| Author(s) | Karl Marx |
|---|---|
| Written | 15 July 1852 |
ENGELS TO MARX
IN LONDON
Manchester, 15 July 1852
Dear Marx,
As regards Weydemeyer, you concluded rightly. There hasn't been a line from him. Since we wrote and told him exactly how to send the stuff here, he seems to feel it his bounden duty to withhold any further news from us. By the way, things cannot be going very well for him and, when all's said and done, he's got to earn his daily bread.
Did you read the article 2-3 days ago in The Morning Herald on the various leading men in the Opposition? It could only have been written by Disraeli himself. The 'AND NOW STAND FORTH, THOU MAN OF "UNADORNED ELOQUENCE", RICHARD COBDEN' is splendid. In it Master John Bright was rightly recognised as the only dangerous fellow, although the gentlemen are not free from illusions in regard to Graham. Precisely now this unscrupulous old ambitieux[1] constitutes a very real danger to the Tories.
Bon voyage to the patriotic gold diggers! Thus the term 'underminer' at last acquires a true meaning and content.[2]
The new connection with Mr Rémusat is excellent. A letter from Cherval to the Prussian Embassy would be a capital document in this trial. Don't fail to get hold of one. What a long face our old friend, le jeune,[3] the self-important Saedt will pull, 69 if we thus reduce to chaff the fifty sheets of his bill of indictment which he has already announced to the world through the Augsburg Allgemeine Zeitung ![4] Has Rémusat already got these letters? By the way, it would appear from the news in the papers, not only that Mr Manteuffel proposes to turn the Cologne trial into a magnificent political drama—with, of course, some sort of coup in the wings—but also, on the other hand, that there is absolutely no evidence, and that the weakness of the indictment has to be veiled in a cloud of rumour on the part of the police and lies on the part of their spies. Have you heard nothing more from Bangya? I return herewith the gallant fellow's letter, hitherto forgotten.
But if you get hold of Cherval's letter, is there any way of attesting it, so that its authenticity is established? Otherwise a presiding judge of this ilk would be capable of prohibiting so much as a reading of the document.
Since, as I hear, the trial is to take place on the 28th, it is important for us just now to have several reliable links with Cologne. If only we knew to what extent one can count on Bermbach's doing anything! Letters could be safely sent to him via Bradford. If we knew that Weerth was in Hamburg, the thing would be in order. I shall write to Strohn about it this very day. At the same time we might even make use of Naut, if needs be. For, contrary to all my expectations, the latter—who has left Emmanuel's and is now an agent for a small Jewish firm in Bradford—obtained some military stuff for me from a second- hand bookseller in Cologne with the utmost promptitude; the mystery will be cleared up when I tell you that he wants to become an agent for Ermen & Engels and has further asked me to secure him the agency for a local twist house. I have promised him all this and shall recommend him to my old man. We can, therefore, rely on his being punctilious for as long as these negotiations last.
The military material obtained for me by Naut—clearly the library of a retired artillery officer—is coming in very handy, the more so since it is mainly concerned with the more elementary aspects of military science, the actual day-to-day routine, etc. That was just what was wanting. In addition, some splendid stuff on fortifications, etc., etc. I shall soon have got to the stage when I can venture to advance, even in public, an INDEPENDENT military opinion.
The Szemere piece[5] will be extremely welcome; but I cannot think of working it up as yet.
Herewith the article for Dana.[6] I shall now make haste to conclude the series; but you do something on England as well. If we can extract £3 a week out of the fellow, I'll be damned if we can't manage to send your wife into the country for a spell before the summer's over—that would do her more good than any amount of porter. At all events, I'm glad to hear that her indisposition is not serious.
Just give me another year's military study, and the democratic lieutenants will get the surprise of their lives.
Regards to your wife and children and Dronke and Lupus from
Your
F. E.