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IV. The Eclipse of Lord John Russell

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 December 2011

G. B. Henderson
G. B. Henderson
Affiliation:
Scholar of Selwyn College, Lecturer in History in Glasgow University
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Extract

The seventh chapter of Mr Kingsley Martin's admirable work, The Triumph of Lard Palmerston, is headed: “The completion of the picture (October 1853-January 1854).” But the picture is not complete. Palmerston's culminating triumph was when Sebastopol fell in September 1855: for he was then established as the unquestioned leader of the motley throng of Whigs, Peelites, and Radicals, which was about to become the Liberal party. The rise of his star naturally produced the setting of Lord John Russell's. In the 'forties, Lord John was Prime Minister and Palmerston Foreign Secretary; in the 'sixties, the positions were reversed, and Lord John was not Prime Minister again until Palmerston's death. The story of the rise of Palmerston and the decline of Lord John is long and complicated: for the statesmen were seldom rivals, and the problem cannot be solved by biographical study. The events of one short period—the first six months of 1855—none the less stand out as decisive in their careers.

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Articles
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Cambridge Historical Journal , Volume 5 , Issue 1 , 1935 , pp. 60 - 86
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Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1935

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References

1 Published in 1924. Part of this work originally appeared in vol. 1 of this Journal.

2 Russell to Clarendon, 23 September 1854: MSS. Clarendon Papers. I am indebted to Professor Temperley for permission to make use of extracts from Clarendon's private papers.

3 Russell, John Earl, Recollections and Suggestions (London, 1875)Google Scholar, Chapter VI. Also see correspondence on this subject (reprinted from The Times, 1 March 1875) in A. W. Kinglake, The Invasion of the Crimea, 6th ed. vol. 1, Appendix iv.

4 Royal Archives [Muniment Room, Windsor Castle], A. 84. I gratefully acknowledge the gracious permission of His Majesty the King to make use of unpublished material from the Royal Archives.

5 Cipher dispatch, Colloredo to Buol, 22 January 1855, No. 6 E, W[iener Hans- Hofund] S[taats-] A[rchiv], Pol. Arch. England, VIII, Fasc. 42.

6 Greville, C. F. G. [The Greville Memoirs: A] Journal [of the Reign of … Queen Victoria, ed. Reeve, Henry] (London, New Edn, 1896) VII, 231.Google Scholar

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17 These important transactions have hitherto escaped the attention of historians, and I hope in the near future to publish an account of them.

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27 Greville, Journal, VII, 250.

28 M. C. M. Simpson, Many Memories, pp. 201–2.

29 Aberdeen to the Duke of Bedford, end of 1856: Kinglake, Invasion of the Crimea (6th ed.), 1, 403.

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32 Russell to Clarendon, 5 March 1855: No. 10, F.O. 7/462.

33 Copy in Prince Albert's hand: Russell to Clarendon, 5 March 1855: Royal Archives, G. 25, No. 79.

34 Russell to Clarendon, 18 March 1855: MSS. Clarendon Papers.

35 Russell's Dispatch No. 12, F.O. 7/462.

36 Ibid. A long memorandum enclosed (undated, and endorsed “Paris”) makes it clear that the “preconceived opinions” referred to are the Franco-British notes of 17–19 December 1854, which stipulated the destruction of Sebastopol, etc.

37 Russell to Clarendon, 7 March 1855: MSS. Clarendon Papers.

38 Cowley to Clarendon, 18 March 1855: No. 330, F.O. 27/1065.

39 Colloredo to Buol, 15 March 1855: No. 33 F, W.S.A. Pol. Arch. England, VIII, Fasc. 42.

40 Jerningham to Clarendon, 18 February 1855: No. 13, from Stuttgart, Württemberg, F.O. 82/80.

41 12 March 1855: Das Tagebuchdes Polizeiministers Kempen von 1848 bis 1859, ed. Mayr, Josef Karl (Wien und Leipzig, 1931).Google Scholar

42 Brunnow wrote: “Le petit Bourqueney est le plus malin de tous.” Nesselrode, Lettres et papiers, xi, 100. Cf. Jomini, Baron, Diplomatic Study of the Crimean War (London, 1882), passim, for the conventional Russian account of Bourqueney's violence.Google Scholar

43 Lettre particulière, Buol to Esterhazy, 17 March 1855: W.S.A. Gesandtschaftsarchiv Russland, x, Fasc. 178.

44 Russell to Seymour, 9 February 1853. [Cf. my Historical Revision on “The Seymour Conversations, 1853”, in History, October, 1933, p. 244.]

45 Russell to Clarendon, 18 March 1855: MSS. Clarendon Papers.

46 Russell to Clarendon, 28 March 1855: MSS. Clarendon Papers.

47 Russell to Clarendon, 20 March 1855: No. 27, F.O. 7/462.

48 24 March 1855: Hübner, , Neuf ans [de souvenirs d'un ambassadeur d'Autriche] (Paris, 1904), 1, 317.Google Scholar

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50 Walewski to Napoleon III, 13 March 1855: Thouvenel, , Pages de l'histoire [du Second Empire, 1854–56] (Paris, 1903), pp. 56–7.Google Scholar Thouvenel to Benedetti, 24 March 1855: Ibid. p. 44.

51 Copy: “Memorandum on possibility of terminating the question of Russian supremacy in the Black Sea by shutting that sea to all Vessels of War: Commd by Ct Walewski, March 24, 1855.” F.O. 27/1093 A.

52 Russell to Clarendon, 26 March 1855: MSS. Clarendon Papers.

53 Copy: Cowley to Clarendon, 27 March 1855: Royal Archives, G. 27, No. 79.

54 Copy: Cowley to Clarendon, 28 March 1855: Royal Archives, G. 27, No. 83.

55 28 March 1855: Ashley, Palmerston, 11, 312.

56 Drouyn de Lhuys to Napoleon III, 1 April 1855: d'Harcourt, Bernard [Les quatre ministères de M.] Drouyn de Lhuys (Paris, 1882), p. 114.Google Scholar

57 Draft, in Walewski's handwriting, in F.O. 27/1093 A. Cf. Harcourt, Drouyn de Lhuys, pp. 118–19.

58 Draft, in Walewski's handwriting, in F.O. 27/1093 A. Cf. Harcourt, Drouyn de Lhuys, p. 122.

59 Draft, in Palmerston's handwriting, in F.O. 27/1093 A. Cf. Thouvenel, Pages de l'histoire, pp. 51–2.

60 Reports of Drouyn de Lhuys to Napoleon III. Harcourt, Drouyn de Lhuys, pp. 126–34.

61 Russell to Clarendon, 10 April 1855: No. 66, F.O. 7/464. Vide also Clarendon to Aberdeen, 14 April 1855: Correspondence of Aberdeen, vol. 1855–62, p. 61.

68 Russell to Clarendon, 12 April 1855: No. 70, F.O. 7/464.

63 Harcourt, Drouyn de Lhuys, p. 133.

64 Cf. G. B. Henderson, “Ein Beitrag zur Entwicklung der napoleonischen Ideen über Polen und Italien während des Krimkrieges” [Zeitschrift für osteuropüische Geschichte, Band VIII, Heft 4].

65 Esterhazy to Buol, 13 April 1855: No. 21 B, W.S.A. Pol. Arch. Russland, x, Fasc. 37.

66 Esterhazy to Buol, 10 April 1855: No. 21 D, W.S.A. Pol. Arch. Russland x, Fasc. 37.

67 Protocol No. X, Parliamentary Papers, Eastern Papers, xiii.

68 Cipher Telegram: Russell to Clarendon, 16 April 1855: F.O. 7/464.

69 Russell to Clarendon, 18 April 1855: No. 83, F.O. 7/464.

70 For a draft of this project, see telegraphic cipher dispatch, Russell to Clarendon, 21 April, 1855: F.O. 7/464. Two projects of ultimatum, in Drouyn's handwriting, are to be found in the MSS. Clarendon Papers, among letters from Russell. Cf. Harcourt, Drouyn de Lhuys, p. 142.

71 Russell to Clarendon, 23 April 1855: MSS. Clarendon Papers.

72 Clarendon to Colloredo, 18 April 1855: enclosed in Colloredo to Buol, 21 April 1855: No. 49 B, W.S.A. Pol. Arch. England, VIII, Fasc. 42.

73 Copy: Cowley to Clarendon, 23 April 1855: Royal Archives, G. 29, No. 19.

74 Prince Albert draft: the Queen to Clarendon, 25 April, 1855: Royal Archives, G. 29, No. 23.

75 Westmorland to Russell, 24 April 1855: Walpole, Russell, II, 266.

76 Palmerston to the Queen, 26 April 1855: Letters of Queen Victoria, III, 120.

77 Clarendon to the Queen, 26 April 1855: Royal Archives, G. 29, No. 32. Clarendon seems to have been convinced that it was best to wait for Lord John by a letter of 26 April from Lord Harrowby: vide MSS. Clarendon Papers.

78 Details of this visit are to be found in Martin, Theodore, [Life of the] Prince Consort (London, 1875–1880), III, Chapter LXII.Google Scholar

79 Cowley to Clarendon, II May 1855: No. 540, F.O. 27/1067.

80 Copy: Cowley to Clarendon, 24 April 1855: Royal Archives, G. 29, No. 29: cf. Ibid., 25 April 1855, G. 29, No. 42.

81 Cipher telegraphic dispatch, 11.50 a.m.: Hübner to Buol, 30 April 1855: W.S.A. Pol. Arch. Frankreich, IX, Fasc. 48.

82 Lettre particulière: Hübner to Buol, 30 April, 1855: W.S.A. Pol. Arch. Frankreich, IX, Fasc. 50.

83 Hübner, Neuf ans, pp. 323–5.

84 23 December 1855: Greville, Journal, VII, 313.

85 Clarendon to the Queen, 30 April, 1855: Royal Archives, G. 29, No. 67.

86 Clarendon to the Queen, 2 May 1855: Royal Archives, G. 29, No. 85.

87 Senior's Journal, 15 July 1855: M. C. M. Simpson, Many Memories, p. 225. Cf. undated note by Charles Wood (probably 6 or 7 May 1855) in MSS. Clarendon Papers.

88 Stockmar to the Queen, 30 April 1855: Royal Archives, G. 29, No. 68. Buol tried to get Albert's brother Ernest to use his influence with the Court: Ernest, II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Memoirs, trans, by Andreae, Percy (London, 1888–1890), III, 167–9.Google Scholar

89 Royal Archives, G. 29, No. 90. Partly printed in Theodore Martin, Prince Consort, III, 270–3: but the comment on it is erroneous. Russell thought the Prince's Memorandum excellent: Russell to Clarendon, 4 May 1855: MSS. Clarendon Papers.

90 Cipher telegraphic dispatch: Colloredo to Buol, 2 May 1855, 5.55 a.m.: W.S.A. Pol. Arch. England, VIII, Fasc. 42.

91 Lewis, in Senior's Journal, 8 July 1855: M. C. M. Simpson, Many Memories, p. 215.

92 Clarendon to Aberdeen, 2 May 1855: and Aberdeen to Clarendon, 3 May 1855: Correspondence of Aberdeen, vol. 1855–1862, pp. 64–6.

93 Maxwell, Clarendon, II, 81.

94 MSS. Clarendon Papers.

95 4 May 1855: Hübner, Neuf ans, I, 325.

96 Drouyn de Lhuys to Napoleon, 7 May 1855: Thouvenel, Pages de l'histoire, p. 81.

97 There are many sources for the so-called “Cowley Interview”. His private letter to Clarendon, written on the same day, is followed here except where other sources are quoted: vide Copy, in Royal Archives, G. 29, No. 104. Other sources are: Cowley to Clarendon, 7 May 1855: No. 515, F.O. 27/1067. Drouyn de Lhuys to Napoleon, 7 May 1855: Thouvenel, Pages de l'histoire, pp. 81–2. Hübner to Buol, 9 May 1855: No. 45, Litt.B.: W.S.A. Pol. Arch. Frankreich, XI, Fasc. 48. Hübner, Neuf ans, I, 326–8. M. C. M. Simpson, Many Memories, pp. 217–20. Johnson, A. H., The Letters of Charles Greville and Henry Reeve, 1836–65 (London, 1924), p. 235.Google Scholar Eckstaedt, Vitzthum von, St Petersburg and London, 1852–64 (London, 1887), I, 173.Google Scholar

98 Cowley to Clarendon, 2 February 1854: Wellesley, F. A., The Paris Embassy during the Second Empire (London, 1928), p. 41.Google Scholar

99 8 January 1852: Hübner, Neuf ans, I, 51.

100 MSS. Clarendon Papers.

101 Hübner to Buol, 9 May 1855: No. 45, Litt.B., W.S.A. Pol. Arch. Frankreich, IX, Fasc. 48.

102 Greville to Reeve, June 1855: Johnson, Letters of Charles Greville and Henry Reeve, p. 235. Hübner at first said the same, though he later learnt the truth: vide telegram, Hübner to Buol, 5 May 1855: No. 28, 8.08 a.m.: W.S.A. Pol. Arch. Frankreich, IX, Fasc. 48.

103 Senior's Journal, 8 July 1855: M. C. M. Simpson, Many Memories, p. 217.

104 7 September 1855: Greville, Journal, VII, 290.

105 Simpson, F. A., Louis Napoleon and the Recovery of France (London, 2nd Ed. 1930), P. 307.Google Scholar

106 Senior's Journal, 22 July 1855: M. C. M. Simpson, Many Memories, p. 230.

107 Senior's Journal, 17 July 1855: M. C. M. Simpson, Many Memories, p. 228.

108 Cipher telegram: Cowley to Clarendon, 4 May 1855, 5.30 p.m.: F.O. 27/1067.

109 Clarendon to the Queen, 4 May 1855: Royal Archives, G. 29, No. 95.

110 Cipher telegram: Cowley to Clarendon, 5 May 1855, 2.50 p.m.: F.O. 27/1067: vide also Clarendon to the Queen, 5 May 1855: Royal Archives, G. 29, No. 102.

111 Cipher telegram: Clarendon to Cowley, 5 May 1855: F.O. 27/1053.

112 Drouyn de Lhuys to Napoleon, 7 May 1855: Thouvenel, Pages de l'histoire, p. 82.

113 Russell to Clarendon, 6 May 1855: Walpole, Russell, II, 268.

114 Palmerston to Clarendon, 6 May 1855: MSS. Clarendon Papers.

115 Palmerston to Clarendon, 6 May 1855: Maxwell, Clarendon, II, 82.

116 Palmerston to Clarendon, 7 May 1855: MSS. Clarendon Papers.

117 Clarendon to Russell, 7 May 1855: Walpole, Russell, II, 269.

118 Russell to Clarendon, 7 May 1855: MSS. Clarendon Papers.

119 Herbert to Aberdeen, 17 May 1855: Stanmore, Lord, Sidney Herbert: A Memoir (London, 1906), I, 426.Google Scholar

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121 Copy: Prince Albert to Aberdeen, 3 June 1855: Royal Archives, G. 32, No. 21.

122 Lettre particulière: Buol to Colloredo, 20 May 1855: W.S.A. Pol. Arch. England, VIII, Fasc. 44.

123 [John Ormsby], “Street Ballads of the War” (Chambers's Journal, 17 May 1856). Apparently an adaptation of a ballad by John Morgan, printed in Hindley, Charles, Curiosities of Street Literature (London, 1871).Google Scholar