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Special pages :
Letter to Friedrich Engels, August 1, 1870
| Author(s) | Karl Marx |
|---|---|
| Written | 1 August 1870 |
Published in English in full for the first time in Marx-Engels Collected Works, Volume 44
MARX TO ENGELS[1]
IN MANCHESTER
[London,] 1 August 1870
In great haste
DEAR FRED,
Your two last articles first-rate.[2] I galloped round to the Pall Mall at once. But since Greenwood was out, nothing could be decided. He will, however, be back before noon.
I shall write to him today that in future you will send articles direct to him 12 (I SHALL NOW NAME YOU).
As for the 'Russians',[3] they will learn that my attitude is one of à corsaire corsaire et demi![4]
The OLIGARCHY here wants an English war on behalf of Prussia. Having curried favour with Bonaparte for 18 years and having quite used him up as the SAVIOUR OF RENTS AND PROFITS, they now hope to find A MORE RESPECTABLE AND SAFER POLICEMAN OF THE CONTINENT[5] in God-fearing monarchical Prussia. But the fellows should watch out. Ordinary people everywhere here are already saying: THAT DAMNED GERMAN DYNASTY OF OURS WANTS FOR ITS FAMILY PURPOSES TO INVOLVE US IN THE CONTINENTAL WAR!
The local Figaro, of which I have sent a typical issue to Dupont, is an English paper, founded by the French Embassy.
Bismarck for his part has also assiduously bought up support in the London press, Lloyd's and Reynolds's[6] among others! The latter in yesterday's issue calls for the DISMEMBERMENT OF FRANCE. That swine ne ménage pas les transitions[7] The fellow has always hurled abuse at the GERMANS and fawned upon the French and now he has suddenly changed into a sort of Blind.
As to the latter chap, he hopes to achieve his election as deputy to the next Reichstag by means of a patriotic hubbub and by noisily 'suspending' his republicanism on the altar of the Fatherland.
Oswald kept on at me until I finally went to the third MEETING fixed for yesterday.[8] I took care to arrive a quarter of an hour early (the meeting was due to start at 11). I explained to him that I could not sign, 1. d'abord[9] because I had already signed the Address of the INTERNATIONAL,[10] 2. because I could not sign a private Address (i.e. a non-International one) without you and they would miss the OPPORTUNITY due to the time required just for consultation with you. In the future, if an occasion presented itself, we would invite him and his friends to the International to take joint action.
I then mentioned that there was a second, personal factor. If Louis Blanc was there, his FOOTMAN, Karl Blind, would surely be present too.
He interrupted me: 'At the last MEETING here Blind mounted a furious chauvinistic diatribe. We need you against him.'
'/ cannot remain in the same room as that character, and I must tell you that if he comes I shall leave your house at once.'
I was downstairs in Oswald's study which looks out onto the street. Right enough! My EYEGLASS spied from afar the portentous ex-student, even though he had dyed his head black ALL OVER. He was accompanied by two fellow layabouts. Oswald said he would send them up to the DRAWING ROOM (the conference room) for the moment.
He then proposed to me that he would go up and say I was there and that I could not meet Blind. IN OTHER WORDS, he was g o i n g tO TURN HIM OUT. I said that would not do. He had invited Blind, there would be pointless scandal and so on.
I took my hat and parted from Oswald on the most cordial terms. Even if he didn't invent gun-powder, he is still a perfectly decent lad.
At my prompting Serraillier wrote a blunt letter to Dupont about Mothet, so blunt that Dupont was insulted and stopped his correspondence with Serraillier for a fortnight.
I would be glad if you could send me the money for the SEASIDE.[11] I would like to go to Brighton before the week is out. In the circumstances I cannot go any further away from London.
Salut.
Your
K. M.
So you will now send your letters direct to: Frederick Greenwood, Esq., EDITOR OF The Pall Mall Gazette, 2 Northumberland Street, Strand, London.
- ↑ Part of this letter was published in English for the first time in: Marx on Revolution. Translated by Saul K. Padover, New York, 1971.
- ↑ F. Engels, Notes on the War, II and III.
- ↑ This refers to the letter of 24 July 1870 written by the members of the Committee of the Russian Section of the International and signed by Nikolai Utin, Victor Bartenev and Anton Trusov. They wrote about the Section's struggle against Mikhail Bakunin and his attacks on members of the Russian Section as well as the Romance Federation. The authors also referred to their intention to publish a pamphlet against Bakunin (their plan was not carried out). The Committee members warned the General Council that Sergei Nechayev and Vladimir Serebrennikov had left for London and that the latter had obtained a recommendation to Dupont. Marx replied to their letter in his letter to Johann Philipp Becker of 2 August 1870 (see this volume, pp. 26-27).
- ↑ tit for tat
- ↑ i n r e l i a b l e,
- ↑ Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper and Reynolds's Newspaper
- ↑ shrinks from no change of allegiance
- ↑ See this volume, p. 11.
- ↑ first of all
- ↑ K. Marx, 'First Address of the General Council of the International Working Men's Association on the Franco-Prussian War'.
- ↑ See this volume, p. 8.