Letter to Karl Marx, May 3, 1865

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To Marx in London

Manchester, 3 May 1865ds

Dear Moor,

A belated many happy returns to little Jenny on her — 20th? — birthday. The other affair looks just like Laura all over. But what else can one say except repeat the verdict of the Stalybridge jury: serves him right.

I'll be sending all the things back to you in a few days time. I was very pleased to see in the Nordstern, that something has at last been started against Becker and Schweitzer in Solingen, too. As all I have seen concerning this business since your departure has been the Social-Demokrat and two letters from Liebknecht, I am not at all clear as to what has come to pass on the Rhine in this connection; from the miserable silence maintained by the Social-Demokrat about developments in the General Association of German Workers, I could only deduce that things must be looking bad for these gentlemen. But it is understandable that I really do need to know how things stand on the Rhine, especially since in the beginning the scoundrels had some momentary success there. If you've got any material on it, please let me have it, I'll send everything back to you, and in general I will as a rule send all the documents back in future because now you need to have this stuff together.

Have you taken out a subscription to the Nordstern? It would be a good thing if you did, because we've got to know what’s happening.

It is vital for us to have some contacts with the workers on the Rhine so that in future we can counter intrigues of that kind from the outset. Apropos, peculiar things seem to have been happening to Klings. Some jackass gave him my address as 58 Dover Street. Klings goes there, does not find me, of course, and goes to see Rode in Liverpool, and the latter tells Eichhoff I'd pretended to be out when Klings called, did not wish to see him, what is this supposed to mean, etc., to a man like Klings who was after all going to ‘organise everything’ in America with Weydemeyer and the others (which others?), etc., etc. Monsieur Rode, whom I've never met, did thereby express his surprise that I had ‘not yet’ sent him a copy of my pamphlet. Can you understand that?

The statement attacking the President of Mankind is very good. Just what was needed and no more.

The worst of it is that the people in Germany will now demand that someone assumes the leadership over them, and who can do it? Eccarius would be the man, but he won’t want to leave London.

The International Association really has gained an enormous amount of ground in such a short time and with so little to-do. But it is a good thing it is at present occupied in England, instead of eternally having to deal with the disorders in France. So, you have something to compensate you for the time it’s cost you.

How’s the book [Capital] going?

As far as the strategic situation is concerned, at Richmond Grant has achieved a precise replica of the battle of Jena, and with the same result: the whole of the enemy army is trapped. Only he didn’t have so far to march to gather the fruits.

Johnston has now surrendered, too, so I've won my wager of 2 months ago: that by 1 May the Southerners would have no army left. Whoever still offers resistance will be taken in as a brigand, and rightly so. At any rate, Johnson will insist on confiscation of the great estates, which will make the pacification and reorganisation of the South rather more acute. Lincoln would scarcely have insisted on it.

The Southern sympathisers here are consoling themselves for the hypocritical wailing they were obliged to put on over the assassination [of Lincoln], by prophesying that it'll be Grant I, Emperor of America, within 4 weeks. What jackasses they have made of themselves!

Incidentally, their ‘Majesties’ must be absolutely furious that Lincoln’s assassination has made such a colossal impact throughout the world. None of them has yet had such an honour.

Best wishes to your wife and the girls.

Your
F. E.