Letter to Karl Marx, April 8, 1860

From Marxists-en
Jump to navigation Jump to search


ENGELS TO MARX

IN LONDON

Manchester, 8 April 1860

Dear Moor,

During the last few days of my stay in Barmen,[1] the contract relating to the Manchester business has been subjected to thorough legal scrutiny. This convinced me that everything over here was hanging in the balance and that I must get back without a moment's delay. I left on Friday morning at 6 o'clock and was back here by 12 noon yesterday, i.e. in 30 hours. *The thing was, we wanted to secure Charley.*[2] This was accomplished yesterday evening, in so far as it was necessary, and now I shall have to wait and see what Gottfried[3] does. However, my base of operations is now secure.

Under the circumstances, I shan't be able to come to London until everything here has been settled. Until then I shall be up to my eyes in business matters and legal quibbles, and there's nothing I can do about it. In the meantime I have learned from Gumpert and Siebel what they know. I've neither seen nor heard anything of my pamphlet.[4] You might return me the copy you have, also the letter (presumably from Fischel?) G. sent you, so that I know what is going on. Open the letter if you haven't already done so; this will save writing to and fro.

G. told me that there had been some further unpleasantness at my lodgings; I'm moving out straight away.

I neither saw nor heard anything of the Prussian police. No one demanded my passport or anything of that kind. The few policemen I ran into in Barmen gave me a MILITARY SALUTE, that was all.

Industry on the Rhine has developed enormously and the constitutional system has bitten deep into the citizenry. Things have changed vastly since 1848, though sufficient of the old leaven still remains.

Still no reply from Weber[5]? If it doesn't arrive soon, there'll be nothing else for it but to get Ephraim Artful[6] to take him to task.

Kindest regards to your wife and the YOUNG LADIES. Immediately I've sorted things out up here I shall come and see you.

Your

F. E.

Will you also send the key to the lower bookcase. What is all this about the parcel of letters that was supposedly left in the bedroom, or so Gumpert maintains?

  1. This refers to the war between the Kingdom of Sardinia (Piedmont) and France on the one hand, and Austria on the other (29 April to 8 July 1859).
  2. Roesgen
  3. Ermen
  4. F. Engels, Savoy, Nice and the Rhine. See this volume, pp. 113-14, 133.
  5. ibid., p. 92.
  6. Lassalle