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Special pages :
The Association Democratique of Brussels to the Fraternal Democrats Assembling in London
| Author(s) | Karl Marx |
|---|---|
| Written | 4 March 1848 |
Reprinted from the newspaper
Source: Marx-Engels Collected Works, Volume 6
We received your letter of December last,[1] the proposals contained in which concerning the Democratic Congress of all nations and the establishment of a monthly correspondence between your society and ours were immediately taken into consideration.[2]
The propositions of holding the first Democratic Congress here in Brussels, with a view of calling the second in London; the first Congress to be called by our society for the anniversary of the Belgian revolution in September next, and the programme of business to be prepared by the committee of this society; these propositions were agreed to unanimously and enthusiastically.
The offer of entering into a regular and monthly correspondence with our society was equally hailed with the greatest enthusiasm.
We now proceed to give you an abstract of our progress and general situation.
The state of our society is as prosperous as can possibly be desired. The number of our members is increasing weekly, and the interest taken by the public in general, and by the working classes in particular, in our proceedings is equally on the increase.
The best proof, however, of our progress is the interest excited in the provinces of the country by our movements. From the most important towns of Belgium we have received summons to send delegates for the purpose of establishing democratic societies similar to ours, and keeping up constant relations with the metropolitan association.
We have given to these appeals our immediate attention. We sent a deputation to Ghent to call a public meeting with a view of establishing a branch society.[3] The meeting was exceedingly numerous, and received our deputation, consisting of members belonging to several nations, with an enthusiasm hardly to be described. The foundation of a democratic society was immediately decided upon, and the names of members taken down. Since then we have received from Ghent the news that the society is definitively constituted, and has held a second meeting exceeding the first in numbers and enthusiasm. More than three thousand citizens were present, and, we are happy to say, they mostly consisted of working men.
We consider the ground gained at Ghent as a most important progress of our cause in this country. Ghent is the chief manufacturing town of Belgium, numbering above a hundred thousand inhabitants, and being in a great measure the centre of attraction for the whole labouring population of Flanders. The position taken by Ghent is decisive for all working class movement of the country. Thus we may accept the adhesion of the factory workers of that Belgian Manchester to the revival of a pure democratic movement, as implying and foreboding the adhesion of the generality of the Belgian proletarians.
We hope to report in our next further progress in other towns of the country, thus arriving by-and-by at the reconstitution of a strong, united, and organised democratic party in Belgium.
We entirely share in the view which in your recent address to the working people of Great Britain and Ireland you have taken of the question of “National Defences”.[4] We hope that this address will contribute in a great measure to the enlightenment of the people of England as to the question who are their veritable enemies.
We have equally seen with great pleasure the steps taken by the mass of the English Chartists to arrive, at last, at a close alliance between the Irish people and that of Great Britain. We have seen that there is a better chance now than ever before to break down that prejudice which prompted the Irish people to confound in one common hatred the oppressed classes of England with the oppressors of both countries. We hope to see very shortly united in the hands of Feargus O’Connor the direction both of the English and the Irish popular movement; and we consider this approaching alliance of the oppressed classes of both countries, under the banner of democracy, as a most important progress of our cause in general.
We conclude by offering to you our fraternal salutations.
The Committee of the Association Démocratique
L. Jottrand, Chairman
K. Marx, Vice-President
A. Picard, Avt., Secretary
Brussels, 13th February, 1848
- ↑ "The Fraternal Democrats assembling in London to the Democratic Association for promoting the fraternity of all nations, assembling in Brussels."—Ed.
- ↑ Proposals to establish more regular contacts between the democrats of different countries and to prepare an international democratic congress were discussed by the representatives of the Fraternal Democrats with Marx acting on behalf of the Committee of the Democratic Association, during his and Engels' stay in London at the end of November and the beginning of December 1847 (see also notes 192 and 206).
- ↑ The Democratic Association deputation sent to Ghent for the opening of the Association local affiliation included Marx.
- ↑ "The Fraternal Democrats (assembling in London), to the Working Classes of Great Britain and Ireland" (the document is reproduced in Engels' report; see this volume, pp. 466-67).—Ed.