduction: The early Writing of Lord acton,” in Essays on Church and State, by Lord Acton, edited by Douglas Woodruff (New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1968; hereafter referred to as Essays on Church and State), 1. 8. “Political Thoughts...