Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "The American Revolution in the Political Theory of Lord Acton." The Journal of Modern History 21, no. 4. 1949.

Abstract:

LORD ACTON once complained that he ~agreed with no one and no one Li agreed with him. This should serve as a counsel of caution to his present-day interpreters. In the flush of “rediscover- ing” Acton, it is tempting to fit him into a familiar pattern of thought, one, preferably, which is relevant to contemporary controversies. And since he is eminently quotable, the temptation is all the greater to use him for partisan purposes, to select suitable quotations to recommend a cause. It is unfortunate that Acton himself should get lost in the process, that a part should be mistaken for the whole, and that he should be hastily assigned to a ready-made philosophy or school.

Read more on Jstor: The American Revolution in the Political Theory of Lord Acton