Letter to Friedrich Engels, August 18, 1869

Add a subpage to this text

Read the help page for usage.

 

To Engels in Manchester

[London,] 18 August 1869

Dear Fred,

Rather disappointed by your letter, since all had hoped to see you here this evening. The plan about Ireland is very good (Lizzie and Tussy will be able to admire the ‘convicted’ in natura) if nothing new intervenes. This evening the Lafargue family arrives, leaving Dieppe today at 10 o'clock.

The £10 received, but can’t send receipt before Saturday, on which day there is a meeting of the sub-committee. The money is very welcome just before closing time.

Yesterday Dupont announced that the French (or Paris) trades unionists (Bronze Workers) had paid back £45, i.e., sent it to him to pay back . This money was partly loaned and partly given to them years ago by the unions here through our mediation. (Even earlier, £20 was sent on our instructions from Paris to Rouen.) I have arranged that députés shall wait upon the unions here to appeal to their consciences when they pay in the money. — Incidentally, the Paris unionists have behaved very decently. Ditto, a letter arrived yesterday from Ludwig Neumayr, de dato Eisenach, with the following purport:

‘At the congress in Eisenach, it was resolved that the workers of Germany should be called upon to join the International Working Men’s Association by taking out cards as central members. Since I have now been appointed by Joh. Ph. Becker in Geneva as the agent of the German-language sectional groups of the international Working Men’s Association for Wiener-Neustadt and surroundings, I would request exact instructions as to how I should now act. With social-republican fraternal greetings, etc. Address: Ludwig Neumayr, editor of the Wiener-Neustadter Wochenblatt in Wiener-Neustadt, Austria.

This is a blow to Old Becker and also, in particular, to the ‘language-group cash-box’. But the matter itself may not be mucked about because of private friendship.

You will recall Werner (bookbinder) of Leipzig, to whom I wrote from Manchester. Since then he has worked for us diligently.

Yesterday the adherence of an (Italian) group from Trieste arrived. Ditto from Barcelona; I enclose a copy of the organ of this new group.

In Posen — as Zabicki reported — the Polish workers (joiners, etc.) have victoriously ended a strike with the assistance of their colleagues in Berlin. This struggle against Monsieur le Capital — even in the minor form of a strike — will deal with national prejudice differently from the peace declamations made by bourgeois gentlemen.

I hope to receive some lines from Tussy as to her state of health. My best compliments to Mrs Lizzie.

El Moro

Much to be regretted is the sudden death of Sylvis (aged 41), President of the American Labor Union, just before the meeting of the Labor Union Congress, for which purpose he travelled across the United States agitating for nearly a whole year. Part of his work will thus be lost.