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IV. British Policy in the publication of Diplomatic Documents under Castlereagh and Canning

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 December 2011

C. K. Webster  and
H. W. V. Temperley
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Extract

The question of the publicity of State Papers obviously has two aspects. Certain transactions of diplomacy can never be made known immediately. Personal comments and attacks creep occasionally into dispatches and have to be cut out on publication. But these omissions, though interesting, are unimportant except to the historian. Certain other and more important transactions have to be concealed altogether, because a confidence would be betrayed, or too much be made of a tentative or false step in diplomatic transactions. Even in such cases, however, there is usually no objection to revealing the reasons that led to the conclusion finally adopted. So much can be done in a completed negotiation or decision. But most diplomats would agree that it is sometimes dangerous to publish details as to abortive negotiations. It is very often necessary to do so, but the announcement of the failure of a negotiation, if accompanied by clouds of papers, is not likely to produce a good impression and may sometimes prevent a remedy from being found.

Type
Research Article
Information
Cambridge Historical Journal , Volume 1 , Issue 2 , 1924 , pp. 158 - 169
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1924

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References

page 160 note 1 See the papers published in British and Foreign State Papers, II. 1173–80.

page 161 note 1 The documents are printed in Hansard, xxx. cols. 3–154, and British and Foreign State Papers, II. 226–305. As an example of editing for Parliament the letter to Wellington of March 24th, 1815, may be compared with full dispatch given in C. K. Webster, British Diplomacy 1813–15, p. 314. See also Cambridge History of British Foreign Policy, 1. 484–90.

page 162 note 1 Castlereagh to Stewart, Sept. 6th, 1816 (F. O. Austria, 125).

page 162 note 2 A'Court to Stewart, Jan. 13th, 1817 (F. O. Sicily, 80). The dispatches laid before Parliament are given in British and Foreign State Papers, iv. 553 ff.

page 163 note 1 Nearly all these documents are printed in the British and Foreign State Papers. The drafts in the Archives show the care taken to make them as inoffensive as possible to the Powers concerned. The task of selection and editing was indeed one of the main duties of Planta, the Under-Secretary of State.

page 164 note 1 F. O. Spain, 185/95. Canning to Sir William A'Court, 23 April, 1824.

page 164 note 2 Hans. Deb. VIII. N.S. pp. 801–2. I use the term “Neo-Holies” to designate Austria, Prussia and Russia.

page 165 note 1 F. O. France, 146/55. Canning to Sir C. Stuart, 21 April, ’23, No. 34.

page 166 note 1 1 F. O. Spain, 185/95. Canning to A'Court, 23 April, 1824. This is only a stronger statement of previous arguments.

page 166 note 2 He suppressed, however, from the latter an important statement made to Polignac. When the latter suggested a Congress Canning told him he would not join it unless the United States were invited. This was a method of refusing, as he well knew the United States would not join. The mere suggestion horrified France and Austria.

page 166 note 3 5th March, 1824. Wellington to Liverpool, Desp. Corr. and Mem. [1867] 11. 229.

page 167 note 1 F. O. Austria, 66. Wellesley to Canning, 16 Oct. ’24. v. 67 for Canning's reply of 5th December, No. 29, Confidential.

page 168 note 1 An important dispatch on the subject, which Canning tried to turn into a private letter, has been preserved, v. F. O. America, v. 41, Nos. 18–20, 3–20 November, Addington to Canning and Paulin and Paxson. Guide to Materials in London Archives or History of U.S.A. since 1783 (Carnegie Institute, Washington, 1914), p. 54 n.Google Scholar

page 168 note 2 France, Archives Etrangères, Angleterre, tome 618, Villele to Polignac, 9 July.

page 169 note 1 F.O. 352/10, Stratford Canning Papers. George Canning to Stratford Canning. Private, 23rd Feb. 1825, last set of italics my own.