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John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton, 1st Baron Acton, 13th
Marquess of Groppoli The Marquessate of Groppoli, in Tuscany and Liguria, was ruled by the House of Brignole-Sale, an illustrious patrician family of Genoa who were its sovereigns from 1592 to 1774. It was originally an imperial fief, part of the former land ...
, (10 January 1834 – 19 June 1902), better known as Lord Acton, was an
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
historian, politician, and writer. He is best remembered for the remark he wrote in a letter to an Anglican bishop in 1887: Letter to Bishop Mandell Creighton, April 5, 1887
Transcript of, published in ''Historical Essays and Studies'', edited by J. N. Figgis and R. V. Laurence (London: Macmillan, 1907).
''"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men…"''


Early life and background

The only son of
Sir Ferdinand Dalberg-Acton, 7th Baronet Sir Ferdinand Richard Edward Dalberg-Acton, 7th Baronet (24 July 1801 – 31 January 1837) was a British baronet. Named in honour of the King of Naples, he was known as ''Richard'' to friends and family. He was born in Palermo where his father, ...
, and grandson of the
Neapolitan Neapolitan means of or pertaining to Naples, a city in Italy; or to: Geography and history * Province of Naples, a province in the Campania region of southern Italy that includes the city * Duchy of Naples, in existence during the Early and Hig ...
admiral and prime minister
Sir John Acton, 6th Baronet Sir John Francis Edward Acton, 6th Baronet (3 June 1736 12 August 1811) was a French-born English gentleman who served as Commander of the naval forces of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany and later as Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Naples under F ...
Chambers Biographical Dictionary, , p. 6 (who succeeded to the baronetcy and estates held by another branch of the Acton family in
Shropshire Shropshire (; alternatively Salop; abbreviated in print only as Shrops; demonym Salopian ) is a landlocked historic county in the West Midlands region of England. It is bordered by Wales to the west and the English counties of Cheshire to th ...
in 1791), Acton was known as Sir John Dalberg-Acton, 8th Baronet, from 1837 to 1869. His grandfather was part of a younger line of the family that had moved to
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
and
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
, but after the extinction of the elder branch he became the patriarch. Acton's father, known as Richard, married Marie Louise Pelline, the only daughter of
Emmerich Joseph, 1st Duc de Dalberg Emmerich Joseph Wolfgang Heribert de Dalberg, 1st Duke of Dalberg (31 May 1773 – 27 April 1833) was a German diplomat who was elevated to the French nobility in the Napoleonic era and who held senior government positions during the Bourbon R ...
, a naturalised French noble of ancient German lineage who had entered the French service under
Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
and represented
Louis XVIII Louis XVIII (Louis Stanislas Xavier; 17 November 1755 – 16 September 1824), known as the Desired (), was King of France from 1814 to 1824, except for a brief interruption during the Hundred Days in 1815. He spent twenty-three years in ...
at the
Congress of Vienna The Congress of Vienna (, ) of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon B ...
in 1814. After Sir Richard Acton's death in 1837, she became the wife of the 2nd Earl Granville (1840). Marie Louise Pelline de Dalberg was heiress of Herrnsheim in Germany. She became the mother of John Dalberg-Acton who was born in
Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
. He was raised as a
Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
, and was educated at
Oscott College St Mary's College in New Oscott, Birmingham, often called Oscott College, is the Roman Catholic seminary of the Archdiocese of Birmingham in England and one of the three seminaries of the Catholic Church in England and Wales. Purpose Oscott Coll ...
, under the future-Cardinal
Nicholas Wiseman Nicholas Patrick Stephen Wiseman (3 August 1802 – 15 February 1865) was a Cardinal of the Catholic Church who became the first Archbishop of Westminster upon the re-establishment of the Catholic hierarchy in England and Wales in 1850. Born ...
, until 1848. He then studied privately at
Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
. He was denied entry to the
University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
because he was a Catholic, and subsequently went to
Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...
where he studied at the
Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich The Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (simply University of Munich or LMU; german: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München) is a public research university in Munich, Germany. It is Germany's sixth-oldest university in continuous operatio ...
and resided in the house of
Johann Joseph Ignaz von Döllinger Johann, typically a male given name, is the German form of ''Iohannes'', which is the Latin form of the Greek name ''Iōánnēs'' (), itself derived from Hebrew name ''Yochanan'' () in turn from its extended form (), meaning "Yahweh is Gracious" ...
, the theologian and forerunner of the
Old Catholic Church The terms Old Catholic Church, Old Catholics, Old-Catholic churches or Old Catholic movement designate "any of the groups of Western Christians who believe themselves to maintain in complete loyalty the doctrine and traditions of the undivide ...
, with whom he became lifelong friends. Döllinger inspired in him a deep love of historical research and a profound conception of its functions as a critical instrument in the study of sociopolitical liberty. He was a master of the principal foreign languages, and began at an early age to collect a magnificent historical library, which he intended to use to compose a "History of Liberty". In politics, he was always an ardent
Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...
.


Career

During his extensive travels, Acton spent much time in the chief intellectual centres of Europe, reading the correspondence of historical personalities. Among his friends were Montalembert,
Tocqueville Alexis Charles Henri Clérel, comte de Tocqueville (; 29 July 180516 April 1859), colloquially known as Tocqueville (), was a French aristocrat, diplomat, political scientist, political philosopher and historian. He is best known for his works ...
,
Fustel de Coulanges Numa Denis Fustel de Coulanges (; 18 March 1830 – 12 September 1889) was a French historian. Joseph M. McCarthy argues that his first great book, '' The Ancient City'' (1864), was based on his in-depth knowledge of the primary Greek and Latin te ...
,
Bluntschli Johann Caspar (also Kaspar) Bluntschli (7 March 1808 – 21 October 1881) was a Swiss jurist and politician. Together with fellow liberals Francis Lieber and Édouard René de Laboulaye, he developed one of the first codes of international law ...
, von Sybel and Ranke. In 1855, he was appointed Deputy Lieutenant of Shropshire. A year later, he was attached to Lord Granville's mission to Moscow as British representative at the coronation of
Alexander II of Russia Alexander II ( rus, Алекса́ндр II Никола́евич, Aleksándr II Nikoláyevich, p=ɐlʲɪˈksandr ftɐˈroj nʲɪkɐˈlajɪvʲɪtɕ; 29 April 181813 March 1881) was Emperor of Russia, Congress Poland, King of Poland and Gra ...
.


Politics

In 1859, Acton settled in England, at his country house,
Aldenham Aldenham is a village and civil parish in Hertfordshire, north-east of Watford and southwest of Radlett. It was mentioned in the Domesday Book and is one of Hertsmere's 14 conservation areas. The village has eight pre-19th-century listed build ...
, in
Shropshire Shropshire (; alternatively Salop; abbreviated in print only as Shrops; demonym Salopian ) is a landlocked historic county in the West Midlands region of England. It is bordered by Wales to the west and the English counties of Cheshire to th ...
. He was returned to the
House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...
that same year as member for the Irish Borough of Carlow and became a devoted admirer and adherent of Prime Minister
William Ewart Gladstone William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British statesman and Liberal politician. In a career lasting over 60 years, he served for 12 years as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, spread over four non-conse ...
. However, Acton was not an active MP, and his parliamentary career came to an end after the general election of 1865, when he headed the Liberal ballot for
Bridgnorth Bridgnorth is a town in Shropshire, England. The River Severn splits it into High Town and Low Town, the upper town on the right bank and the lower on the left bank of the River Severn. The population at the 2011 Census was 12,079. History B ...
near his Shropshire home. Acton nearly defeated Conservative leader
Henry Whitmore Henry Whitmore (13 October 1813 – 2 May 1876) was an English Conservative politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1852 and 1870. Whitmore was the son of Thomas Whitmore of Apley Park near Bridgnorth and his wife Catherine Thomasson, ...
, but Whitmore successfully
petitioned A petition is a request to do something, most commonly addressed to a government official or public entity. Petitions to a deity are a form of prayer called supplication. In the colloquial sense, a petition is a document addressed to some offic ...
for a scrutiny of the ballots, and thus retained his seat. After the
Reform Act 1867 The Representation of the People Act 1867, 30 & 31 Vict. c. 102 (known as the Reform Act 1867 or the Second Reform Act) was a piece of British legislation that enfranchised part of the urban male working class in England and Wales for the first ...
, Acton again contested Bridgnorth, this time reduced to a single seat, in
1868 Events January–March * January 2 – British Expedition to Abyssinia: Robert Napier leads an expedition to free captive British officials and missionaries. * January 3 – The 15-year-old Mutsuhito, Emperor Meiji of Jap ...
but to no avail. Acton took a great interest in the United States, considering its
federal Federal or foederal (archaic) may refer to: Politics General *Federal monarchy, a federation of monarchies *Federation, or ''Federal state'' (federal system), a type of government characterized by both a central (federal) government and states or ...
structure an ideal guarantor of individual liberties. During the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
, his sympathies lay entirely with the Confederacy, for their defence of
States' Rights In American political discourse, states' rights are political powers held for the state governments rather than the federal government according to the United States Constitution, reflecting especially the enumerated powers of Congress and the ...
against a centralised government that he believed would inevitably turn tyrannical. His notes to Gladstone on the subject helped sway many in the British government to sympathise with the
South South is one of the cardinal directions or Points of the compass, compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Pro ...
. After the South's surrender, he wrote to
Robert E. Lee Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War, towards the end of which he was appointed the overall commander of the Confederate States Army. He led the Army of Nort ...
that "I mourn for the stake which was lost at Richmond more deeply than I rejoice over that which was saved at Waterloo," adding that he "deemed that you were fighting battles for our liberty, our progress, and our civilization." Acton's stance on the Confederacy was shared by most English Catholics at the time, both liberal and Ultramontane. The editors of the Ultramontane ''Tablet'' denounced
Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...
as a dangerous radical, and
John Henry Newman John Henry Newman (21 February 1801 – 11 August 1890) was an English theologian, academic, intellectual, philosopher, polymath, historian, writer, scholar and poet, first as an Anglican ministry, Anglican priest and later as a Catholi ...
, when asked for his opinion on the matter, stated that slavery was not "intrinsically evil" and that the issue had to be assessed on a case-by-case basis. In 1869,
Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...
raised Acton to the
peerage A peerage is a legal system historically comprising various hereditary titles (and sometimes non-hereditary titles) in a number of countries, and composed of assorted noble ranks. Peerages include: Australia * Australian peers Belgium * Belgi ...
as '' Baron Acton, of Aldenham in the County of Shropshire''. His elevation came primarily through the intercession of Gladstone. The two were intimate friends and frequent correspondents. Gladstone was particularly concerned to elevate Acton's standing as he headed out to Rome to resist the Pope's plan to have Papal Infallibility confirmed at the Vatican Council. Both Acton and Gladstone opposed this scheme and it was thought that, if Acton were an English Peer, it would strengthen his position in Rome.
Matthew Arnold Matthew Arnold (24 December 1822 – 15 April 1888) was an English poet and cultural critic who worked as an inspector of schools. He was the son of Thomas Arnold, the celebrated headmaster of Rugby School, and brother to both Tom Arnold, lite ...
said: "Gladstone influences all round him but Acton; it is Acton who influences Gladstone." Acton was appointed to the
Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order (french: Ordre royal de Victoria) is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the British monarch, Canadian monarch, Australian monarch, o ...
as a Knight Commander (KCVO) in the 1897 Birthday Honours. He was also a strong supporter of
Irish Home Rule The Irish Home Rule movement was a movement that campaigned for Devolution, self-government (or "home rule") for Ireland within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. It was the dominant political movement of Irish nationalism from 1 ...
.


Religion and writings

Meanwhile, Acton became the editor of the Roman Catholic monthly paper, ''
The Rambler ''The Rambler'' was a periodical (strictly, a series of short papers) by Samuel Johnson. Description ''The Rambler'' was published on Tuesdays and Saturdays from 1750 to 1752 and totals 208 articles. It was Johnson's most consistent and sustain ...
'', in 1859, upon John Henry (later Cardinal) Newman's retirement from the editorship. In 1862, he merged this periodical into the ''Home and Foreign Review''. Though a sincere Roman Catholic, his spirit as a historian was hostile to
ultramontane Ultramontanism is a clerical political conception within the Catholic Church that places strong emphasis on the prerogatives and powers of the Pope. It contrasts with Gallicanism, the belief that popular civil authority—often represented by th ...
pretensions, and his independence of thought and liberalism soon brought him into conflict with the church hierarchy. As early as August 1862, Cardinal Wiseman publicly censured the ''Review''; and when in 1864, after
Döllinger Dollinger and Döllinger are surnames of German origin. They may refer to: * Günther Dollinger (born 1960), German physicist and professor * Ignaz Döllinger (1770–1841), German physician and university professor * Ignaz von Döllinger (1799–1 ...
's appeal at the Munich Congress for a less hostile attitude towards historical criticism, the pope issued a declaration that the opinions of Catholic writers were subject to the authority of the Roman congregations, Acton felt that there was only one way of reconciling his literary conscience with his ecclesiastical loyalty, and he stopped the publication of his monthly periodical. He continued, however, to contribute articles to the ''
North British Review The ''North British Review'' was a Scottish periodical. It was founded in 1844 to act as the organ of the new Free Church of Scotland, the first editor being David Welsh. It was published until 1871; in the last few years of its existence it had a ...
'', which, previously a Scottish
Free Church A free church is a Christian denomination that is intrinsically separate from government (as opposed to a state church). A free church does not define government policy, and a free church does not accept church theology or policy definitions from ...
organ, had been acquired by friends in sympathy with him, and which for some years (until 1872, when it ceased publication) promoted the interests of a high-class Liberalism in both temporal and ecclesiastical matters. Acton also did a good deal of lecturing on historical subjects. In the March 1862 ''Rambler'', Acton wrote: And: "Subjection to a people of a higher capacity for government is of itself no misfortune; and it is to most countries the condition of their political advancement." In 1870, along with his mentor
Döllinger Dollinger and Döllinger are surnames of German origin. They may refer to: * Günther Dollinger (born 1960), German physicist and professor * Ignaz Döllinger (1770–1841), German physician and university professor * Ignaz von Döllinger (1799–1 ...
, Acton opposed the moves to promulgate the
doctrine Doctrine (from la, doctrina, meaning "teaching, instruction") is a codification of beliefs or a body of teachings or instructions, taught principles or positions, as the essence of teachings in a given branch of knowledge or in a belief system ...
of
papal infallibility Papal infallibility is a dogma of the Catholic Church which states that, in virtue of the promise of Jesus to Peter, the Pope when he speaks ''ex cathedra'' is preserved from the possibility of error on doctrine "initially given to the aposto ...
in the
First Vatican Council The First Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the First Vatican Council or Vatican I was convoked by Pope Pius IX on 29 June 1868, after a period of planning and preparation that began on 6 December 1864. This, the twentieth ecu ...
, travelling to Rome to lobby against it, ultimately unsuccessfully. Unlike
Döllinger Dollinger and Döllinger are surnames of German origin. They may refer to: * Günther Dollinger (born 1960), German physicist and professor * Ignaz Döllinger (1770–1841), German physician and university professor * Ignaz von Döllinger (1799–1 ...
, Acton did not become an
Old Catholic The terms Old Catholic Church, Old Catholics, Old-Catholic churches or Old Catholic movement designate "any of the groups of Western Christians who believe themselves to maintain in complete loyalty the doctrine and traditions of the undivide ...
, and continued attending Mass regularly; he received the
last rites The last rites, also known as the Commendation of the Dying, are the last prayers and ministrations given to an individual of Christian faith, when possible, shortly before death. They may be administered to those awaiting execution, mortall ...
on his deathbed. The Catholic Church did not try to force his hand. It was in this context that, in a letter he wrote to scholar and ecclesiastic
Mandell Creighton Mandell Creighton (; 5 July 1843 – 14 January 1901) was a British historian and a bishop of the Church of England. A scholar of the Renaissance papacy, Creighton was the first occupant of the Dixie Chair of Ecclesiastical History at the ...
, dated April 1887, Acton made his most famous pronouncement:
But if we might discuss this point until we found that we nearly agreed, and if we do agree thoroughly about the impropriety of
Carlylese Thomas Carlyle believed that his time required a new approach to writing:But finally do you reckon this really a time for Purism of Style; or that Style (mere dictionary style) has much to do with the worth or unworth of a Book? I do not: with who ...
denunciations and
Pharisaism The Pharisees (; he, פְּרוּשִׁים, Pərūšīm) were a Jewish social movement and a school of thought in the Levant during the time of Second Temple Judaism. After the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, Pharisaic beliefs bec ...
in history, I cannot accept your canon that we are to judge Pope and King unlike other men, with a favourable presumption that they did no wrong. If there is any presumption it is the other way, against the holders of power, increasing as the power increases. Historic responsibility has to make up for the want of legal responsibility. Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority, still more when you superadd the tendency or the certainty of corruption by authority. There is no worse heresy than that the office sanctifies the holder of it. That is the point at which the negation of Catholicism and the negation of Liberalism meet and keep high festival, and the end learns to justify the means. You would hang a man of no position like Ravaillac; but if what one hears is true, then
Elizabeth Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist Ships * HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships * ''Elisabeth'' (sch ...
asked the gaoler to murder
Mary Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...
, and
William III of England William III (William Henry; ; 4 November 16508 March 1702), also widely known as William of Orange, was the sovereign Prince of Orange from birth, Stadtholder of County of Holland, Holland, County of Zeeland, Zeeland, Lordship of Utrecht, Utrec ...
ordered his Scots minister to extirpate a clan. Here are the greatest names coupled with the greatest crimes; you would spare those criminals, for some mysterious reason. I would hang them higher than
Haman Haman ( ; also known as Haman the Agagite or Haman the evil) is the main antagonist in the Book of Esther, who according to the Hebrew Bible was an official in the court of the Persian empire under King Ahasuerus, commonly identified as Xerxes I ...
, for reasons of quite obvious justice, still more, still higher for the sake of historical science.
Thenceforth he steered clear of theological
polemics Polemic () is contentious rhetoric intended to support a specific position by forthright claims and to undermine the opposing position. The practice of such argumentation is called ''polemics'', which are seen in arguments on controversial topics ...
. He devoted himself to reading, study and congenial society. With all his capacity for study, he was a man of the world and a man of affairs, not a bookworm. His only notable publications were a masterly essay in the ''
Quarterly Review The ''Quarterly Review'' was a literary and political periodical founded in March 1809 by London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River ...
'' of January 1878 on "Democracy in Europe;" two lectures delivered at Bridgnorth in 1877 on "The History of Freedom in Antiquity" and "The History of Freedom in Christianity"—these last the only tangible portions put together by him of his long-projected "History of Liberty;" and an essay on modern German historians in the first number of the ''
English Historical Review ''The English Historical Review'' is a bimonthly peer-reviewed academic journal that was established in 1886 and published by Oxford University Press (formerly Longman). It publishes articles on all aspects of history – British, European, and wo ...
'', which he helped to found (1886). After 1879 he divided his time between London,
Cannes Cannes ( , , ; oc, Canas) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a communes of France, commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions I ...
, and
Tegernsee Tegernsee is a town in the Miesbach district of Bavaria, Germany. It is located on the shore of Lake Tegernsee, which is 747 m (2,451 ft) above sea level. A spa town, it is surrounded by an alpine landscape of Upper Bavaria, and has an e ...
in Bavaria, enjoying and reciprocating the society of his friends. In 1872 he had been given the honorary degree of Doctor of Philosophy by the
University of Munich The Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (simply University of Munich or LMU; german: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München) is a public research university in Munich, Germany. It is Germany's List of universities in Germany, sixth-oldest u ...
; in 1888 Cambridge gave him the honorary degree of
Doctor of Laws A Doctor of Law is a degree in law. The application of the term varies from country to country and includes degrees such as the Doctor of Juridical Science (J.S.D. or S.J.D), Juris Doctor (J.D.), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), and Legum Doctor (LL. ...
, and in 1889 Oxford the
Doctor of Civil Law Doctor of Civil Law (DCL; la, Legis Civilis Doctor or Juris Civilis Doctor) is a degree offered by some universities, such as the University of Oxford, instead of the more common Doctor of Laws (LLD) degrees. At Oxford, the degree is a higher ...
; and in 1890 he received the high academic accolade of being made a fellow of
All Souls College, Oxford All Souls College (official name: College of the Souls of All the Faithful Departed) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Unique to All Souls, all of its members automatically become fellows (i.e., full members of t ...
. In 1874, when Gladstone published his pamphlet on '' The Vatican Decrees in their Bearing on Civil Allegiance'', Lord Acton wrote during November and December a series of remarkable letters to ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...
'', illustrating Gladstone's main theme by numerous historical examples of papal inconsistency, in a way which must have been bitter enough to the ultramontane party, but ultimately disagreeing with Gladstone's conclusion and insisting that the Church itself was better than its premises implied. Acton's letters led to another storm in the English Roman Catholic world, but once more it was considered prudent by the
Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of Rome ...
to leave him alone. In spite of his reservations, he regarded "communion with Rome as dearer than life".


Personal life

On 1 August 1865, Acton married Countess Marie Anna Ludomilla Euphrosina von Arco auf Valley (1841–1923), daughter of the Bavarian Count Maximilian von Arco auf Valley, with whom he had six children: # Mary Elizabeth Anne Dalberg-Acton (1866–1951), married Lt-Col. Edward Bleiddian Herbert and had children. # Annie Mary Catherine Dalberg-Acton (1868–1917) #
Richard Lyon-Dalberg-Acton, 2nd Baron Acton Richard Maximilian Lyon-Dalberg-Acton, 2nd Baron Acton, (7 August 1870 – 16 June 1924) was a British peer and diplomat, ultimately Britain's first Ambassador to Finland in 1919–20. Early life The scion of an ancient and distinguished Shrops ...
(1870–1924) # John Dalberg Dalberg-Acton (1872–1873) # Elizabeth Mary Dalberg-Acton (1874–1881) # Jeanne Marie Dalberg-Acton (1876–1919) His nephew was
Anton Graf von Arco auf Valley Anton von Padua Alfred Emil Hubert Georg Graf von Arco auf Valley (5 February 1897 – 29 June 1945), commonly known as Anton Arco-Valley, was a German far-right activist, Bavarian nationalism, Bavarian nationalist and nobleman. He assassina ...
(1897–1945), a German count and political activist, and assassin of socialist Bavarian minister-president
Kurt Eisner Kurt Eisner (; 14 May 1867 21 February 1919)"Kurt Eisner – Encyclopædia Britannica" (biography), ''Encyclopædia Britannica'', 2006, Britannica.com webpageBritannica-KurtEisner. was a German politician, revolutionary, journalist, and theatre c ...
in 1919. When his cousin Maria, Duchess of Galliera died in 1888, Acton inherited the dormant title of
Marquess of Groppoli The Marquessate of Groppoli, in Tuscany and Liguria, was ruled by the House of Brignole-Sale, an illustrious patrician family of Genoa who were its sovereigns from 1592 to 1774. It was originally an imperial fief, part of the former land ...
.


Professor at Cambridge

Acton's reputation for learning gradually spread abroad, largely through Gladstone's influence. Gladstone found him a valuable political adviser, and in 1892, when the Liberal government came in, Lord Acton was made a lord-in-waiting. Finally, in 1895, on the death of Sir John Seeley, Lord Rosebery appointed him to the Regius Professorship of Modern History at
Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...
. He delivered two courses of lectures on the
French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...
and on Modern History, along with private tutoring. The ''Cambridge Modern History'', though he did not live to see it, was planned under his editorship.


Death and legacy

After his health began to fail in 1901, Acton died on 19 June 1902 at his wife's family home in the
spa A spa is a location where mineral-rich spring water (and sometimes seawater) is used to give medicinal baths. Spa towns or spa resorts (including hot springs resorts) typically offer various health treatments, which are also known as balneoth ...
town of
Tegernsee Tegernsee is a town in the Miesbach district of Bavaria, Germany. It is located on the shore of Lake Tegernsee, which is 747 m (2,451 ft) above sea level. A spa town, it is surrounded by an alpine landscape of Upper Bavaria, and has an e ...
,
Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...
,
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
. He was buried in a small communal graveyard by
Lake Tegernsee The Tegernsee is a ''Zungenbecken'' lake in the Bavarian Alps in southern Germany. The lake is the centre of a popular recreation area south-east of Munich. Resorts on the lake include the eponymous Tegernsee, as well as Bad Wiessee, Kreuth, Gmu ...
, a grave which today lies unmarked, having lost its headstone in the latter half of the 20th century. He was succeeded in the title by his son,
Richard Lyon-Dalberg-Acton, 2nd Baron Acton Richard Maximilian Lyon-Dalberg-Acton, 2nd Baron Acton, (7 August 1870 – 16 June 1924) was a British peer and diplomat, ultimately Britain's first Ambassador to Finland in 1919–20. Early life The scion of an ancient and distinguished Shrops ...
. His 60,000-volume library, with books full of his own annotations, was purchased prior to his death by
Andrew Carnegie Andrew Carnegie (, ; November 25, 1835August 11, 1919) was a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist. Carnegie led the expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century and became one of the richest Americans i ...
in secret, in order to secure the library for Acton's use during his lifetime. Upon Lord Acton's death, it was presented to
John Morley John Morley, 1st Viscount Morley of Blackburn, (24 December 1838 – 23 September 1923) was a British Liberal statesman, writer and newspaper editor. Initially, a journalist in the North of England and then editor of the newly Liberal-leani ...
, who donated it to the University of Cambridge. According to
Hugh Chisholm Hugh Chisholm (; 22 February 1866 – 29 September 1924) was a British journalist, and editor of the 10th, 11th and 12th editions of the ''Encyclopædia Britannica''. Life He was born in London, a son of Henry Williams Chisholm (1809–1901), ...
, editor of the 1911 ''Encyclopædia Britannica'': The
Acton School of Business The Acton School of Business is a school for entrepreneurship located in Austin, Texas. Offering a full-time program, the school is based on experiential learning. Students analyze business case studies and participate in simulations, such as buil ...
, established in 2002 in Austin, Texas, was named in his honor.


Ancestry


Notable quotations

* Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. * Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority. * There is no worse heresy than that the office sanctifies the holder of it. * History is the arbiter of controversy, the monarch of all she surveys. * Universal History is ... not a burden on the memory but an illumination of the soul. * There is not a more perilous or immoral habit of mind than the sanctifying of success. aid of Oliver Cromwell">Oliver_Cromwell.html" ;"title="aid of Oliver Cromwell">aid of Oliver Cromwell* The strong man with the dagger is followed by the weak man with the sponge. * The science of politics is the one science that is deposited by the streams of history, like the grains of gold in the sand of a river; and the knowledge of the past, the record of truths revealed by experience, is eminently practical, as an instrument of action and a power that goes to making the future. * Save for the wild force of Nature, nothing moves in this world that is not Greek in its origin. * Liberty is not the power of doing what we like, but the right of being able to do what we ought. * The wisdom of divine rule appears not in the perfection but in the improvement of the world... History is the true demonstration of Religion.


Works

* ''The Civil War in America: Its Place in History'' (lecture; 1866). * ''The Rise and Fall of the Mexican Empire'' (lecture; 1868). * ''Letters from Rome on the Council'' (1870). * ''The War of 1870'' (lecture; 1871). * ''The History of Freedom in Antiquity'' (address; 1877). * ''The History of Freedom in Christianity'' (address; 1877). * Introductory note to L.A. Burd's edition of Machiavelli'
''Il Principe''
(1891).
''A Lecture on the Study of History''
(1895). * Introductory note to George Peabody Gooch">G.P. Gooch'
''Annals of Politics and Culture''
(1901). Posthumous
''Letters of Lord Acton to Mary, Daughter of the Right Hon. W.E. Gladstone''
(1904).
''Lectures on Modern History''
(1906).
''The History of Freedom and Other Essays''
(1907).
''Historical Essays and Studies''
(1907).
''Lectures on the French Revolution''
(1910).
''Selections from the Correspondence of the First Lord Acton''
(1917). Articles
"Mill on Liberty,"Part II
''The Rambler'' (1859–60).
"The Roman Question,"
''The Rambler'' (1860).
"The State of the Church,"
''The Rambler'' (1860).
"Hefele's 'Life of Ximenes',"
''The Rambler'' (1860).
"The Political System of the Popes,"Part IIPart III
''The Rambler'' (1860–61).
"Döllinger's 'History of Christianity',"
''The Rambler'' (1861).
"Notes on the Present State of Austria,"
''The Rambler'' (1861).
"Political Causes of the American Revolution,"
''The Rambler'' (1861).
"Cavour,"
''The Rambler'' (1861).
"The Catholic Academy,"
''The Rambler'' (1861).
"Döllinger on the Temporal Power,"
''The Rambler'' (1861).
"Mr. Goldwin Smith's Irish History,"
''The Rambler'' (1862).
"The Protestant Theory of Persecution,"
''The Rambler'' (1862).
"Nationality,"
''Home and Foreign Review'' (1862).
"Secret History of Charles II,"
''Home and Foreign Review'' (1862).
"Confessions of Frederick the Great,"
''Home and Foreign Review'' (1863).
"The Waldensian Forgeries,"
''Home and Foreign Review'' (1863).
"Ultramontanism,"
''Home and Foreign Review'' (1863).
"Mediæval Fables of the Popes,"
''Home and Foreign Review'' (1863).
"The Munich Congress,"
''Home and Foreign Review'' (1864).
"Conflicts with Rome,"
''Home and Foreign Review'' (1864). * "Material Resources of the Papacy," ''The Chronicle'' (1867). * "Fra Paolo Sarpi," ''The Chronicle'' (1867). * "The Case of Monte Cassino," ''The Chronicle'' (1867). * "Döllinger on Universities," ''The Chronicle'' (1867). * "The Ministerial Changes in Italy," ''The Chronicle'' (1867). * "Secret History of the Italian Crisis," ''The Chronicle'' (1867). * "The Secret Bull," ''The Chronicle'' (1867). * "Reminiscences of Massimo d'Azeglio," ''The Chronicle'' (1867). * "The Next General Council," ''The Chronicle'' (1867). * "Ranke," ''The Chronicle'' (1867). * "M. Littré on the Middle Ages," ''The Chronicle'' (1867). * "Mr. Goldwin Smith on the Political History of England," ''The Chronicle'' (1867). * "Nicholas of Cusa," ''The Chronicle'' (1867). * "Maurice of Saxony," ''The Chronicle'' (1867). * "The Acta Sanctorum," ''The Chronicle'' (1867). * "The Queen's Journal," ''The Chronicle'' (1868). * "Ozanam on the Fifth Century," ''The Chronicle'' (1868).
"The Massacre of St. Bartholomew,"
''The North British Review'' (1868).
"The Pope and the Council,"
''The North British Review'' (1869).
"The Vatican Council,"
''The North British Review'' (1870).
"The Borgias and their Latest Historian,"
''The North British Review'' (1871).
"Wolsey and the Divorce of Henry VIII,"
''Quarterly Review'' (1877).
"Sir Erskine May's 'Democracy in Europe',"
''Quarterly Review'' (1878).
"George Eliot's Life,"
''The Nineteenth Century'' (1885).
"German Schools of History,"
''English Historical Review'' (1886).
"Wilhelm von Giesebretch,"
''English Historical Review'' (1890).
"Döllinger's Historical Work,"
''English Historical Review'' (1890).


See also

* Acton Institute for the Study of Religion & Liberty


Notes


References

*


Further reading

* * Boyd, Kelly, ed. ''Encyclopedia of Historians and Historical Writers'' (Rutledge, 1999) 1:1–2 * * Chadwick, Owen (1976). ''Acton and Gladstone''. London: Athlone Press. * Chadwick, Owen (1998). ''Acton and History''. Cambridge University Press. * * Drew, Mary Gladstone (1924)
"Acton and Gladstone."
In: ''Acton, Gladstone, and Others.'' London, Nisbet & Co., ltd., pp. 1–31. * * Fasnacht, George Eugene (1952). ''Acton's Political Philosophy: An Analysis''. London: Hollis. * Gasquet, Abbot (1906)
''Lord Acton and His Circle''
London: Burn & Oates. * Himmelfarb, Gertrude (1952). ''Lord Action: A Study in Conscience and Politics''. Chicago, Illinois: University of Chicago Press. * Hill, Roland (2000). ''Lord Acton''. New Haven, CT and London: Yale University Press. * Hill, Roland (1952). ''Lord Acton''. ''History Today'' (1952) 2#8 pp. 551–557 online * Kirk, Russell (1994). ''Lord Acton on Revolution.'' Grand Rapids, Mich.: Acton Institute. * * Laski, Harold J. (1918)
"Lord Acton: Idealist,"
''The Dial'', Vol. LXV, pp. 59–61. * Lilly, W.S. (1911)
"Lord Acton and the French Revolution,"
''The Dublin Review'', Vol. CXLVIII, pp. 213–229. * Lyttelton, Maud (1904)
"Mr. Gladstone's Friendship with Lord Acton,"
''Lippincott's Magazine'', Vol. LXXIV, pp. 610–616. * Mathew, David (1946). ''Acton: The Formative Years''. London: Eyre & Spottiswoode. * Mathew, David (1968). ''Lord Acton and His Times''. London: Eyre & Spottiswoode. * * * Nurser, John (1987). ''The Reign of Conscience: Individual, Church, and State in Lord Acton's History of Liberty''. London: Taylor & Francis. * Pezzimenti, Rocco (2001). ''The Political Thought of Lord Acton: The English Catholics in the Nineteenth Century.'' Leominster: Gracewing. * * Schuettinger, Robert Lindsay (1976). ''Lord Acton: Historian of Liberty''. Open Court Publishing Company. * Thurston, Herbert (1906)
"The Late Lord Acton,"
''The Catholic World'', Vol. LXXXIV, pp. 357–372. * Tulloch, Hugh (1988). ''Acton.'' New York: St. Martin's Press. * *


External links



* * *
Acton Institute: Research on Lord Acton
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Acton Institute The Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty is an American research and educational institution, or think tank, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, (with an office in Rome) whose stated mission is "to promote a free and virtuous society ch ...
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Acton, John Dalberg-Acton, 1st Baron 1834 births 1902 deaths Regius Professors of History (Cambridge)
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